NOT WHAT THEY SEEM.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 42, 14 February 1912, Page 3

NOT WHAT THEY SEEM.

.;. ,i,i • t. *l _• ’ A short letter'from Lord Haldane’s secretary to - bdril'e'sp'ohd^nt' who asked whether bis'-ri’amo. was pronounced “Haldane” or “Hall-dane” led recently to quite a lot of discussion in the; “Daily Mail” on the pronunication of English names. In this particular case “Hall-dane” is the correct way. Jbe Minister for War ds not the only member of the Cabinet whose name is pronounced in different ways. Some of his colleagues make the “A” in (Asquith long, and others make it' short. Until recently peojsle were divided between “Bone-ar” Law and : ‘Boiuiar” Law, but it is now known on the authority of, the new leader nimsolf that “Bonnar” is the correct ;pronunciation. ■ But these are mild, uncertainties compared with- some of ■ the puzzles British nomenclature affords. What foreigner of average .knowledge of, the language, could be expected to know that Pontefract was “Pumfrot,” Wyrardisbury “Raysibury,” Wrcnfordsleigh , “Hensley,” Wool hard is worthy , “Oozry,” St . (John “Singon,” and Hertford “Harif rid” ? Probably, hut few Englishmen outside the aristocracy would get,full marks in an examination., on, these and other names. The names of public jmen are full of pitfalls for .the uninitiated. Pole-Carew is given as I iill-Carey ’ and “Pool-Carey,” while Baden-Powell is “Bayden-Po’eJ.” Mr Soames, M.P., is Mr Soames, hut Sir Ernest Soares is Sir Ernest “So-ar-ez.” General Bethuno tells how he once overheard, two. troopers discussing his imperfections. “Why, he can’t even say his own name,” said one, in tones of disgust. “Ho calls it ‘Boeton’!” “Beoton” it is. Lord Rosebery has said that when ho was Lord Dalmcny he had “frequent spasms on, hearing how- that name was pronounced by people not of Scottish origin.” It is said that there is a tendency now in parts of England even among people who live there, to pronounce names of places as they are spelt. Chortsey is no longer “Chessy,” Uttoxetor is “EwtoxeL er” ana not “Ux’tcr,” while a con T loetioner .in Pontefract was surprised to find that his “Pumfret” cakes were named after his own town, which he had always called “Pontefract.” This tendency would seem to increase the general confusion.