Huckleberries You say Koot-nee, I say Koot-nay

On the first anniversary of beginning work as SRegional editor – Tuesday – Scott Maben stirred things up on my Huckleberries Online blog by asking a seemingly harmless question: “Kootenai is pronounced KOO-tun-ee or KOO-tun-ay (as in hay), according to the Idaho Press Club pronounciation guide. But I’ve often heard it pronounced KOOT-NEE – two syllables. Is the latter just my lazy ear, or has the pronunciation been streamlined over time?” I pronounce it KOOT-NEE. But I’ve only lived here for 22-plus years. So, this Huckleberry Hound turned to experts, like ex-CdA finance director John Austin: “I remember when the national media descended upon us for the Groene murders. The county’s name was butchered, none worse than the wag who called it Koo-TANE-ya County. It’s always been a treat to hear ‘em say COOR-daleen and PENNED-O’Reilly, too.” Added Alice Rankin: “It is Koot-nee County to the ‘natives’ – just the way it is Core-da-lane, and not Cour-dee-a-lene.” And New York transplant Thom George: “Koot-knee. But then again, I say ‘so-der,’ ‘barb-rer’ and ‘Nu Yawk. So what do I know?” However, ER Doc Jim Winter, a Minnesota transplant who has lived in Kootenai County for almost 20 years, offered a second opinion: “It is pronounced, ‘KOOOOOOOOO-ten-eeeee,’ similar to ‘Minn-EE-SOOOOOOO-tahhhh.’” Commenter Cabbage Boy brought the animated discussion to a premature end with a sobering reminder: “It is Cali-forn-ee North for many.” Or is that Cal-ee-FOR-nee-ah?