150 years of good ol' Orygun

When February 14 rolls around, most people think about Valentines. My first thought is Oregon's birthday.

Oregon's sesquicentennial is almost upon us, and I don't think there's been near enough fuss. The post office issued a special stamp; The Bulletin ran an Oregon history quiz and that's been about it.

I was born here and remember Oregon's centennial in 1959. It was a really big deal. Of course, that was many years ago, when people still knew how to pronounce long vowels. Which brings me to the point: After 150 years, we ought to know how to say the name of our state.

Even as a little tyke, I remember asking my mother why some people pronounced "Oregon" funny. She explained that real Oregonians say "Orygun," but some people from out of state don't know any better. According to mom, people who say "Or-uh-gun" were from California or the South. The even-more-egregious "Arrr-uh-gone," I learned, was uttered by people from "back East." Maybe pirate aficionados, too; but I don't remember her mentioning that.

When I met my wife here in Sisters in the 1960s, everyone I knew said "Orygun," and that sound has always been music to my ears. But, then, something happened. It must have occurred during the three decades that the Coast Guard shipped me around the continent, because, when we returned to be full-time residential Oregonians, a lot of people were using the California-esque "Oruhgun." You know, the version with the little grunt in the middle.

My first reaction was that there sure are a lot of Californians here now, which I guess is pretty much true. But, on closer examination, I've come to see that it's part of a larger conspiracy. Yes, I'm talking about the dreaded scourge of Californication.

I believe the local conspiracy was launched some 30 years ago. Perhaps you recall that last year a certain television station celebrated 30 years in "Central Oruhgun." See where I'm going with this? That's right, I'm laying this right on the doorstep of KTVZ, a.k.a. Z21.

Think about it. Have you ever heard anyone over there say "Orygun?" Even those anchors who claim to be natives are infected with this insidious disease. Obviously, somebody at Z21 made the Draconian decision to impose and enforce the "Oruhgun" mispronunciation.

Over a year ago, I brought this issue to the attention of Z21, but they deemed my concern to be unworthy of a response. Then something else happened. KOHD came on line; and - lo and behold - some of those people actually know how to say the name of our state. Pretty much everyone at KOIN/KBNZ says it correctly. Even Chuck Roberts, of CNN, knows how to pronounce Oregon; and he lives in Atlanta, for crying out loud!

Before you rush out and consult a dictionary, remember that it's not how they say it; it's how we say it. And we say "Orygun." Actually, dictionaries don't necessarily agree; but most favor kind of a clipped long "e" as in "event." And who says "uhvent?" Maybe people from California. Don't take my word for it, click on Merriam-Webster's audio pronunciation site. It sounds like "Orygun" to me. No grunting there.

The Orygun issue has been around for a while, but the sesquicentennial demands that it be readdressed! I'm a Beaver, so when I cite the Ducks as an authority on anything it's something of an "eeevent;" but I'm going to do just that. As far back as the 1960s, University of Oregon paraphernalia has included Orygun shirts, Orygun hats, and Orygun car window decals, all indignantly proclaiming that it's "Orygun." Sometimes the exhortations even get a little profane.

So, those of you who wish to celebrate your California roots are welcome to grunt out "Oruhgun." Know, however, that real Oregonians say "Orygun." It's still music to my ears.