Willey what's its name? - MOVED FROM GB

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Willey what's its name?

I hiked Tom, Field and Willey this past weekend. Had a great time, by the way...
Now I always called the last of the three peaks Willey (as in While-ee). Several people on the trail I met called it Willey (as in Will-ee). When I finished I asked them over at the Willey House what the correct pronunciation was. The woman told me it is Willey (Will-ee). She added that that's where we get the saying "I got the Willeys" (as in getting the creeps) comes from. It seems that after the mountain came crashing down on the Willeys, tourists would come up to see the Willey house still standing they would get the creeps (the Willeys)
So, how do you pronounce it? Am I the only one who had it wrong?
 
I understand it is Will-ee from Willard, which is a name used in that area quite a bit, but I don't remember where Willard came from. The evening before I hiked the 3 (T, F & W), I was at the Bernerhof Inn in Bartlett and had a conversation with a woman who's grandparents had taken care of the railroad stop in Crawford Notch in the late 1800's. She said it was definitely Will-ee.

I'm convinced!
 
I've always called it While-ee.

Of course, I've mis-pronounced Moosilauke, the Kanc and God knows what else over the years, so I'm probably wrong.
 
I've always said will-ee, but I'm a phoenetic kind of guy.

Here's a question: how does one pronounce Guyot?
 
NH_Mtn_Hiker said:
:D I used to pronounce Coos "cooze", like in booze :D

HA! Me too!! :D I now know it is Co-Os.

Also, I have always said Wi-lee, and probably will continue to out of habit. Oh well...

And with Guyot, I always said guy-O until a few months ago. :eek:
 
Last edited:
TDawg said:
And with Guyot, I always said guy-O until a few months ago. :eek:

If you're saying it in French, that's the right way to say it. If you're talking in English, guy-oh is indeed off. :D
 
I think that I have read a similar thread to this one before on VFTT, but I cannot remember the answer to my question about the pronunciation of Pliny (short 'i' or long 'i'; I think that all agree that the 'y' is pronounced as an 'e'), as in the peak just south of Waumbek?
 
I am pretty sure that Pliny is pronounced as "plin" (rhymes with tin) and "y" (rhymes with tee.)
I know a relation to the Willey family that was killed in the avalanche. He pronounces his name "Will" (rhymes with "Bill") and ey (rhymes with tee)

He is also an avid hiker. :)
 
Great timing!!! I did T, F, W this past sunday also. While on Field there were a few folks and I mentioned Wil lee and was immediately corrected that it was While lee. I could have cared less, to be quite honest, but I was stunned for a moment. Good to know I probably was right after all. Great story and it sounds reasonable. wil ley, wil ley, wil ley, so there :p
Wish there was some audio for a nice rasberry.
 
Paradox said:
I am pretty sure that Pliny is pronounced as "plin" (rhymes with tin) and "y" (rhymes with tee.)

and NH Mtn Hiker also says short 'i'

Woohoo, just the way I thought that I had remembered my high school Latin teacher's pronunciations, as I was desperately trying so hard to stay awake in his classes..... but, most people I know in the North Country use the long 'i' as in "Ply-nee."
 
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