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StumbleLawmaker lobbies for alternative pronunciation of ‘Nevada’
Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
CARSON CITY — A 48-year resident of Nevada says he’s embarrassed when out-of-staters are “raked over the coals” for pronouncing the state’s name as “Nev-vaaa-da.”
And Assemblyman Harry Mortenson, D-Las Vegas, says he’s been called crazy for asking for a resolution to be introduced at the 2011 Legislature that says two pronunciations are acceptable.
He says the one used by 2 million residents is Nevada with a flat “A” — “a sound not unlike the bleating of a sheep.” But he said 7 billion people who live outside the state pronounce the name with a soft “A” — “not unlike a sigh of contentment.”
You hear it now on television with a focus on the race for the U.S. Senate. Out-of-state reporters pronounce the name with a soft “A.” And national weathermen do the same thing.
Former state Archivist Guy Rocha says Mortenson is confusing the issue. He said Mortenson grew up in the Washington D.C. area and learned the wrong pronunciation.
Mortenson said that’s the way he was taught when he attended a military academy in Maryland and took two years of Spanish.
“Whereas is it almost impossible to correct television pundits worldwide — virtually all of whom utilize the Spanish pronunciation…” his proposed resolution says.
In Spanish, Nevada means “snow-capped.”
Gov. Jim Gibbons, a native Nevadan, was asked if he’s annoyed when he hears the eastern version used.
“I don’t know if it drives me crazy. I tell them if they want to be socially acceptable they should” use the correct pronunciation, he said.
He then quipped, “We have a Ramada hotel, but it is in Nevada.”
Mortenson is term-limited and won’t be at the 2011 Legislature. So he must find another lawmaker to introduce the resolution
So far, he hasn’t asked anybody.
As a member of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, Mortenson said, many non-residents came to testify. They used the Spanish pronunciation and were “raked over the coals,” he said.
He said it’s a “continuous, prodigious and daunting task” to interrupt and correct visitors for their pronunciation.
His resolution says there are two common versions — one used by Nevadans using a flat “A” sound “and the less preferred but acceptable cosmopolitan Spanish pronunciation — using the soft “A.”
It remains to be seen how far the bill will get in 2011 with lawmakers dealing with such issues as a $3 billion budget shortfall and reapportionment.
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"He says the one used by 2 million residents is Nevada with a flat "A" -- "a sound not unlike the bleating of a sheep."
Heh..
:-)
Don't they have anything better to be discussing than how people pronounce "Nevada"??
This state is in a hurt financialy and this dolt is worried about how the states name is pronounced???? Time to get rid of this dolt and replace him with one that is responsible. The problem in NEVADA IS JOBS NOT THE WAY THE STATES NAME IS PRONOUNCED YOU MORON.
Complete stupidity.
Im glad your legislature is working hard to solve your state's hurrendous problems. 14% unemployment and this clown is worried about how you say Nevada. Rory and Brian are out with their fake debates and staged photos. Angle and the other Reid are slamming each other with other peoples money. And there other candidates that are 100x more qualified that are running for office but do not have big money. The media does not care about them. The media has failed in their responsibilities and people should stop using their hard earned money on buying papers etc. Your money is being used to advertise and keep the big candidate relationships with the media going. Wake up Nevadans.
Gee Assemblyman Mortenson, nice going,I've lived here almost as long as you....wow...you apparently are either having problems with inappropriate age related behavior, was born here and you're responding to one of your less than mindful constituents, think that there is nothing else happening in our state, ie, lack of proper funding for schools, lack of a fix for immigration for Nevada(hiring of illegals for jobs citizens will do), stopping the harassment of recent immigrants who are here legally, our high foreclosure rate, unemployment; these might be more important. Maybe you could get residents from California to actually buy their tags in Nevada, instead of continually re-registering their cars in the great broke state to the west of us(where we will soon be), that might even boost the state revenue a tad....maybe you could work on stopping local municipalities from funding one more park...in the middle of the Great Mojave...don't care where folks came from, and what it was like there, taxpayers shouldn't have to fund their homesickness and make the desert green, won't work....just a thought....it is Nevada, short diphthong 'a'...but your worry is to accommodate those that are pronunciation challenged....I am sure that there is a challenger for your seat that will use this silliness in an ad against you...I can see it now
I got raked over one time when i was there for pronouncing it incorrectly by a BJ dealer I said I was sorry and then said that as a tourist I pay most of his tax for him like the road he used to get to work so I then pulled back my tip and said kiss my A$$ and that was with a soft "A" and not with a flat "A".
