Meet Wharton State Forest Superintendent Chris Ford (Video)

M1 Abrams

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May 4, 2023
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The video was very enjoyable. It's heartening to see someone who has found his life's calling in the Pine Barrens, helping to keep them and those who visit them safe.

One petty quibble: To hear the reporter, Brian Donahue, pronounce Atsion as "At-see-on" when two park officials said it correctly on the video, was PositivelyNJ annoying.
 

stiltzkin

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Feb 8, 2022
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Is that the definitive correct pronunciation? I am never quite sure of myself when saying it out loud.

I actually thought the way the reporter pronounced it might be more correct. The three syllable "At-see-on" seems like it might be closer to the origin of the name, which is "Atsayonck," right? Compare pronunciation of Philly's Manayunk and Passyunk, perhaps?

In contrast, the officials' two-syllable "At-sign" seems like a further abstraction.

Happy to be set straight, though.
 
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M1 Abrams

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I wouldn't presume to set you straight, stilzkin, but I will try to state my case on the subject.

I can't speak for the pronunciation of Atsayunk by the Atsiyonks. To me it seems difficult to find a path from Atsayunk to At-see-on, but I'm neither a linguist nor an expert on the Lenape or their language.

That being said, I can testify that in my sixty-five years as a lifelong resident of Shamong and Tabernacle, I have never heard anyone who has lived their life in the area pronounce Atsion as At-see-on. Generations of my family from my great-great-grandfather to my brother and his children have lived on Atsion Road. My great-great uncle was interviewed by Henry Charlton Beck for the chapter on Atsion in "Forgotten Towns of Southern New Jersey." I can't speak for the first two generations, but I don't believe that my grandfather took up the long I in Atsion as a symbol of youthful rebellion. I think he said it the way his elders and locals did, with the long I.

In my experience, At-see-on is said by visitors and folks who have moved into the area. The fact that it is now heard locally more frequently than in the past is understandable (though IMO unfortunate) given the dilution of long-time residents by more recent arrivals. Boyd, I don't doubt that you had neighbors who used the At-see-on pronunciation. However I do doubt that those who did had deep roots in the area.

In a totally unscientific recent survey by yours truly of YouTube videos about Atsion (excluding videos where the word Atsion is not said, such as drone videos), for the top twelve returns, only three used the long I, two used At-shun (At + generic pronunciation of -sion, which somehow doesn't seem quite as bad as At-see-on), and the other seven used At-see-on. I will note that out of these twelve, only one featured someone possessing historical & cultural bona fides, Barbara Solem. She used the long I for Atsion. I would trust the pronunciation used by her and the two local park agents over that of a reporter from Union County.

Considering all of the critical issues the world faces, and for that matter all of the critical issues the Pine Barrens face, this is a petty issue. Given that, though, Atsion is a very meaningful place name in my life, part of my heritage, including its traditional pronunciation. To me, the At-see-on pronunciation is an analog to an invasive species that could one day choke out the old-time long I version. (My brother fathered ten children, so perhaps in the process he may also have preserved the long I for at least one more generation. None of my nieces and nephews would ever say At-see-on.)

So with tongue in cheek, I will close by saying that I'll give up the long I in Atsion when someone pries it from my cold dead voice box.

(Note: I'm not differentiating between those who say Atsion in two syllables as At-sign and those who stretch -sign into two syllables, At-si-on. Both use the long I second syllable, which to me seems the most important feature. Both sound similar to each other, and dissimilar to At-see-on.)
 
Folks:

During my various research sessions into all things Pine Barrens, I have encountered word and toponym spelling that was based entirely on "ear-conditioning," rather than the conventions of modern English. With that in mind, a few of these old documents mention Atsion, but spell it as "Atzion," which quite readily informs me what the scrivener heard while writing the document's text. Hence, at least some of our ancestors pronounced it as At-zi-on, with the likely emphasis on the first syllable: "At" and with a long "i."

Best regards,
Jerseyman
 
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M1 Abrams

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May 4, 2023
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Burlington County
At-sign or At-zine, At-si-on or At-zi-on, all of these seem virtually interchangeable and for me these days, difficult to differentiate from each other by ear. (It seems a little like Neil Armstrong's "small step for man"/"small step for a man" -- one could hardly distinguish between the two.) The long I seems the important feature that all of the above versions possess and At-see-on does not.

Perhaps things would have been easier if the original settlers had spelled it Atzion. The word Zion would certainly have been a familiar one to them. (At-zion would seem to be a nice match for Tabernacle as well. :) )

I can offer a picture to show that yours truly isn't the only one who has a strong, visceral reaction to hearing At-see-on:

At-see-on M1 hat_small.png
 

stiltzkin

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Feb 8, 2022
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Medford
Two older members of my family pronounce it "At-sahn," just to throw yet another variant into the mix. "Wanna go down the shore or just to atsahn?"
 
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