Sevierville (Lenoir City: new home, high school, live)

[Tinman313]

Looking for the correct way to pronounce.
While sitting at breakfast the other day the couple next to me where heading out of Florida for their new home in " Sevierville" The one gentlemen said See-verville and I guess his sister-law said "Sa-vera-ville" and the other individual said Sy-veer-ville. It's like Pee-con or Pee-can.....
But just love that Tennessee twang... something very real and earthy. Please I'm not mocking or making fun of any one on the dialect...
How do you pronounce "Sevierville"

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by Tinman313

Looking for the correct way to pronounce.
While sitting at breakfast the other day the couple next to me where heading out of Florida for their new home in " Sevierville" The one gentlemen said See-verville and I guess his sister-law said "Sa-vera-ville" and the other individual said Sy-veer-ville. It's like Pee-con or Pee-can.....
But just love that Tennessee twang... something very real and earthy. Please I'm not mocking or making fun of any one on the dialect...
How do you pronounce "Sevierville"

My husband works in Sevierville and we socialize with natives and they pronounce it Suh ver vul. (long e). Hope this helps.

[Tinman313]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtngal

My husband works in Sevierville and we socialize with natives and they pronounce it Suh ver vul. (long e). Hope this helps.

That's another way!! Have not heard that..... Just one of those Americana Tennessee things.... I guess that's why the musica is so great

[anothertntony]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

My husband works in Sevierville and we socialize with natives and they pronounce it Suh ver vul. (long e). Hope this helps.

That is also how I pronounce it.

[hiknapster]

You have to think of it as saying "severe" then vulle.

[leonard]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

You have to think of it as saying "severe" then vulle.

That is how my sister in law who lives there pronounces it.

[itsjustme64]

There are many french sounding towns around the area, i.e. Sevierville, LaFollette, Lenoir City.

But instead of what I remember from French class, where it would be Sevee-ay-veel, it's severe-vull. Not La-Fa-let, but La-fall-it. Not len-wah, but luh-nor. Hard to unlearn all those years of French in high school.

[Rach1966]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

You have to think of it as saying "severe" then vulle.

that's the way I say it also

[Kitties of Domination]

Originally Posted by itsjustme64

There are many french sounding towns around the area, i.e. Sevierville, LaFollette, Lenoir City.

But instead of what I remember from French class, where it would be Sevee-ay-veel, it's severe-vull. Not La-Fa-let, but La-fall-it. Not len-wah, but luh-nor. Hard to unlearn all those years of French in high school.

Fun fact: The many "villes" in the south were named in celebration of the French assistance during the later years of the Revolutionary War. Not sure about the others, but there *may* have been a French presence in area prior to the British. Will do some research and get back to you.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Kitties of Domination

Fun fact: The many "villes" in the south were named in celebration of the French assistance during the later years of the Revolutionary War. Not sure about the others, but there *may* have been a French presence in area prior to the British. Will do some research and get back to you.

From what I understand, the French Broad River is so named because it disappeared from English territory (NC) into French territory (TN) way back a few hundred years ago. (Side note: I just read that the French Broad River is the 3rd oldest river in the world after the Nile and the New River which is also in NC.)

Many of our country's revolutionary heroes had French names because their families were Huguenots (French Protestants) who were kicked out of France and fled to England. George Washington, Paul Revere, and Alexander Hamilton come to mind. Davy Crockett's ancestry was also French Huguenot.

And if I remember my Tennessee history correctly, Nashville was originally called French Lick (even before it was Fort Nashboro) because there was a French settlement at a natural salt lick where animals used to congregate.

It's funny, the first time I saw the name "Sevierville" I tried pronouncing it the French way (my mother is half French) but now I laugh whenever I hear someone mispronounce it. Say vee ai veel. I love it.