Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

My fave are the local O'Quinns. From Aucoin.

That is interesting!

[Acajack]

Is O'Quinn even a name in Ireland? (I admit to having no idea.)

Some Aucoins also changed their names to Cornellier.

Other name translations:

Cuillerrier = Spooner

Beauchamp = Fairfield

Boisvert = Greenwood

Roquebrune = Rockburn

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Lots of Whites who used to be LeBlancs in New Brunswick. Some of these Whites are still francophones.

Same goes with some of the Butlers (LeBouthillier) there.

PEI also has people who go by the name of Perry who used to be Poiriers. Some of them still speak French.

One that I learned of here recently is that people here with the last name Spooner originally had the last name L'Écuyer.

The best known here was Wilf Spooner who was a former mayor and provincial cabinet minister.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is O'Quinn even a name in Ireland? (I admit to having no idea.)

Some Aucoins also changed their names to Cornellier.

Other name translations:

Cuillerrier = Spooner

Beauchamp = Fairfield

Boisvert = Greenwood

Roquebrune = Rockburn

Yes, "Quinn" and "O'Quinn" are found in Ireland.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Yes, "Quinn" and "O'Quinn" are found in Ireland.

I knew about Quinn of course but was unsure about O'Quinn.

[SignalHillHiker]

O'Quinn is definitely a real and Irish name, yeah. But it does strike me as weird. It reminds me of whoever it was here who had to Google St. Kevin's (a parish church here) because they didn't believe it was a real saint. It just feels fake to me, O'Quinn. Like... O'Harold.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

O'Quinn is definitely a real and Irish name, yeah. But it does strike me as weird. It reminds me of whoever it was here who had to Google St. Kevin's (a parish church here) because they didn't believe it was a real saint. It just feels fake to me, O'Quinn. Like... O'Harold.

Some Irish names seem to go well with the O', and some don't.

O'Regan and O'Kelly are good examples.

O'Flynn and O'Ryan and O'Murphy may exist but they do sound odd to me.

[SignalHillHiker]

So, the Canary Islands was pretty spared from Spain's dictatorship and stayed famously liberal. For example, it has long had a gay area, etc. Lots of artists and leftists managed to hide out there. They're also in a time zone an hour behind Spain so they have a cute local expression, "We're an hour behind and a century ahead."

That came up in conversation this evening and my cousin said, "Meanwhile, we're a half hour ahead and 50 years behind." And it HURT ME. Because it's kind of true.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

So, the Canary Islands was pretty spared from Spain's dictatorship and stayed famously liberal. For example, it has long had a gay area, etc. Lots of artists and leftists managed to hide out there. They're also in a time zone an hour behind Spain so they have a cute local expression, "We're an hour behind and a century ahead."

That came up in conversation this evening and my cousin said, "Meanwhile, we're a half hour ahead and 50 years behind." And it HURT ME. Because it's kind of true.

9pm Eastern Standard time, 1969 in Newfoundland.

[SignalHillHiker]

"I did a show recently in Northern Ireland. As a millennial, I love doing shows in Northern Ireland because it's the only way I get to experience the 1970s."

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

9pm Eastern Standard time, 1969 in Newfoundland.

We had a saying in the Navy. "Entering Halifax harbour. Turn your clocks back 200 years!"

[kwoldtimer]

The posts above re changing family names reminded me that the "Dare" of Kitchener's Dare Foods Ltd was originally "Doerr". The family changed its name and the company name in 1945.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

The posts above re changing family names reminded me that the "Dare" of Kitchener's Dare Foods Ltd was originally "Doerr". The family changed its name and the company name in 1945.

My great grandfather came from Poland named Zawadko but changed it to Sawchuk when he immigrated. I think people were just happy to be in Canada and were happy to leave much of the past in the past.

I echo the Rideau debate from earlier as well. I can always tell when my new students are from Southern Ontario as they pronounce it just like many Americans (most of the time). I find students from Eastern Ontario or Quebec usually get it right.

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

My great grandfather came from Poland named Zawadko but changed it to Sawchuk when he immigrated. I think people were just happy to be in Canada and were happy to leave much of the past in the past.

I echo the Rideau debate from earlier as well. I can always tell when my new students are from Southern Ontario as they pronounce it just like many Americans (most of the time). I find students from Eastern Ontario or Quebec usually get it right.

Even today, the name change thing happens (though less common than before). I recall a Filipino-Canadian classmate back in my youth (and I'm only in my 30s so not that old) who said an "o" in his last name was supposed to be an "a" (or maybe vice versa) but that was because when his family first moved there, there was a typo, but they didn't bother to change it.

I'm surprised that southern Ontarians pronounce Rideau differently than other Canadians, and more like Americans. I assumed all Canadians would have at least the French schooling (even if minimal) to recognize what certain sequences of letters sound like in French surnames vs. English.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Even today, the name change thing happens (though less common than before). I recall a Filipino-Canadian classmate back in my youth (and I'm only in my 30s so not that old) who said an "o" in his last name was supposed to be an "a" (or maybe vice versa) but that was because when his family first moved there, there was a typo, but they didn't bother to change it.

I'm surprised that southern Ontarians pronounce Rideau differently than other Canadians, and more like Americans. I assumed all Canadians would have at least the French schooling (even if minimal) to recognize what certain sequences of letters sound like in French surnames vs. English.

We've had two prime ministers in 50 years called Trudeau. If that's what we are talking about you'd think most Canadians would know that "eau" in French makes an O sound.

[Acajack]

Every time I hear a reporter start talking about the guy investigating alleged Russian involvement in the Trump campaign, I keep expecting them to "mew-lur", but they always say "mull-ur".

Am I right that if Robert Mueller were Canadian, his name would likely be pronounced "mew-lur"?

[esquire]

^ I have to remind myself from time to time to say mull-ur instead of mew-lur

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Every time I hear a reporter start talking about the guy investigating alleged Russian involvement in the Trump campaign, I keep expecting them to "mew-lur", but they always say "mull-ur".

Am I right that if Robert Mueller were Canadian, his name would likely be pronounced "mew-lur"?

I'm not sure I would go as far as making a blanket statement like that. Pronunciation of family names isn't necessarily based on nationality.

That said, my surname is almost always pronounced incorrectly in Canada but I have yet to have it mispronounced when I have been in the U.S. so maybe there is something to it.


Old joke:
When Richard Zednik (NHL player) was in the US was his name pronounced differently than in Canada?

[Oyster Ditch]

Originally Posted by Acajack

We've had two prime ministers in 50 years called Trudeau. If that's what we are talking about you'd think most Canadians would know that "eau" in French makes an O sound.

The gidounes up in Abitibi-Témiscamingue make the craziest O sounds you ever heard

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Oyster Ditch

The gidounes up in Abitibi-Témiscamingue make the craziest O sounds you ever heard

What do you mean?