I spoke to a lifelong Tennessean, a lady who was about sixty years old, and she confirmed that all Tennessee hillbillies are ashamed of themselves and they look down when speaking to Yankees or Northerners. Then I began to wonder how many times I unintentionally belittled someone or seemed intolerant because I did not know that a pronunciation was a feature of time and place, not an intentional slight against my home. Every single native American language from east coast to West Coast from the Canadian border all the way down into Mexico do not have the pronunciation of LAY as in a-puh-LAY-chuhn. And, humorously, of course, Daniel Boone was not a Methodist. Caleb, I have to assume that you’re just trying to be provocative. Latch, people, AppaLATCHa, Look up chian pronunciation. I was used to saying “a-puh-LAY-chuhn”, and I was very quickly corrected by locals. I think they are, plainly and simply, evidence of all hillbillies’ poor education and upbringing. Most thru-hikers will tell you it’s a north-south thing, with the dividing line roughly on the Mason-Dixon line. But your comparisons were aptly put. Many of my friends here in Kansas who have never lived anywhere near the Appalachians use the lay pronunciation, and it doesn’t bother me unless they adamantly believe that they are correct and everyone else is wrong. Caleb – just so you know, my KY family uses the Appa – lay -shin pronunciation for generations. My teachers were life long North Carolinians. Appalachian University would not call itself a-puh-LATCH-uhn University if that was not the correct pronunciation. Is there a correct way to pronounce “Appalachia?". I, too, am from extremely western Kansas, and am embarrassed by Caleb’s arrogance. It is possible the name you are searching has less than five occurrences per year. As a Pennsylvanian, I have fond memories of backpacking with southern friends and having friendly arguments about how to say Appalachian, grits vs. oatmeal, etc., etc. Native American language and dialect doesn’t have a pronunciation for LAY as in a-puh-LAY-chuhn. 0 comments. Until very recently, I have never heard the word pronounced with the LATCH sound. I suggest you study and research your topic before you blast your thoughts on the internet in the future. The pronunciation of "Appalachian" in Colorado is "Foothills". You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. It is pronounced chee-un. People are sharing tips and tricks about items that they use to make their life happier, healthier, or just easier. Shop unique Appalachian face masks designed and sold by independent artists. I think this says it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCqWrsAZ_o. Haha. Grew up in the Jim Crow era. I no longer live in the south – I live in Boston! This is where my ancestors are from.” Now, I take my muddy boots off at the door of every mountain home I meet, because the pronunciation of Appalachia is a dialectal feature, not a war cry. When it comes to discussing cultural differences it’s good to have a thick skin. The term Apalachen or the modern spelling, Appalachian, is the plural form for Apalachee, the group of people. Appalachian definition, of or relating to the Appalachian Mountains. Outdoor Research MicroGravity AscentShell Jacket Review, Best Hiking and Camping Gear Deals from the REI End of Season Clearance Sale, Year in Review: 19 of The Trek's Top Posts from 2020, http://www.native-languages.org/apalachee_guide.htm., https://peopleofonefire.com/origin-of-the-word-appalachian.html, https://soundcloud.com/dulciferous/appalachian-shibboleth, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCqWrsAZ_o, https://www.usu.edu/geo/geomorph/kansas.html. Sincerely yours, He called our beautiful Blue Ridge mountains the “Appa latchen” mountain. He taught me they forgot to add another “s” to Kansas. As for sophisticated, I have indeed been shaped by education and experience—three college degrees spanning ten years, in fact, my PhD dissertation addressing the sociological implications of Anglican church music on current American practices of choral composition. EVERYTIME time I hear actors on NCIS and other popular shows and news programs pronounce Appalachian I cringe. Out of 6,028,151 records in the U.S. Social Security Administration public data, the first name Appalachian was not present. http://www.native-languages.org/apalachee_guide.htm.. We are in the America of the Twenty-first Century. See more. Pronunciation of Appalachian trail with 2 audio pronunciations, 5 translations and more for Appalachian trail. When I get to go East, I will respectfully call it what the locals call it, and switch when I should. Born and raised in the south and I, for one, am tired of our “heritage”. Anyone else thought it was pronounced with a hard ch? They, before my sensible mother named me, had a bad habit … I personally typed all my letters in this discussion from scratch on this website. The Appalachian mountain range is named by Hernando de Soto after using Appalachee Indian guides and then generalizing this tribe with the Cherokee nation who lived in the present day southern Appalachian mountains. You are correct and just like the Cherokee the CH is pronounced CH like LATCH. Elisabeth: The correct word you were looking for is not “prick”. The bottom line, when all is said and done, we want you to continue to pronounce it with a “Lay”. January 11th, 2021 10:30 PM. I read your post. 12-27-2008, 16:50. Daniel Boone was probably associated with the Quakers, or Society of Friends. Me, I’m from North Georgia but eventually moved to Florida. While we can't have any big Christmas parties or family gatherings, we can still celebrate at home! Well, I once heard Joe Strummer say LAY in a song, but assumed it was just his English accent. 