How should we pronounce Fosse Way?

[Last Hussar]

What is the correct pronunciation of 'Fosse'?

[Big Insect]

locals pronounce it as 'foss'

[FierceKitty]

The choreographer and movie director used two syllables.

[sunjester]

The choreographer and movie director used two syllables.

But are they Roman?

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

But are they Roman?

Probably not 

[FierceKitty]

One man. He did both, and very well indeed, though not in Latin.

[Last Hussar]

There is a discussion here at work whether it is "foss" or "foss -ee".

Because of... reasons... this is actually a point of interest professionally.

[Steve J]

I've only ever heard it pronounced "Foss".

[Gwydion]

Well, from the Latin 'Fossa' - ditch, which may have run alongside the road. So I suspect it changed its spelling to 'Fosse' at some early mediaeval stage to reflect a post Roman pronunciation of that word- but, like Steve J I've only ever heard it pronounced 'Foss' with no added vowel sound on the end.

[T13A]

Hi

Well, I live just over a mile away from Stratton-on-the-Fosse so guess count as a local (and travelled on it down to Shepton Mallet this morning) and I have only ever heard it pronounced 'Foss'.

Cheers Paul

 

[sultanbev]

Same here, would pronounce it "foss".

[howayman]

Its always been Foss up in the North East.

[fsn]

Google suggests "foss" is the British pronunciation and "foss-ee" is the American.

Obviously then, "foss" is correct.

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/fosse-way

I suggest that Americans take the loss-ee, and recognise the British pronunciation is the boss-ee, without getting cross-ee.

[d_Guy]

Shoppe shop
fosse foss

As fsn says we Americans sound the e in both because we think it sounds British and hence more sophisticated (a clear fallacy at many levels).

Locally we pronounce it Foss-e wa-uh