Mapping the Sheltowee

victorinox1921 · cub Joined: 26 Aug 2008 Posts: 8 Location: Lexington, KY

I have heard "Sheltowee" pronounced a half dozen different ways. I want to be sure I'm pronouncing it correctly.

So, how do you pronounce "Sheltowee"?

Thanks for the clarification!

Ma Rose · on trail Joined: 27 Feb 2008 Posts: 37 Location: Berea

I always say it "shell-TOE-ee"

jbd · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 4:47 pm Post subject:

I pronounce it as ma rose has indicated. Another one of my sisters pronounces the "tow" portion as you would in the word towel. I'm not sure which is actually correct but I would guess that the correct pronunciation would be from the Shawnee language.

Boyd · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:15 am Post subject:

I've also heard it pronounced as "shell-tow-WEE" in reenactments at Fort Boonesboro.

victorinox1921 · cub Joined: 26 Aug 2008 Posts: 8 Location: Lexington, KY

Thanks for the help! It looks like I was pronouncing it (mostly) correctly all along.

Kris Davis · cub Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 16 Location: Irvine

[quote="jbd"] Another one of my sisters pronounces the "tow" portion as you would in the word towel. I'm not sure which is actually correct /quote]
That is how I try to say it.

Orion · cub Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Lexington, KY

This source has a different pronunciation.

http://www.kyagr.com/KDAPage.aspx?id=4997

"Sheltowee (pronounced she - tah - ee) is the Shawnee name for Daniel Boone and means 'Big Turtle.' "

Since this is a native American term, I suspect this is closer to being correct, (it just sounds right to me) but we will never know for sure.

mrhughes1982 · Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:14 pm Post subject:

I think I've always said it along the lines of Shell-ah-tow-ee

jbd · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 10:12 am Post subject:

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will see a picture of a turtle with the Shawnee word for turtle written beneath the picture

http://www.native-languages.org/shawnee_animals.htm

There is a pronunciation guide on that website which indicates to me that the double e at the end of our current spelling would be pronounces as an extended long "a".