Potato, Pototo

Language is a living thing. You’ll notice how young people pronounce “str” like “schtr” so strawberry sounds like “schtrawberry”. Even though the aboriginal and thus correct way of pronouncing Spadina is Spa-DEENA, local Torontonians call it Spa-DINA. And they have for years. I come from a place where Pelissier Street is pronounced Pa-LISH-er, by local folks, no less. But there are pockets of the world where language stands still. Like Tecumseh. Since my ear has been trained to understand this beloved corn-fed patois, I can read eighteenth century French documents like it was Mémé reading out her weekly grocery list.