Say What?

[dask]

Originally Posted by Interference

The Anglo-centric pronunciation guide here suggests Gorn...

If that's true for Gaughan, and as someone noted above the Vaughan in Vaughan Williams is vorn, then why is British poet Henry Vaughan's last name pronounced vawn? What's the distinguishing factor? (My source is Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition.)

[Ursa major]

To some extent, it depends on how one pronounces vorn and vawn.

I pronounce the former without emphasizing the r, basically sticking the v and n sounds either side of the sound or (which I also pronounce as a single, undifferentiated vowel sound: there's no hint of the r as a consonant). Vawn induces me (but perhaps no-one else) to introduce a hint of an oo sound before the n, making it not quite a monosyllable, but not strictly giving it two syllables.


So it may be that my pronuncuation of vorn is how you pronounce vawn.

[dask]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

To some extent, it depends on how one pronounces vorn and vawn.

I pronounce the former without emphasizing the r, basically sticking the v and n sounds either side of the sound or (which I also pronounce as a single, undifferentiated vowel sound: there's no hint of the r as a consonant). Vawn induces me (but perhaps no-one else) to introduce a hint of an oo sound before the n, making it not quite a monosyllable, but not strictly giving it two syllables.


So it may be that my pronuncuation of vorn is how you pronounce vawn.

Makes sense. Thank you.

[Urlik]

I had a look round a few sites and one (for people named Gaughan) had many various pronounciations from Gone to Gorn to Gorran to Goggin and all are still in use in various parts of the World, so it would depend on where he (and to a greater extent his parents and grandparents as they would be the ones telling him how to say it) was from as to which would be correct.
for example, in Scotland it could be pronounced Gockin

[dask]

Originally Posted by Urlik

...for example, in Scotland it could be pronounced Gockin

Actually, this is the way I first heard it pronounced by the friend who introduced me to sf. Was never sure it was correct, but he was a very smart, well read kid (more than me) and heavily into Celtic stuff.