1233 Queen East | ?m | 8s

[Duck]

I'm intrigued by something. When the T1's got automated recorded announcements a decade ago (or whenever it was), the lady who did that, also does the computerized Text-To-Speech system for the TR's and new streetcars.

I wonder if she's actually a Bombardier employee?

Every system's voice has a story. I love Randi Miller from DC's metro:

[video=youtube_share;tG1RJW5RupE]http://youtu.be/tG1RJW5RupE[/video]

 

[chriskayTO]

omg that voice of the Atlanta Plane Train is hilarious and frightening. Reminds me of my Speak 'n Spell as a child.

The voices on the T1s is a TTC employee: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2011/11/12/technology_takes_over_for_iconic_ttc_voice.html

Nothing against her, but I really wish the TTC would hire professional voice actors for announcements - whether they be on trains, buses, streetcars, or system-wide PA announcements.

 

[k10ery]

She's great except she pronounces Sherbourne as "sherburn" instead of "sherborn". Don't you think this is completely wrong? I'd do a forum poll on this if I had any idea how.

 

[nfitz]

She's great except she pronounces Sherbourne as "sherburn" instead of "sherborn". Don't you think this is completely wrong? I'd do a forum poll on this if I had any idea how.

Sherburn (rhymes with learn) sounds wrong ... but I often get off at Sherbourne, and I've never noticed (I'll have to listen now), so I'm not sure that it's pronounced wrong.

On the other hand, pronunciations differ. I'd say that it should be Sherborne rhymes with lawn and born. But for native Torontonians lawn and born don't rhyme.

 

[Duck]

...Torontonians also don't say "Toronto".

 

[nfitz]

...Torontonians also don't say "Toronto".

Sure they do ... but it sounds similar to the capital of Albania!

 

[k10ery]

Not to how torontonians pronounce Tirana. Fortunately for us

 

[TheTigerMaster]

...Torontonians also don't say "Toronto".

I live in Turonno!

 

[the lemur]

...Torontonians also don't say "Toronto".

They do if they're enunciating for the purposes of being understood rather than in rapid casual speech.

 

[the lemur]

Singapore's MRT has announcements in four languages: English, Mandarin, Malay, and Hindi (not necessarily in that order)

I thought it was Tamil rather than Hindi, since it's an official language.

 

[Johnny Au]

I thought it was Tamil rather than Hindi, since it's an official language.

My bad. It is Tamil, not Hindi.

 

[Tuscani01]

Sherburn (rhymes with learn) sounds wrong ... but I often get off at Sherbourne, and I've never noticed (I'll have to listen now), so I'm not sure that it's pronounced wrong.

On the other hand, pronunciations differ. I'd say that it should be Sherborne rhymes with lawn and born. But for native Torontonians lawn and born don't rhyme.

I always say Sher-burn. Don't think I have ever pronounced it as Sher-Born.

 

[Dan416]

Pretty sure I read or heard somewhere that the correct pronunciation is actually Sher-burn and not Sher-born.

 

[chriskayTO]

I'm not sure if I'd say "correct" since proper name pronunciations often vary depending on geography or who's saying it. I definitely agree that pronouncing it "Sher-burn" is a Toronto thing.

 

[car4041]

I'm not sure if I'd say "correct" since proper name pronunciations often vary depending on geography or who's saying it. I definitely agree that pronouncing it "Sher-burn" is a Toronto thing.

Nothing uniquely Toronto about it, though. Lots of English placenames have the "-bourn(e)" element (which originally meant 'brook') and it's quite often pronounced like "burn". Melbourne in Australia and Holborn in London are two prominent examples.

I associate the "Sher-Born" pronunciation with suburbanites who only know Sherbourne from the subway map...