[Magdalen] Mary, Marry, and Merry

Joseph Cirou romanos at mindspring.com
Fri May 15 05:02:05 UTC 2020







-----Original Message-----
>From: Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com>
>Sent: May 14, 2020 11:06 PM
>To: magdalen at herberthouse.org
>Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Mary, Marry, and Merry
>
>I understand western NY is in the same accent region as Detroit, Chicago,
>Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cleveland, etc. - Inland Northern, I think?
>
>When I went to Rochester, N.Y., on business (first visit to that city) to
>work on a project at the old Kodak HQ, I was surprised the people who lived
>there didn't "sound like New Yorkers." I thought they sounded midwestern,
>but it was just that sort of Great Lakes accent, flat vowels and all. I'm
>sure I fit right in, accent-wise.
>
>On Thu, May 14, 2020 at 3:56 PM Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu> wrote:
>
>> I still say them the same way, unless I'm really working at it (and I'm
>> usually NOT).
>>
>> Ann
>>
>> The Rev. Ann Markle
>> Buffalo, NY
>> ann.markle at aya.yale.edu
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 14, 2020 at 4:11 PM Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Here's how I hear the three words in, let's say, East Coast accents (I
>> know
>> > there are many):
>> >
>> > Mary = MARE-ee  --first syllable of medium length
>> >
>> > marry = MA (from "map") - ree   -- first syllable rather long
>> >
>> > merry = MEH (from "meth") - ree   --first syllable quite short
>> >
>> > And yes, here in Chicago, all three of these are likely to be said the
>> > first way.
>> >
>> > On Thu, May 14, 2020 at 2:56 PM cantor03--- via Magdalen <
>> > magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
>> >
>> > >
>> > > It is said one cam spot an Upper Midwesterner by how he/she
>> > > pronouncesthese three words - Mary, marry, and merry.
>> > > In some English speaking areas all three have distinctive different
>> > > pronunciations.In other English speaking areas world wide two of three
>> > have
>> > > identical pronunciations.In the USA Upper Midwest, all three have the
>> > same
>> > > pronunciation.
>> > >
>> > > In any case, May is the traditional month of Mary.
>> > > In the local Procathedral, the choir used to give Mary her dueby
>> chanting
>> > > from back in the apse the Marian antiphon for Eastertide:We abided by
>> the
>> > > notion that you can get by with anything if yousimply sing it in Latin:
>> > > The Regina Caeli
>> > >
>> > > Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.Quia quem meruisti portare,
>> > > alleluiaResurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
>> > >
>> > > Queen of heaven be joyful, alleluia.For He whom you have humbly borne,
>> > > alleluia.Has risen as he said, alleluia..Pray to God for us, alleluia.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > David Strang.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >There are some people and I don't know whether it is regional who pronounced Mary with something approaching a long a.  

Joe Cirou
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Scott R. Knitter
>> > Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA
>> >
>>
>
>
>-- 
>Scott R. Knitter
>Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA


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