Letter to the editor: Habit wins out when pronouncing ‘Dirigo’

In the Feb. 17 AskME article, “How did Dirigo become the state’s motto?” (Page B1), the author claims that the word “Dirigo” is pronounced “DEER-i-go,” not “deer-EYE-go.” Says who? A 2,000-year-old linguist? We Mainers pronounce foreign words the way we want to: “Calais” is “Callus”; “Vienna” is “VYE-enna”; and “Woolwich” is, well, still under discussion. […]

In the Feb. 17 AskME article, “How did Dirigo become the state’s motto?” (Page B1), the author claims that the word “Dirigo” is pronounced “DEER-i-go,” not “deer-EYE-go.”

Says who? A 2,000-year-old linguist?

We Mainers pronounce foreign words the way we want to: “Calais” is “Callus”; “Vienna” is “VYE-enna”; and “Woolwich” is, well, still under discussion.

In Portland, we have kale-eating Prius drivers who know a thing or two about Latin. There are also several people from Latin America. We always say “dir-EYE-go.” (Dere I go again!) We use the name on a city street, and on stores, companies and an extinct local beverage.

Some people like to deliberately mispronounce a word, even though they know better. “Nuclear” becomes “nukular.” For “Dirigo,” we will sometimes hear “Dry-A-Go.” This is an indigenous word that refers to Sebago Lake before it had any water in it.