Pronunciation of Kosciuszko

The Argus

21 August 1946

Sir,

I believe it is part of the ABC's policy to see that their announcers use correct pronunciations on all occasions, but there is one name that is continually mispronounced - Mount Kosciuszko.

It was named after the famous Polish hero, Tadeusz Kosciuszko, and the Polish people consider it a great honour that Australia should see fit to immortalise this great countryman of theirs in this manner.

But they would never recognise the name as pronounced by the majority of Australians and ABC announcers as "Kossie-usko."

How many English speaking people would recognise the name of their great dramatist, Shakespeare, if they heard it as a Polish person, who knew no English, would pronounce it: "Shark-es-pee-ar-es?"

The correct pronunciation of Kosciuszko is Kosj-chewsch-ko, and I would like to see this made known to the listening public and your many readers.

R. Chase (Hobart)

Pronunciation of Kosciuszko

The Argus

23 August 1946

Sir,

We may not know the song the sirens sang, but we may well believe that as "Freedom shrieked when Kosciusko fell," it sounded like "Kosj-chewsch-ko!"

There is no authority in English pronunciation, but "good usage." "Kos-e-us-ko" is very long established as a pronunciation, and it was still the pronunciation at the turn of the century, as shown by reference books of 1896 and 1901.

It is still in good usage.  

(Miss) B. Fitzgerald (North Brighton)