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Why do the English pronounce the first name "St. John" as "sinjin" but they pronounce the last name "Saintclair" as "saint clair" (and not "sinclair")? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by sgibson5150 to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

41 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Checkmate, Chuck. 👑

Edit: Given the number of downvotes I'm getting, I'm guessing a lot of people have just learned that they've been pronouncing St. John wrong. Don't beat yourselves up. It's not like it's a terribly common name.

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[–] SouthFresh@lemmy.ml 10 points 5 days ago (3 children)

“ It can be pronounced…” is not the same as, “Is often pronounced”

[–] sgibson5150 -5 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I didn't really say either of those, at least in the post. What's your point?

[–] sanguinepar@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

No, but you said "why do the English pronounce" with no qualification that it's neither the only way nor the most common way.

You're right that it does happen, but your title implies it's the sole or dominant pronunciation.

[–] SouthFresh@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

My point was that it seemed to me as if you were assuming from limited information that the pronunciation was prevalent when the source material provided doesn’t state the prevelence.