Talk:Bearsted

Pronunciation
How is Bearsted pronounced? Is it "bare-sted", "bur-sted" or "beer-sted"? 62.31.243.217 (talk) 14:04, 24 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Have added IPA details to lead - it's "bare-sted". Hope that helps Dick G (talk) 02:58, 25 July 2008 (UTC)
 * As one of the Men of Kent, I can tell you that Bearsted is properly pronounced "burr-sted", although "beer-sted" is an acceptable alternative. It is not pronounced "bear-sted" or bare-sted". Mjroots (talk) 16:57, 27 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Pronunciation is a tough one. I lived for 20 years about 3 miles away and I, and all local residents I knew, always pronounced it bare-sted. I accept that's probably a corruption over time and the proper Saxon-Norman derivation means it's technically incorrect but, you do rather have to bow to the majority and local usage. The recent IP edit (although being rather clumsy and belligerent) also bears this out (if you'll excuse the pun). It's always hard to provide evidence for pronunciation but, hopefully as an editor who knows that small area of Kent extremely well, I hope you and other editors can place some faith in the veracity of my argument. Dick G (talk) 09:41, 28 May 2010 (UTC)
 * In Hasted's time, the village was spelled Bersted, thus the pronunciation I mentioned earlier. Mjroots (talk) 11:45, 7 December 2010 (UTC)
 * As another datapoint, the automated train announcements on that line use something that's closest to "Beer-sted", but there's probably a bit of "u" in there too. In general with these cases, the traditional pronunciation is the "non-obvious" one, and the phonetic pronunciation has come about from incomers reading the name off a map - Shrews-bury versus "Shrose-bury" is a well-documented example. In that case there's also a class difference, which may also be present here? Or alternatively a clash between Kentish and Estuary influences? It's certainly the case that most Shrewsbury locals would use "Shrews-bury" these days, even though that's not the traditional pronunciation. Which is "correct" is another matter - I'd present it as either/or, but put "Bare-sted" as the second option. Le Deluge (talk) 20:50, 27 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Interesting points. I suspect the creep of Estuary English (and the corresponding retreat of the Kentish twang) have a part to play in the apparent discrepancy. I agree that an either/or is a good compromise (naturally with a preference for Bare-sted as the first option).Dick G (talk) 20:50, 28 January 2011 (UTC)
 * I note that this one has reared its head again. Maybe we ought to add the historical "Ber-sted" and "Bee'ur-sted" to the lede? Mjroots (talk) 15:10, 23 May 2011 (UTC)
 * I don't have any real objection to that (aside from making it possibly a bit unwieldy and confusing) but somehow I don't think that will have prevented the latest edits - you can't legislate for vexatious teenagers! Dick G (talk) 15:35, 23 May 2011 (UTC)
 * A friend is Bearsted born and bred, and he says what I can only describe as a cross between Beerst'd and Burrst'd. 86.150.177.170 (talk) 09:42, 20 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Rampant OR obviously, but as a mid-Kent resident of 35 years the "correct" local pronunciation is "beer-sted". My belief is that "bear-sted" has crept in due to the village being mentioned on TV and radio by non-local presenters whom don't know the local pronunciation and understandably speak it as they read it. This has in turn given traction to the "Bear-sted" pronunciation amongst even locals. As per Mjroots, I have an early nineteenth century OS map which gives the name Berstead, and which would support a traditional pronunciation of "Burr-sted". da nn o _ u k  22:56, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

As a citizen of Bearsted, it is indeed pronounced as a bear. It seems that all people who live in Bearsted say its bear, and others seem to think that Bearsted pronounced it bee, so they follow. I have never heard it as burr. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.179.204.21 (talk) 13:53, 11 July 2016 (UTC)

I went to school in Bearsted for six years, and knew several families living in the village - and everyone pronounced it "Bare-sted". This was in the late 70s and early 80s. I have since heard people on TV pronounce it "Beer-sted", but never heard it that way back in the day. Has it changed?

LIKE A bear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROAR ROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!! #KATYPERRY — Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.81.238.220 (talk) 10:03, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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External links modified
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