“Berk-sherr” — or is it “Berk-sheer”? (And certainly not “Berk-shire”!)
Twitter users from Berkshire County and beyond engaged in a debate Wednesday over how to pronounce the name of Massachusetts’ westernmost county.
Wondering on a Wednesday: how do you pronounce the State’s westernmost county? Hearing MANY different versions as of late. Let’s starts w/some of the region’s biggest champions: @adamghinds @repsmitty @reptricia @MayorBernardNA @BenjaminLamb @MayorTyer @BStephenBoyd @JayAshMACP
— Julie Linnell Cowan (@JulieBusDev413) March 31, 2021
CONTROVERSIAL MASSACHUSETTS REGIONAL PRONUNCIATION SURVEY BELOW! How do you pronounce "Berkshires"? https://t.co/UZBvJg8ULt
— Steve Koczela (@skoczela) March 31, 2021
Of the 288 votes cast in a Twitter poll created by Julie Linnell Cowan, MassDevelopment’s vice president of business development for the four western counties, 51.4 percent said “Berk-SHERRS,” while 46.2 percent opted for “Berk-SHEERS.” Votes also went to “Berk-SHIRES,” which 2.4 percent of people picked.
Several elected officials who weighed in vouched for “Berk-sherrs,” including North Adams Mayor Tom Bernard, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, and state Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield.
Okay, fine, fer sher fer sher it’s Berk-shers! -TWB https://t.co/iCjWctOVGU
— Tom Bernard (@MayorBernardNA) March 31, 2021
For sure, it’s Berk-sure https://t.co/5HvzQAdtEL
— Tricia FarleyBouvier (@reptricia) April 1, 2021
I hope you made clear that it’s Berk-SHERRS, but Berk-SHEERS is also acceptable and widely used. Just never Berk-SHEYERS!
— Adam Hinds (@adamghinds) March 31, 2021
Meanwhile, state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Lenox, threw his support behind “Berk-sheers.”
Berkshire-SHEERS or just the “SHIRE”. 😉 https://t.co/qLzM6J7Nba
— Smitty Pignatelli (@repsmitty) March 31, 2021
Pittsfield native Michael Bloomberg suggested that “Berk-sheers” was regional to Southern Berkshire County, much of which Pignatelli represents in the Statehouse. In response, Pignatelli offered “the Shire,” a nickname for the county, as a way to settle the debate.
^ That's a South County pronounciation! (introducing intra-county disparity) -- In Pittsfield, it's Berk-SHERRs.
— Mike Bloomberg 🚲 (@BloombergME) March 31, 2021
That’s why the “Shire” is universal. 😉
— Smitty Pignatelli (@repsmitty) March 31, 2021
But, that didn’t stop Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group, from calling the pronunciation issue “the first real test of the Downing campaign.” Ben Downing, a candidate for governor who served in the state Senate as a Pittsfield Democrat, showed strong support for the “Berk-sherrs” position.
The first real test of the Downing campaign.
— Steve Koczela (@skoczela) March 31, 2021
There is no debate. It's Berk-sherrs. Any other pronunciation is a great tell that someone is in town for the first time.
— Ben Downing (@BenDowningMA) March 31, 2021
Downing’s brother, Nick, said the survey brought “the most attention the westernmost county has had in a while.”
This is the most attention the westernmost county has had in a while
— Nick Downing (@N_Downing) March 31, 2021
┏┓ ┃┃╱╲ in this┃╱╱╲╲ house╱╱╭╮╲╲ Berkshires is ▔▏┗┛▕▔ pronounced╱▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔╲ Berk-SHERRS╱╱┏┳┓╭╮┏┳┓ ╲╲ ▔▏┗┻┛┃┃┗┻┛▕▔
— Nick Downing (@N_Downing) March 31, 2021
Berkshire County got its name in 1761 from British Royal Governor Sir Francis Bernard, who named it after his home county in England.
Across the pond, it’s pronounced “Bark-sherr.” Or is it “Bark-sheer”?