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View Poll Results: How do you say "Pecan?"
Puh-Kahn 49 79.03%
Pee-Can 7 11.29%
Puh-Can 1 1.61%
Pee-Kahn 4 6.45%
Other or Neither 1 1.61%
Voters: 62. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 10-25-2010, 08:38 PM
 
Location: Southeast Texas
764 posts, read 1,414,796 times
Reputation: 600

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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasReb View Post
Anyway, the question is, how do you pronounce "pecan."

And by the way, since it is the State Tree, I have a soft spot for it...and enjoy picking up pecans, shelling, and eating them up. BUT...the paradox is that -- much as it is a staple at Texas/Southern family dinners and reunions, I never cared all that much for pecan pie! Too damn sweet!
"Puh-Kahn"....

Also I agree with you on the pecan pie. Neither my hubby or I can eat any of one, although I love the actual nuts... just not in a pie or one of those pecan logs my mom used to get to keep her awake on the long drive from Pensacola to Miami to visit family. Way too sweet for me!
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Old 10-25-2010, 10:22 PM
 
Location: America
5,092 posts, read 8,800,933 times
Reputation: 1970
give me a piece of pecan pie if you want to see a grown man melt
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Old 10-27-2010, 05:16 PM
Status: "Back home again." (set 4 days ago)
 
Location: Suburban Dallas
52,570 posts, read 47,690,485 times
Reputation: 33644
Talking Making San Saba And Corsicana Proud

Here it is: [ Puh - kahn' ].


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Old 10-28-2010, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,307 posts, read 38,657,867 times
Reputation: 7184
Actually, I think it is "pah-KAHN" since the vowel sound is essentially identical in the first and second syllable, albeit commuted in the first.

I think the transition point from the correct pronunciation to the SEC pronunciation is at a longitude of about 89 degrees W. The farther East you go from there, the more the "uh" and "ah" sounds move farther back into the throat. For example, the vowel sound in "TRUCK" as pronounced in East Texas comes from the middle of the back half of the tongue. However, in Macon, Georgia, for example, the vowel sound in "TRUCK" comes from just above the vocal chords. It's cumbersome to say "pah-KAHN" if you have to inject a throat noise with a percussive consonant, so the language drifts towards "mouth vowels" like "EEE" and "AAH" (as in "a" with a breve).

I just made all of that up, by the way.
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Old 10-29-2010, 04:13 AM
 
3,669 posts, read 6,841,598 times
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It is very close to 'pee-kahns' but the way I, and everyone else I know in SATX, pronounce it is 'pee-cons'.

It would seem to me that 'kahn' and 'con' are not pronounced the same and that 'kahn' sounds close to 'khan', as in Genghis Khan, which is more stretched out.

I have heard those in town who might very well have Southern roots (versus South Texan roots) pronounce pecan as 'puh-con'.

For salmon I pronounce it 'sal-men' with the 'sal' part said the way one says the name Al with an s in front. But thanks to this thread, Squirl in particular, and dictionary.reference.com, I will now pronounce it as 'sam-uhn'.

I just did not grow up eating salmon, I don't even remember it in stores, but it is in stores now, and I do eat it now and won't look foolish the next time I order it.

Even after watching this movie I did not catch on to the correct pronunciation but after listening again I can hear it clearly now, 'sam-uhn'.

Last edited by Merovee; 10-29-2010 at 04:23 AM..
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Old 10-29-2010, 06:38 AM
 
Location: Somewhere in Texas
5,406 posts, read 13,220,490 times
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Whatever, it's a tasty nut. I just wish people around here wouldn't say the words rill, mill, pill, fill, dill for real, meal, peel, feel, deal. Cringe!

Last edited by Canine*Castle; 10-29-2010 at 07:24 AM..
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Old 10-29-2010, 08:00 AM
 
10,238 posts, read 19,505,907 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Merovee View Post
It is very close to 'pee-kahns' but the way I, and everyone else I know in SATX, pronounce it is 'pee-cons'.

It would seem to me that 'kahn' and 'con' are not pronounced the same and that 'kahn' sounds close to 'khan', as in Genghis Khan, which is more stretched out.

I have heard those in town who might very well have Southern roots (versus South Texan roots) pronounce pecan as 'puh-con'.

For salmon I pronounce it 'sal-men' with the 'sal' part said the way one says the name Al with an s in front. But thanks to this thread, Squirl in particular, and dictionary.reference.com, I will now pronounce it as 'sam-uhn'.

I just did not grow up eating salmon, I don't even remember it in stores, but it is in stores now, and I do eat it now and won't look foolish the next time I order it.
I too have always said it "saL-mon"...and ain't about to change it now! LOL If the Good Lord had not meant the "L" to be pronounced, He would not have put it in there!

Seriously, I do know the "proper" pronunciation, but what the heck on this one! Here is a link which gives some answers on the subject, although not sure how much validity they actually have.

Why is the L silent in the word salmon? - Yahoo! Answers

Last edited by TexasReb; 10-29-2010 at 08:15 AM..
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Old 10-29-2010, 08:30 AM
 
Location: Somewhere in Texas
5,406 posts, read 13,220,490 times
Reputation: 2800
Salmon is sam-uhn as stated above. There are so many words containing an "l", but the "l" is silent.

walk
talk
chalk
almond
calm
calf
should
halfback

It's just the crazy English language. I knew a Texas lady who said saw-oot for saute. Actually, she was my sister's mother-in-law. She said it that way until the day she died. She saw-ooted her onions.
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Old 10-29-2010, 01:11 PM
 
Location: Boerne area
705 posts, read 1,752,553 times
Reputation: 861
Quote:
Originally Posted by Canine*Castle View Post
Whatever, it's a tasty nut. I just wish people around here wouldn't say the words rill, mill, pill, fill, dill for real, meal, peel, feel, deal. Cringe!

you forgot hill and heel. In spin class 'don't put your hill down, cause we are about to go up a he-eel.' I always do an auditory double take before I figure it out.
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Old 10-29-2010, 03:55 PM
 
Location: Somewhere in Texas
5,406 posts, read 13,220,490 times
Reputation: 2800
Quote:
Originally Posted by 88txaggie View Post
you forgot hill and heel. In spin class 'don't put your hill down, cause we are about to go up a he-eel.' I always do an auditory double take before I figure it out.
That's a good one that I did forget.
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