Lydia Schoch
Ellen's Very Southern VoiceI'm not gonna say how it's pronounced, but I know how it's spelled.
Dr. Salchipapa@ellenmorrisprewitt I always thought the first part was supposed to rhyme with "tennis", but your theory is good too.
Emma CoxPen-iss-ton would be my guess if it's following similar pronunciations found in the UK.
'Penn' means headland or height in Brittonic, and 'ton' is an Old English suffixes meaning village.
@ellenmorrisprewitt @emb_cit Penistone is a place over in Yorkshire in the Pennines.
I’m in Cornwall and the derelict farm I used to live near to was names Peniskier.
@ellenmorrisprewitt @emb_cit for more rude uk place names, why not try Twatt, Shitterton, Wet Wang, Titty Ho, Netherthong, Fingeringhoe, Great Cockup, Butthole Lane, and Bitchfield.
@ellenmorrisprewitt @emb_cit the highest hill where I live is also named Brown Willy. But this is down to the English taking Cornish words and changing them to the nearest English sounding equivalent.
The thought is the Cornish name for the hill was either "Bronn Wennili" meaning "hill of swallows" or "Bronn Ewhella" meaning "highest hill".
@ellenmorrisprewitt @emb_cit
Exactly! See also Pen y cwm gwyk (head of the creek), which became Penny Come Quick.
Similar to those fifth grade boys naming body parts, sniggering because vagina means sword sheath.
Actually... I don't know many any exist anymore, but Gropec*nt Lane was common in many UK towns and cities.
@ellenmorrisprewitt @emb_cit I’m glad you enjoyed it. Etymology interests me and place names usually end up meaning Dave’s Farm or The Church on the Hill Overlooking the Estuary. My favourite is Manchester because it means Boob Town, as it describes the breast-like shape of the hill it’s built on.
@emb_cit I just had someone suggest that! They used Stennis, as in the Stennis Center in Mississippi, but same emphasis. And it sounds less of an affectation than "Pu-nes-ton."