[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Speaking 'properly' or not

[Kathryn]

bboyminn:
 
Further, the 'Ah'
sound, doesn't strike me as a standard pronunciation of the letter
'U'; 'Burk' vs 'Bark'.
 

K

There is no U in Berkshire.

And no it doesn't follow any of the rules of English but it is the 'correct'
pronunciation as opposed to being regional dialect. The reason many of our
place names don't follow 'normal' rules of English is most of them are taken
straight from the native languge of whichever group of invaders happened to
settle in that area of the country and the pronunciations have generally
stuck over the centuries (although the spelling often varies over time
depending on how the (non-local) scribe writing it down thought it should be
spelled when he heard the locals saying it)

K

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