My dad was born in Flint, MI, of people who migrated from the Northeast, specifically Haverstraw, NY; he said “warsh” for “wash” and “rolly coaster” for “roller coaster”. There’s a street in Detroit, a most definitely French-settled place, named Marsailles, but instead of “Mar-say”, it’s pronounced - you got it! - “Mar-salls”. I think the only other street on the east side (my old 'hood) that has an uncommon pronunciation is Freud, which is pronounced locally as “Frood”.
Let’s not forget De-kwin-der (Dequindre), Cad-ill-lack (Cadillac), Cad-u (Cadieux - at least this one’s not terribly far off), Liv-er-noy (Livernois), Saint O-ben (St. Aubin), Shar-leh-voy (Charlevoix), Grash-i-ott (Gratiot), and many, many more!
I’ll give 'em Iroquois and Nicollet, though, everyone in the US says those wrong.
[edit] Isn’t Frood what Bill & Ted called Freud?
And why did those people bother going to the holodeck to work out if they weren’t even going to turn on a program?
Sister went to Mizzou; they told her the same thing. But my brother went to Cal and they thought he had an accent, too.
Heh. So yeah my name is a gaelic bastardization of that. I had never heard it pronounced so was always scratching my head about it. Then in my 30s I watched The Rules Of The Game with MrsTobinL and one of the characters was a St. Aubin which is pronounced more or less daub-an and the connection was finally made.
I’ve mostly heard it called “Vitch-ee” – close but no cigar. (I’m from Columbia & have driven through Vichy dozens of times, but I’m not a native.)
New MAD-rid is another good one.
They have one of those near Ames, Iowa, too. So weird.
Now I live near a My-lan (Milan).
I’ve lived in Missouri long enough now that every time I read a mention of (say) the Treaty of Versailles, the little reading voice in my head says “Ver-SAILS”, And then my little reading voice weeps.
I’ve always heard/pronounced it as “AW-bin”. And I knew a girl in KY named Aubin, who was originally from NJ.
Livernois and Charlevoix aren’t far off then - the -oy sound is a dialectic variant of -oi (or -ois or -oix - the s and x are silent). We tend to pronounce “moi” (mwah) and “toi” (twah) as moy and twoy when we speak joual in Québec.
It could have been that as well, either way that makes sense of the Irish transliteration to Tobin (which is not a form of Tobias damn it)
It’s funny, but of all the times I’ve been out of the metro-Detroit area, the only street anyone’s talked about has been Eight Mile. Oh, and there’s Vernier - definitely **not ** the same as the ginger ale Vernor’s, that was on Woodward. And Beaubien, too. Kercheval is another. The place is rife with 'em!
I have similar issue with incorrect pronunciation of “washing-tin” & “Washing-TON”. Call me crazy, but I’m positive it’s Washington, with no “tin”.
Yes, I’m painfully aware that you don’t speak Parisian French in Quebec.
exactly. Tobin is a form of tax.
She chose the nucular option?
Settled by French fur traders, currently inhabited by everyone except Francophones.
If the only mention of Detroit streets was 8 Mile, then you were probably in the northern burbs. It barely warrants a passing mention in the western end. My news feed is Detroit, so the morning traffic report includes some of the worst offenders.
François du Roy, pas français de l’Académie. France decided that it preferred to hold on to Martinique rather than Nouvelle France during a peace treaty with the Brits (more fools them - Québec has a lot more resources), so Québec French developed in isolation during a period when the language was undergoing large changes in France, i.e., the Revolution.
Me, I need a libary like a fish needs a bicicle… as long as we can understand what the presidants saying, I could care less what exact words he uses to actually say the things that he’s saying when he talks to the American’s people during his communication speeches.
I can’t even.
But I can odd.
And I can Weird.