You say puh-KAHN, I say PEE-can. Just how do you pronounce the name of the nut called a pecan? Turns out, there are several correct pronunciations. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Pecan Pronunciation”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi!
Hi, who’s this?
Hello!
Yes, Aaron Kundle calling from Helena, Montana.
Hi, Aaron. Welcome to the program.
Thank you.
What’s happening in Montana?
Well, I’m staring at two pies over here.
One’s a pecan pie, and the other one is a pecan pie.
We’ll be right over.
Yes, freshly made, and I’ve always wondered why the difference between pecan and pecan.
Which do you say?
Well, I’ve always said pecan, and I’m an old Texas kid.
And wood, you know, when you go, many of the old schoolhouses had pecan floors.
But if you go down the deep south, say, you got one of them pecan pies over there?
Give me a slice of that pecan pie.
So my question is, which is correct, or is it just a colloquialism, you know, based on area?
It’s a good question.
It’s one of those things that will cause much debate and consternation.
It’s like arguing about barbecue in the Carolinas.
I’m sure that’s true.
Both of the pronunciations that you gave, Aaron, are just fine.
Pecan is by far the most common, and as early as 100 years ago, it was considered standard by the authorities.
But pecan has always been around as far back as I know.
Pecan’s always been an option for a certain part of the population, definitely in the South.
Definitely in the South, yeah.
I grew up in Kentucky saying pecan, for sure.
I was shocked when I went to Georgia and somebody said pecan.
I thought they were making a joke.
And part of the reason there’s a variation is because it was originally a Native American word, Algonquian.
Right.
And none of these pronunciations are anywhere near the original.
Right.
But it was recorded in a wide variety of spellings and a wide variety of text.
So you’ve got all these different tributaries where this word just kind of went about its business, you know, in the food and in the lumber and so forth.
And the spellings influenced the pronunciation and they kind of became independent of each other.
So, Aaron, a nut pie by any other name would taste as sweet, right?
Well, I tell you what, you can’t beat a piece of pecan pie.
You can’t.
No, you can’t.
And my advice for you is when they have the sugar part of the recipe, double it, and you’re good.
Oh, yeah.
Always add a little bit more.
Yeah, it should almost crystallize.
It should be like hard candy almost.
It is.
It’s delicious.
Oh, you guys.
You guys.
And put chocolate in the bottom, and it’s derby pie.
It’s derby pie in Louisville.
Wow.
I don’t know a thing about that, but I’ve got to have some.
I’ll be over tonight, Martha.
You make some of that for me?
Well, we’ll have some ready for you.
Take care.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
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On the main page for the show, I made a comment about this segment. Now that I’ve listened to it and tracked down the reference I was remembering, I’d thought I’d elaborate.
Google Books to the rescue, it does appear in Search for Belle Prater (p 52), by Ruth White. The story is set in a coal mining region of Virginia in the 50s. The book is narrated by Gypsy, and in this scene another one of the main characters is talking to a boy (from North Carolina) on an inter-city bus, trying to make friends with him.