On 28/2/07 11:29, in article , "Janet Tweedy"
wrote:

In article , Sacha
writes

A bit like the presant pronunsiation of Beaconsfield, which is a place where
they had a beacon, but the 'posh' people call it beckons-field as in someone
trying to get your attention, but I always refer to it as a place where
there was a beacon!

Ray, who is an Essex man, says much the same about people pronouncing
Theydon Bois with 'bois' as in French, whereas the locals calls it Theydon
Boys!


Living near 'Bekonsfield' I gave up years ago saying it as though a
beacon
We also have Chesham Bois and as Sacha says everyone pronounces it Boys!
However there's going to be a Time team programme on Bois House in the
next month and maybe we'll learn what we should call it from that!

I think there's no doubt it was once pronounced in the French fashion but,
like many place names and surnames has become anglicised over time. I
nearly said *******ised but... ;-) I committed a huge social solecism by
pronouncing Belvoir Castle in the French fashion to someone associated with
the place - coming from the CIs how was I to know it's pronounced Beevor?!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)