Date:  Fri, 17 Mar 1995 10:16:05 -0500

From:  jeffrey howard allen <jhallen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UCS.INDIANA.EDU>

Subject: Willamette Valley and Oregon



Another native Oregonian to add to the discussion on the pronunciation of

these two words.



I have always heard and used Wil-LAM-met, which affirms Leo's claim.



As for Oregon, remember that film called War Games back in the 80's about

the kid from Seattle who got himself in trouble for breaking into the

US Gov't computer system to play some games, and then gets stuck in the

game of Thermonuclear War with the computer. Well, the kid was in

Colorado, calling his girlfriend back in Seattle to have her buy him a

plan ticket for O-ry-GON. Immediate Shibboleth give-away here folks. A

native northwesterner, either in Washington or Oregon, would normally

pronounce it OR-E-gun (captital E is a schwa, not stressed), or at least

OR-y-gun, as Leo has pointed out. The kid actor was definitely not from

the NW.



However, a native of OR-E-gun does prononce OR-E-go-ni-En to designate a

person who lives in that state.



Jeff Allen

---------------------------------------------------------------

>>While we're at it, where does the stress fall in the name of the valley

>>which was the terminus of the Oregon Trail -- Willamette? (For that

>>matter, where does the stress fall in 'Oregon'?)

>>Fritz Juengling



According to my wife, a native Ory-gunian, it's pronounced Ory-gun, instead of

Ory-gone. They even had bumperstickers to this effect:-)



The Wil-LA-met valley was the terminus for the Ory-gun Trail. As opposed to

the Wil-la-MET, or the WIL-la-met.



leo_horishny[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]pol.com

Rowrbazzle!