Eh? Aye? I?

October 25, 2012 3:23 PM

How does a Scotsman (or woman) pronounce the town Ae, Scotland?
posted by furtive to writing & language (4 answers total)

http://vimeo.com/4616914
posted by perspicio at 4:11 PM on October 25, 2012

Scottish here. I pronounce it like the letter 'A'; rhymes with hay.
posted by Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo at 4:19 PM on October 25, 2012

Checked with a Scottish friend on this - she confirms it's "ay", as in "hay," "day," "lay" etc.
posted by badgermushroomSNAKE at 9:21 PM on October 25, 2012

I asked my academic supervisor, who is Scottish and a phonetician. Here are some fun facts about Ae:

• In his words: "Yon's pronoonced [e:] gin ye're frae roond thae pairts, i.e., just like the name of the first letter of the alphabet."
• The Forest of Ae is known as a centre for mountain biking.
• Ae is the shortest placename in Britain.
• Lastly, 'ae' is one spelling of the indefinite article in Scots, as is Robert Burns' poem 'Ae Fond Kiss'.

posted by iamkimiam at 1:55 AM on October 26, 2012 [5 favorites]