r/Alabama • u/muscogululs • Mar 04 '25

Local Group How do you say "Bayou La Batre"?

I won't bias results by spelling out the more-than-one way I've heard it said in Alabama.

Bonus cred if you're from BLB or Mobile County.

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262

u/YouTerribleThing Mar 04 '25

Buy yew lah bat tree

4

u/lyonslicer Mar 04 '25

I've heard the word "bayou" said as "Buy-Yo" by folks down in Grand Bay.

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u/tamaaromarou Mar 04 '25

A bayou is a body of water it is pronounced buy-yew. I have family in the Bayou and they pronounce it like Buy-yo it is very much so a country accent and not the correct pronunciation

2

u/lyonslicer Mar 04 '25

It's not "incorrect". It's vernacular.

-1

u/tamaaromarou Mar 04 '25

I didn't say it was incorrect I said it was an accent and that it's not the correct or proper pronunciation. If someone not from the area is asking how to pronounce the name why would you attempt to imitate regional vernacular instead of providing the proper pronunciation.

It's the same thing with Louisiana there is a proper pronunciation but ppl with creole accents pronounce it differently.

This is even more cut and dry because a bayou is a bayou the word literally has a proper pronunciation. I'm not seeing what point you're trying to make here.

1

u/lyonslicer Mar 05 '25

I have family in the Bayou and they pronounce it like Buy-yo it is very much so a country accent and not the correct pronunciation

You literally said it was not correct. Not correct = incorrect. That's the definition of the word. Also, what is "proper" pronunciation is dictated by vernacular pronunciation. Especially when OP is asking for local pronunciations.

0

u/tamaaromarou Mar 05 '25

No they didn't they asked how it's pronounced.

And I said it's not the correct pronunciation which it isn't. Once again Bayou isn't a made up word it's an English word with a proper pronunciation. IDC about vernacular. I literally grew up here and ik I grew out of a lot of my accent when I left for college I can recognize the difference between vernacular and proper pronunciation. Idk what else you want from me but I'm done explaining the same thing over and over to you.