Pronunciation of Milne Surname

rjpaton · Post by **rjpaton** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:24 am

Hi I have a question for all you experts out there about the pronunciation of the Milne surname in Perth in the 1850s based on an odd record entry I found. My GG Grandmother is Isabella Milne born in abt 1854 in Dull Perthshire & her parents were James Milne & Isabel Campbell - all this is based on various sources like the censuses & other sibling's birth's etc. But I have not been able to find her actual birth record in the OPRs. However, there is a record in Dull in 11 July 1853 for an Isabella with parents James 'Millany' & Isabella Campbell (it actually says Millany in the original - its not just a transcription error). There are no other 'Millany' marriage records at all in Perth & the marriage record for James Milne & Isabella Campbell in 1852 looks like the right one. So I can only assume the name was written in this record incorrectly by the scribe based on the sound of the name. I have heard it said like 'Millen' (by my own grandfather) but not 'Millen-ee'. (Of course these days its always Miln rhymes with kiln - isn't it?). So is this likely the correct birth record & was the name pronounced like that?

Thanks
Robert

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:09 am

Hi Robert
I would take a rough guess and say you have the right Isabella.
Spelling was not a big issue back then, and the pronunciation may have sounded like Millany with and emphasis on the "e" on the end of Milne.
I have some Miln's from Angus, but as far as I know so far with no "e" on the end.

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:33 am

Robert,

I have Milnes in my tree too and have always pronounced the name Mil-nee. One day someone said, "Don't you mean Miln (silent e)?"

Well, it could be. Depends on your location, the Milne's location, and who you're talking to I guess.

Carol

rjpaton · Post by **rjpaton** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:37 pm

Oh, I was always under the impression it was pronounced Miln(silent e) because of hearing the name of the writer AA Milne (who wrote the Winnie the Pooh books!).

. But to tell you the truth I don't know where I have heard his name exactly - perhaps on TV. And I don't actually know any Milnes. So perhaps it is pronounced 'Mil-nee' or 'Mile-nee' and so phonetically that would explain easily the OPR record with name Millany

Robert

Post by **AndrewP** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:40 pm

I would certainly go for the miln pronunciation. Millan is also a surname found in Scotland, probably derived from the same origin, and probably found interchangeably in the records.

All the best,

AndrewP

rjpaton · Post by **rjpaton** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:57 pm

Andrew

My grandfather William Milne Paton (the surname was passed down) - who was born in Glasgow & came out to Australia - pronounced Milne as 'Mill-en' - so much so that his Australian marriage certificate has his middle name written down incorrectly as 'Millen' and then corrected in the column as 'Milne' when someone realised the mistake

But that still leaves the question of whether it was ever pronounced miln-ee or milen-ee. I guess in one instance at least the writer of this OPR might have theought it was pronounce Millen-ee?

Robert

Post by **Ina** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:54 pm

Hi Robert,

I have Milnes in my family (from the Glasgow area) and they pronounce it Miln.....no e sound.

Regards,

Ina

Post by **Tracey** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:00 pm

...............who was born in Glasgow & came out to Australia - pronounced Milne as 'Mill-en'

But isnt this all down to accents ? now if my grandparents had said it it would have sounded like Millen but if i said it it would sound like Miln with a silent e and with another accent gone straight from my head (but probably Cockney

) it would sound like Miwn also silent e..........

rjpaton · Post by **rjpaton** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:05 am

Thanks everyone for your advice. So I am assuming, due to accents, that in this case the writer of the OPR record thought the name was pronounced Millenee and so this is the right OPR record for my ancestor. It does fit well and there are no others I can find at all, so this is probably the explanation.

Thanks
Robert

dimac · Post by **dimac** » Mon May 04, 2009 5:43 am

I too have Milnes namely Marjorie/Marjery Milne born Cargill Perthshire who married
a John McLauchlan/Maclachlan or whichever way they interpreted it in Coupar Angus in Dec. 1824. One spelling in Cargill, where I believe Marjery died before 1851 census, was MacLamblan...wouldn't have had a clue until a Rootschat member found it. All most confusing. Sooo... keep on with different spellings.....I try to fathom out accent (just abt. impossible) & try to go from there,

Let's hope in due course through not thinking black & white but going 'outside the square" we may, one day, find those for whom we are searching!!

All the best in your endeavours,...plse wish me the same!!!! Stumpted completely & utterly....
Di Canty, NZ

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Pronunciation of Milne Surname

Pronunciation of Milne Surname

re: Milnes Perthshire