02-06-2013, 13:06. But, it’s pretty much how all of us grew up hearing and saying the word. “Latch” is for trendy sissies. The correct way. He said there wasn’t a long “A” sound in the Cherokee language. During the Colombian revolution, the occupiers could never quite figure out the correct way to say the word “Francisco” no matter how hard they tried to blend in as spies and land-takers. Clarksville and Nashville are more to the west……it’s flatter there, really. We just think they’re jackasses (like you) and would much rather not. Well, the policeman arrested him because he hit someone. So let me tell you a very short story in order to frame my own point. You know. I say Appa-lay-chen She says Appa-latchin And I have also heard Appa-lah-chun. I cut my teeth in the Whites. All that matters is how it is spoken in the present. I now teach college courses on classical music theory as an adjunct professor, at the ripe old age of 29. I agree that this is an acceptable pronunciation, but to say it is the only correct pronunciation is to choose to ignore the origins of the word. Sign found along the AT near Harper's Ferry, VA. Photo Credit - David Tarasevich, Appalachian Trail Conservancy . Incidentally, Les Claypool and Trent Reznor are probably my favourite Americans, after Big Don Trump of course, but that’s probably a conversation for another time . A lady from Tennessee, a lifelong Tennessee resident, a real Tennessean, told me hillbillies are embarrassed to speak to Yankees or Northerners. You are from Kansas so your opinion isn’t relevant (jk). Example: “I already done did that.” or “I done did that yesterday.” “dumber than a sack of rocks” Definition: Self-explanatory. P.S. If they’re wrong, then they are wrong. The way Southern people speak is closer to the original American’s dialect. ;) ) KG4FAM. Living in these mountains my entire life, born and raised with people who have been here their entire lives going back for Lord knows how long, you’ve got the “lay” and the “latch” mixed up. Write it here to share it with the entire community. How to say Appalachian in English? pronouncekiwi - How To Pronounce Appalaches. It was as if App-uh-lay-cha was tracking its muddy boots across the clean floors of my App-uh-latch-un home. So either pronunciation … I refer to the accents of the majority of the original Colonists. So here we are folks having a To-may-to/To-mah-to war. Hillbillies attend tractor pulls. The Trail of Tears passes within five miles of my sister’s house. You need to learn the language. I am a tenor and have been classically trained. So I would not say it is a “trend” to say it that way. Please continue to do your research and be kind and open minded to everyone’s opinions, In the northern Appalachians we pronounce it “Appalayshun.” Southern people don’t seem to realize that the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Maine to Georgia. I am from the Cumberland Plateau which is in the Southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. Just because you feel like it should be pronounced this way or you were told it’s pronounced another way doesn’t make it right. Now imagine going where you live right now and saying you want. And what this comes down to is that most of the settlers in that region were Dutch German and due to their language they couldn’t pronounce it correctly. We know what English speakers can do to the pronunciations of words from other languages. We have a river in Kansas that we, as a state pronounce differently than all the states around us. I’m a southerner. But I am certain my research will prove me right. If you want the true pronunciation, look at the native language. Thank you for helping build the largest language community on the internet. So, as a potential remedy for our travel necessity, I have listed 5 alternative ways in which you can relish your traveling desires during this pandemic. This series of 10 one-hour episodes tells the stories of eight girls who find themselves on a deserted island after their plane crashed while they are on their way to a resort. AKA Badger or the Good Badger. The Wilds is the Best New Show on Amazon Prime. Then I began to think of where I was raised and the experiences I had with the term “Appalachia.". He overlooks that and argues the policeman was prejudiced against him because he was a hillbilly. My mother pronounced Washington with a WARSH sound, I pronounce it with the WASH sound; even in our own household we disagreed on a pronunciation. I grew up in a hollow southern Appalachia. See All. TikTok is a great way to see what products are trending. I just want to thank you for clarifying the pronunciation. Named The Top Hiking and Outdoor Blogger by USA TODAY. They live in Appalachia, which is properly pronounced only one way: “App-uh-LAY-chuh.”. Take that information and do what you want with it. Never heard anyone say Appalatchan…never, not once. I don’t care how countrified you might be, the lifestyle is 100% different when you live in the mountains out in the holler and make do out there. your own Pins on Pinterest I find this very comical. Cascade and Rocky are not pronounced Cascode or Roockie. If you’d like to visit Bristol, I’ll gladly look you in the eye and tell you you’re an ignorant jackass. Now, this does not mean I do not like Oatmeal. I assure you, there are times and places when it matters how you say a word, when it matters that you are in your homeland or you are an invader. Women are known to lug around heavy purses with unnecessary items inside. That is the simple, direct and correct explanation for the “latch” pronunciation, and the countless other sloppy, incorrect hillbilly pronunciations, habits and customs which prevail in hillbilly-populated areas of our country. If you're planning on thru-hiking in the future, I encourage you to check out my Personal AT Coaching Page. My father’s family were German, probably named Bonn, changed to Boone in the New World. So it is a phonical impossibility that Appalachian can be pronounced a-puh-LAY-chuhn pronunciation does not even exist within the native American language or dialect. Cognates include Bourguignon moîme, Spanish mismo, Portuguese mesmo and Italian medesimo. Lots of regions are losing their distinct sound because of of media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCqWrsAZ_o Are you trolling us or is this your actual opinion? Appalachian and Appalachia are no different there’s only one correct pronunciation a-puh-LATCH-uhn. 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