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What is the correct pronunciation of Islay?

What is the correct pronunciation of Islay?

Old Apr 1st, 2010, 08:12 PM
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What is the correct pronunciation of Islay?

DH is a Scotch drinker and has thought he was correctly pronouncing it

eye lay all this time and now he's not so sure, from some book he's reading.
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Old Apr 1st, 2010, 08:49 PM
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It is sort of 'Ila' or 'eye la'. (long I - short A)
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Old Apr 1st, 2010, 10:53 PM
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agree with jansisj on this,having visited the island the locals certainly pronouce it that way.
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Old Apr 1st, 2010, 11:09 PM
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I live in Glasgow and janisj is pretty spot on....(when we go to the Islay Inn, that's how it's said...!)
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 12:30 AM
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From the horse's mouth, so to speak:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT4j5on_dY
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 12:35 AM
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This is the one that was going round the back of my mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a5HCyWRyMc
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 01:17 AM
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Donovan pronounced it "eye"-"lay" (both long vowels) in his 1967 song Isle of Islay (on the album A Gift from a Flower to a Garden)...but of course, he constantly took liberties with pronunciation for artistic reasons.

SS
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 01:24 AM
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So how do you pronounce Penicuik?
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 01:29 AM
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'penny-quick'. Stress on first syllable.
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 01:30 AM
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'penny-cook' stress on cook
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 01:39 AM
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actually....ignore what I said about stress, but pronunciation is correct
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 04:19 AM
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My daughter's father in law is formerly teacher and administrator at Penicuik High School, and Allihutch and Stfc are both sort of right.

The first syllable, accented, is indeed pronounced "penny". The second syllable is pronounced somewhere between "quick" and "cook". If I had to represent it for other Americans, I would say something like "kook" [like wow, man], but there is a little glottal in there. But representing Scots sounds in Amerispeak is a very inexact art.

They visit here a lot and are constantly amused by our pronunciation of Scottish names -- Bucchleuch ("Buckloo") being the most notable. Our favorite in the opposite direction is the Edinburgh bookseller "Menzies", pronuounced "Menghis," closely followed by Milngavie ("mulguy"). They do note that so many damned Englishmen are attending Scottish universities that you do actually hear people saying "Menzies" as it is written. Country going to the dogs!
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 05:02 AM
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Perhaps Penny-cuke would work...(cuke shortens the oo of kook)
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 07:01 AM
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Thank you all for coming through.
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 07:15 AM
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I trust you never have to learn to pronounce cirrhosis
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Old Apr 2nd, 2010, 10:35 AM
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Sassy_cat's got it!

By Jove, s/he's got it!

Absolutely!

With thanks to Prof Henry Higgins, aka 'Enery 'Iggins.
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