Pittsburgh was named in 1758 by General John Forbes in honor of the British statesman William Pitt. Given that Forbes was a Scotsman, it is possible that the intended pronunciation of the settlement was /ˈpɪtsbᵊrə/ (PITS-brə or PITS-bə-rə), similar to the pronunciation of Edinburgh as a Scotsman would pronounce it. It was incorporated as a borough in 1794 and chartered as a city in 1816.
Just took a quick look but I like what I see so far.
ReplyDeleteFrom one 'Burgher to another ...
The Guy From Pittsburgh ( tm )