Londoners- how do you pronounce "quay"?
In Toronto we pronounce it "key" (ie Queens Quay = Queens Key)
How do you pronounce West India Quay? |
Go with India Key.
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I am not a Londoner ,but I would pronounce it KEY!
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Thanks. I guess I could have just looked it up on wikipedia:
>>A quay, pronounced 'key', is a wharf or bank where ships and other vessels are loaded. A quay may be constructed parallel or perpendicular to the bank of a waterway. The word is commonly used in United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and in some of the former British colonies<< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quay English is so weird. |
It has the same roots as the French Quai and the Dutch Kaai, though they are pronounced differently.
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It's a common ending to names of seaside towns - Newquay, Torquay etc. It's said key.
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It really never occurred to me it was pronounced any way other than kay. OK, I've already learned my one new thing for the day, I can go back to bed.
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It's always been KEY for me. I'm surprised others would pronounce it differently.
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It's always been "key" for me, but in the song "The Star of the County Down" it's pronounced Cay (to rhyme with Bantry Bay), so there are variations in these islands.
I live near West India Quay (and various other local quays) and I occasionally hear people pronouncing it Kway - but perhaps they've only heard of the pop singer a few years ago called Finlay Quaye (to set off at a wild tangent). |
No - in the US Quay isn't common usage - and no one would suspect it would be pronounced "key". Just like most people say Green-which and Glou-cest-er. (People from the NE usually use the British pronunciations.) But lots of times I hear tourits asking for Green-which Village - instead of Gren-itch.
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<i>Glou-cest-er</i>
Or, if you're Russian submariners whose boat has run aground, "Gloo-chest-er". (TRaC, TRaC is one of the funniest movies of all time, IMO.) |
Blimey, if they were trying to get a submarine to Gloucester, they would be aground.
Oh, Gloucester, Mass., I suppose.... |
In the US, we have keys. Florida Keys, Key West, Key Largo, same idea, same pronunciation, different spelling.
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Continuing the nautical theme - how about "buoy"?
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Boo-ee.
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Buoy - we say boy, Americans and Canadians(?) sound the u, making it bu-ie.
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But then you say tomayto and we say tomahto. You say erb we say herb. :)
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I have a theory, that I believe is all mine.
OK....No one really knows where it comes from. My theory: French: "Au Quai" "Is the boat fine?" "Yes it is au quai (ok)" "Has the shipment arrived?" "Yes it is all au quai (ok)" |
I love Newquay - pronounced nookey.
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"Buoy - we say boy, Americans and Canadians(?) sound the u, making it bu-ie."
hetismij, this Canadian says "boy", but the fellows I have sailed with in Nova Scotia all say "boo-ee". Not sure what other Can-a-juns say. Anselm |
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