RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Nottinghamshire => Topic started by: Alexander. on Wednesday 25 May 11 19:07 BST (UK)
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I hope nobody thinks I'm being too pedantic here, just hoping to get some opinions on something I've wondered about for a while. :D
My Nan, who lived in Southwell or very nearby for all her life (and whose maternal & paternal ancestors have lived in Southwell for centuries), always pronounces Southwell exactly at is looks: "South-well". But my other Nan, who admittedly has not lived in the area for nearly as long, adheres to the so-called 'local' pronunciation "Suthull". The family is completely divided on how to pronounce it, and it's not as though I can fudge it by saying Suth-well or South-ull because that just sounds silly. ::)
So how do you locals pronounce it? Does anyone know which way it was pronounced in say the nineteenth century?
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Ah ha, The age old question.
I've never lived in Southwell, but was born and bread in Clifton, Nottingham. My understanding is that people in Southwell call it South-well. People outside call it Suth-ull.
Personally it is South-well.
However people in Blidworth (about 7 miles away, where I now live) pronounce it Bild-uth and Rainworth (2 miles from Blidworth), Rain-uth.
Nottingham, as most places, has grown out of swallowing up smaller villages and these very local dialects still exist today.
Best Advice, is to say it however you like, we tend to respond anyway. ;D
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Ah ha, The age old question.
I've never lived in Southwell, but was born and bread in Clifton, Nottingham. My understanding is that people in Southwell call it South-well. People outside call it Suth-ull.
Personally it is South-well.
However people in Blidworth (about 7 miles away, where I now live) pronounce it Bild-uth and Rainworth (2 miles from Blidworth), Rain-uth.
Nottingham, as most places, has grown out of swallowing up smaller villages and these very local dialects still exist today.
Best Advice, is to say it however you like, we tend to respond anyway. ;D
Agree Andy, locals Southwell incomers Suthull.
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Thanks Andy and Jaywit, that is generally how I pronounce it, and I will continue to do so now. :)
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Never knew that. I was convinced it was Suth'ull. What you learn on this site! :)
meles
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Iam a Newark girl, it is Southwell.
Caunton is Conton. My dad born there always called it that.
Rainworth - Renuth
Averham- Airam
Car Colston- Cowson
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Iam a Newark girl, it is Southwell.
Caunton is Conton. My dad born there always called it that.
Rainworth - Renuth
Averham- Airam
Car Colston- Cowson
I'll add another one
Norwell is Norrel
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When I worked in Lincoln almost 50 years ago!! it was pronounced Suthull. That's how the Lincoln people pronounced it. How the Southwell locals pronounced it I have no idea.
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I'm Nottm born and bred and say "Suthell" but concur the knowledge that dwellers therein call it "South-well".
Maybe we need a thread to capture all this. For instance "we" say "Fosson" for Foston (near Grantham) and "Illson" for Ilkeston. I've also heard the uninformed say "Bass-fud" (as in Sea Bass) instead of "Base-fud" for Basford.
Sherwood
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My son reminded me of another one today. Mansfield Woodhouse - Woodus
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I used to belong to the "Suthull" school, but after becoming friendly with a native, was converted to the "South-well" camp.
Another one which I've heard, from a little further south: "GranTH - am" or "GranT -ham"
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Many years ago, when touring UK, we were constantly bemused by the way locals pronounced place names. After about a week of this, we came to be looking for a place (don't remember where) and sat and practised the name as we thought people might say it, only to discover that it was pronounced phonetically! Foiled again.
Out here in Oz, in NSW and Qld. there are places called Canowindra. In NSW it's pronounced Can - ourn - dra and in Qld it's can-o-win-dra.
:D :D :D :D
Dawn M
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Not a place name, but My Dad told me that Featherstone-Haugh was pronounced "Fanshawe"
He was Scottish. There was another one as well, but just can't remember it right now. Time I was asleep! :) Nighty night!
Jeanne
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I dont live in Southwell - but as a Notts person know that we acknowledge both Southwell and Suth-all.
I have always believed that those born to the area called it Suth-all and those who have 'moved-in' called it Southwell. It call it Southwell.
Added to this is, I believe, a class 'thing' i.e. what sort of money you have. If you were a middle class professional you would call it Southwell. I know 2 professional people who were not born there, but had the money to buy one of the higher price houses in the 'village' or center, that insist that it is called Southwell!!!!
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I'm Nottm born and bred and say "Suthell" but concur the knowledge that dwellers therein call it "South-well".
Maybe we need a thread to capture all this. For instance "we" say "Fosson" for Foston (near Grantham) and "Illson" for Ilkeston. I've also heard the uninformed say "Bass-fud" (as in Sea Bass) instead of "Base-fud" for Basford.
Sherwood
Good idea, extend it to Lincolnshire as there are some gems there, e.g. How is Saltfleetby pronounced?
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Not a place name, but My Dad told me that Featherstone-Haugh was pronounced "Fanshawe"
He was Scottish. There was another one as well, but just can't remember it right now. Time I was asleep! :) Nighty night!
Jeanne
Bottomley is pronounced B*mley in some circles! ;) Just to be clear, the missing letter is a vowel, and it is NOT a; e; i; or o.
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i live just off suthall rd, and my husband is not a local he is from hampshire and he always says southwell, and i always say suthall.
we also used to live in pleasley, which my dad pronouced please-ly but it is definatley pronounced plesley
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If we're talking about Lincs place names - what about Cowbit, a village just outside Spalding? Any guesses before I or another local person tell you?
NC.
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I will send you a pm with the answer.
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How about Wyberton then?
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As a Nottm city centre born & bred person, I'd call it Suth'ell, but I know a lot (most ?) locals call it Southwell. I don't know if this is "the native way" to say it, or if it started when the village became well to do (or, being a major diocese, maybe there was always this split). Must admit, if I was talking to a non local now I'd probably say Southwell, because I wouldn't want to be taken as an uneducated slob....instead I could be taken as an unmitigated snob.
But I really have no idea which is "correct"
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Whichever you are happier with....I lived in London for a while and once pronounced Suthock as South walk and almost got laughed out of town!!To my mind it was the same as South Well, a location that was south of something, after all there is a North well- Norwell!!But look how we pronounce that one....
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Indeed, whichever you are happier with! I was born in Cambridge, brought up in Boston, lived in Doncaster for most of my adult life, and now live in Bournemouth. My voice and vocabulary have traces of the first three, and my accent is a total hybrid. So, in one sentance I will pronounce three separate words the way that each is pronounced in each of the above areas. Confusing for the listener.
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I've got a friend who was born & bred in Stuttgart, lived in mid Wales for about 20 years & has lived in Brum for the past 15.....I'll leave the accent to your imagination
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As one who worked in Birmingham (and London) for three years while living in Doncaster I can well imagine!