I have yet to figure this out...

[aless02]

British vs. American pronounciations of the name "Anthony". ('Ann-tony' vs 'Ann-thony')

Discuss.

(Does anyone know why?)

ETA: Could be a north vs south thing, hmmmm.

Comments

[myfirstkitchen]

People in the UK use both, so it's not even that clear cut.

[aless02]

Personally, I've only ever heard Ann-tony used in the UK, which is what prompted my question (and it's how my English fiancé pronounces it). Perhaps a northern/southern difference? I'm in London.

[myfirstkitchen]

In the North West, Ann-thony is more common. In Yorkshire, where I live, I know equal numbers of each (and I know a lot of Anthonys! Though some are Ants or Tonys).

[aless02]

Aha! That possibly explains it. My fiancé is Home Counties and everyone else I think I've heard pronounce it is southern/midlands, too. I wonder why the difference and why the northern pronounciation is most like AmE? Hmmm.....

(Ant is definitely BrE. Can't remember if I heard any Ants down here, but my brain instinctually says northern with that, even though I could most definitely be wrong.)

[idontgiveafaux]

i think it just depends on what their actual name is. i've called people anthony before only to be screeched at "it's anTHony" and vice versa.

[lil_shepherd]

I think it comes from the dual spellings. The name originates from the Latin, where it has no 'h' i.e. 'Antonius'. It is still both spelled and pronounced without the 'h' in the latinate languages of Southern Europe (Antonio etc). However, it seems to have been adopted into English with both the spellings 'Antony' and the variant 'Anthony'. Even Marcus Antonius becomes Mark Anthony in some versions - but that is generally pronounced 'Antony' in educated speech. I was always taught and therefore assume Antony, whatever the spelling, unless I am told otherwise, as this is the pronounciation I am used to, both in London and Yorkshire. Maybe it had something to do with the shift in pronounciation at the end of the Middle Ages. The name was certainly in use at that period.

[aless02]

That makes a lot of sense, but doesn't account for the AmE pronounciation of the 'th' sound. I suspected the BrE hard T came from names like Marc Antony & Latin, but just wondering how the derivation into pronouncing the 'th' came into AmE.

[a_d_medievalist]

Part of it is spelling, mind. Some people actually spell it without the 'h'. But I wouldn't say it's necessarily a British thing. OK, my late BiL was from London, and they didn't pronounce the 'h', but I still remember when Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins were in a film together, and she kept referring to Antony, and he and everyone else called him Anthony... I seem to remember he gave out the correct pronunciation on a chat show when people started following Gwyneth.

[veradee]

But I'm pretty sure that I remember old times when Anthony Hopkins pronounced his name without the "h". I always assumed he changed the pronunciation when he moved to the USA.

[aless02]

Ditto. I'm young, so I've never heard anyone refer to him as Ann-tony, but I figured this was because he was in the US & most people I hear pronouncing his name were inevitably American (on TV shows and the like).

[janewilliams20]

I've only ever heard the "Antony" pronunciation. Based in Bedfordshire, with parents from Wiltshire and Nottinghamshire. It may well be a north/south thing.

[aless02]

This is what my OH says...he's from Beds/Bucks and had never heard the Ann-thony pronounciation before me!

[thekumquat]

Ditto (London/SouthEast).

Tony Blair is an Anthony-pronounced-Antony, and I've never heard Anthony Hopkins (Welsh) pronounced any other way, either.

I figured it was from French, giving a silent H (cf French people called 'uh-DEET' spelt Edith...)