Associated Press style dictates that the true pronunciation of a location lies within the socially accepted version at that location, not the native tongue pronunciation nor the way "most people" pronounce it. This is best reflected in the multiple cities of Louisville. There's a Louisville, Kentucky (pronounced /luivl/ or Lou-e-ville, or /luvl/ or Lu-a-vull) and theres a Louisville, Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio and Georgia (pronounced /lusvl/ or Lou-iss-ville). Nevada (pronounced /nvaed/ with a flat "A") is the true pronunciation as pronounced in the state. This shouldn't even be an issue. People can and should expect to be stigmatized just as much as if there were to walk into the Kentucky Derby and say "I've never been to Louis-ville before" of course you're going to be looked at strange and corrected - it's called pride in your community. And just because most TV reporters and weathermen pronounce it wrong, doesnt make it right - in fact, that's just sad.
Just say it like it's "Nevadda". I grew up in Boston, spoke like a Kennedy. But when I went to work for Bechtel, I ended up working in 22 states, mainly in the Southeast and Rocky Mountains. The day I landed in Texas, I changed to a Midwest twang. That way, they couldn't call me a "Damn Kinnedy", as they pronounced it. If they asked me where I was from, I said Iowa or Minnesota. Only people from back East could catch a word or 2 clue to where I was really from.
Why? "When in Rome, do like the Romans". Makes life a lot smoother. Plus most Texans didn't know Iowa from Vermont or anywhere else, so they shut their wide mouths. Texas-centric, I guess.
Real Nevadans know how to say Nevada, and anyone who moves here that wants to be a part of our community would learn how to say it. That the government would waste time and money on this is beyond insulting, and way too accommodating. Government must stop trying to force society to equally accommodate every variation of everything.
RPJ "Real Nevadans"(the kind that were here before either of us and named the state) knew how to pronounce Nevada, and they pronounced it with a soft "A". ;)
Hey, carpet bagger, the Spanish speakers pronounce District of Columbia as "District of Cohloombia".
Somebody taser this schlep back to DC.
JMVegas
Funny you mentioned Louisville Ky. me and my wife were traveling Thur there a few years back and we got into a discussion about that very thing and it went back and forth from each us believing that I was right and so on so we decided to stop and eat and I thought this whole thing was behind me when my wife decided to put me on the spot while ordering our food, She proceeded to tell this young man that we were having difficulty knowing where we were so please tell my husband where we are at and say it slowly so he can understand with a grin, then the young man behind the counter Say's slowly BURRRGERRRRRR KINGGGGGGG
Can we also get a bill--or at least an official proclamation--saying that it isn't cool to refer to Henderson as Hooterville or Hendertucky?
"Louisville, Kentucky
The settlement that became the city of Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and is named after King Louis XVI of France."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville,...
"Louisville, Colorado
The town was named for Louis Nawatny, a local landowner who platted his land and named it for himself. Incorporation came several years later, in 1882."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville,...
"RPJ "Real Nevadans"(the kind that were here before either of us and named the state) knew how to pronounce Nevada, and they pronounced it with a soft "A". ;)"
Actually, no. Nevada as a word may originate in Spanish but that does require a Spanish-vowel pronunciation for the name of the state. If we are going back in time, then you have to go before Spaniard Conquistadores, anyway, back to Native American names, and we're not doing that.
(does NOT require a Spanish-vowel pronunciation, rather)
Oh puh-lease I've never seen anyone "raked over the coals" for pronouncing Nevada wrong. It's just the easiest way to tell someone is not from here. Who cares? I politely tell people the correct way to say it when appropriate but most of the time I just let it slide. Seriously, who cares?
I am ever astounded by the arrogance of those (everywhere) who insist that their pronunciation of a name is the correct one. Who, anyway, decided that Nevada is not pronounced in Spanish? Does it have anything to do with the observable bias against Hispanic-Americans?
Seems to me this is but yet another example of the "Old West" mentally that is prevalent. And that is NOT a compliment. And that we should just be glad to have people visiting here and not concern ourselves with how anyone pronounces anything at all.
What a waste of time. Who cares how out of towners pronounce it. I have never heard anyone put someone down for how they pronounce the state name. Some will joke about it. Okay legislature I hope I don't see this being brought up when as others said we have important things to address next year.