Re: CHAT: silly names

John Cowan wrote:
>
> I always thought that the state of Maine held the U.S. record
> for silly names, as in the well-known quatrain:
>
>         To the shores of Lake Aghquabamticook,
>            All in the state of Maine,
>         A man from Wittipesaugam came,
>            One evening in the rain.
>
> But now I find that in Massachusetts, some miles south, we have Lake
> Chargoggagoggmanchaugagoggchaubunagungamaugg, locally pronounced
> ['wEpsta].  Take *that*.
Gurk. Try as I might, I can't see the correlation between the written
and pronounced forms - my inclination would be to pronounce it
/tS&rgOg&gOgm&ntSawg&gOgtSawb&nAgVN&maug/. Double gurk.

I do like that /tS&rg/ to begin it, though. If it didn't violate Ajuk's
phonological rules in many mind-boggling ways, I'd borrow it.

--
Robert