Growing up, I was always taught to pronounce Rio Grande as "REE-oh Grand." Now I read in the latest issue of Trains (p 42) that the correct way to pronounce it is "Rye-oh-Grand." I write for magazines and so the article is suspect. That just doesn't sound right. It sounds like someone from out-of-state to me.
I had heard that if you liked the railroad, it was "REE-oh Grand." If you worked for the railroad, it was "Rye-oh-Grand." If you observed the railroad it was the "Deteriorating and Rapidly Getting Worse." I've always pronounced it Ree-oh Grand.
I've always heard and pronounced it REE-oh. Isn't it supposedly of Spanish influence? If so, REE should be correct? RYE sounds odd to me. There is a Rio, Wisconsin. Pronounced RYE-oh. Boxcab E50
In Spanish, Rio Grande is pronounced "Ree-oh Gronde". At least, that's how the river between Texas and Mexico is pronounced (but most Texicans will say Ree-oh Grand.) Of course, I've also heard it called "Real Grimy" or "Real Grungy"by some flatlander railfans- musta seen the engines after they've been thru all those tunnels.
This coming from another Texan...its REE-oh Grand. If y'all got a problem wit it, the Red River is the Northern border, we'll even show you the way. Ya''l git, and don't come back now ya'll hear?...LOL My two cents worth of humor this morning...
Oh brother. Rio is the noun for river in Spanish, and, as everyone said, pronounced Ree-o, with the emphasis on the first syllable. That Trains reference is plain wrong. I recently watched a TV show that kept referring to Phoenix over and over again as "The Sun Valley". I just about went ballistic. NO ONE HERE has EVER dared to call Phoenix the "Sun Valley" (That's in Idaho, folks, and a completely different place). Phoenix is "The Valley Of The Sun". Its like saying New York is the Big Banana or Chicago is the Breezy City. Shows just how much research some writers do (or don't do).
Trains is correct if you are referring to employees' referral to their own employer. ESPECIALLY passenger train conductors.
Yes, George, Oooo that would be a completely different animal! I'm thinking of the river, of course, and wasn't aware of that particular twist :err: Thanks.
"Rio Grande" (Great River, Spanish), pronounced Ree-OH-Grand OR Ree-OH-Granday. Ryo can be heard in cheezy cowboy songs from the 1940s and oddly enough can be found in a WHALING song from the early 1800s. Employees were never kind to the road so the RYO pronunciation among them is certainly a possibility (a friend who worked for them in Denver always called it the Rusted Greatly). John
REE-oh GRAND My family has lived in D&RGW heartland for well over 100 years and I have never heard "RYE-oh GRAND" ever used by anyone.
The Votes Are In Well, it isn't November yet, and the votes are in on this one. I actually heard a UP executive pronounce it RYE-oh at the unveiling of the Heritage unit for the Rio Grande and I just sort of shook my head. I didn't mention it before because I didn't want to taint the results. I'd say the fans ruled on this one. Long live the REE-oh GRAND!
i just got in late on this. like darren i've lived in colorado all my life (except for a few years in texas, recently) and i've NEVER heard it pronounced Rye-O Grande. the Grande river is the Colorado River (the name was changed in the 1960's). hence, Grand Junction, Colorado was where the Grand River joined with the Gunnison River. Grand Canyon (through which the Colorado [ex-Grand River] flowed) is so named not because it is so big and grand, but because it was cut by the Grande river. i know ... so what. dave f.
What would make it "correct"? Spanish "Ree-oh-grahn-day" traditionally incorrectly pronounced in English "Ree-oh-grand", so it's already incorrect if you pronounce it correctly.
