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Archiver > NY-IRISH > 2006-06 > 1151548418
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Subject: Re: [NY IRISH] Pronouncing Names
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 22:33:38 EDT
Clare Higgins wrote:
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Speaking of names, my great-great-grandfather, Maurice Higgins (1820-1878),
never learned to read or write. In my grandfather's family history notes, my
GGF's first name is spelled "Maurice," but in copies of New York census
records I've obtained, it's "Morris." I think that the census taker asked my
GGF how his name was spelled and GGF of course didn't know, so the census
taker had to take a guess.
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Hi Clare,
Many people pronounce Maurice as MOR-eese.
I believe the "proper" pronounciation is MAHR-iss.
So the census taker probably wrote down exactly what he heard your
GG-Grandfather pronounce - Morris.
Dan in Pennsylvania, USA
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