People who pronounce Kenya as Keeenya

[Solty]

My cousin was born in the 1980s, in the UK, to British parents. When she was 3 the family moved to Kenya. Her mum and dad were teachers so lower middle class.

My cousin is now in the UK living and speaks of her childhood as if she grew up in 1920s colonial Kenya. She is dreadfully posh and insists it is Keeenya.

Really, I don't think it is. Older people may use the same pronunciation as in their youth out of habit, and it's not like this is a word that comes up in conversation very often for most people living in the UK so there is not a lot of opportunity for them to learn that nearly all people say "Kennya" now. I am not sure that this kind of hair-trigger offense-taking is very helpful in general, especially for a pronunciation that is rapidly dying out anyway.

Oh fuck, is it?
I’m old and have always said Keenya; that's how I was taught it was pronounced.
But as user1477391263 says, I don't suppose I have said the word Kenya out loud to anyone for years…

In a similar vein, are we now pronouncing Chile, chillay rather than chillee?

Agree it has strong colonial connotations. I tend to think “twat” if I hear anyone under 70 call it Keenya. Same as Malaya etc.

@HeddaGarbled Apparently so. According to my wine industry mate, the next big thing is Chill-ay-un (not Chill-ee-un) vintages. He says it’s only the Brits & Aussies that pronounce Chile like it’s a Mexican food item. Maybe because the local accent on the e somehow got lost in transit?🤷

This. I lived in Kenya in the 90s, and everyone called it Kenya, except from those who had lived there before independence!

Ha, I found the Joyce Grenfell monologue. Oh, and “the Argentine”! That’s another one you don’t hear now.

Tanzania is what was known as Tanganyika.

Being pedantic here but Tanzania was formed by the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

Surely it's quinoa /kĭ-nō′ə, kēn′wä/ ?

Since when are teachers lower middle class?

Here we go

I associate the keen ya pronunciation with colonial times. While I don't know if its offensive I would judge somone for it because of that.

I used to live with a born and bred Kikuyu Kenyan and he pronounced it Kenya. Not Keenya.

My parents lived in Nairobi for 5 years in the 70s and they say Kenya. Keenya is very dated indeed.

Changing Rhodesia to Zimbabwe was slightly different than changing the pronunciation of Kenya.

The short version; Rhodesia was a colonial name, a tribute to the great colonizer Cecil John Rhodes ; and upon independence the country was renamed to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe symbolizes all the virtues which the people in the country stand for.

Teachers are lower middle class, but their offspring are dreadfully posh. OK then!

I don't like the snobbery in your OP. Teachers are lower middle class? How dare she sound posh after being raised by them!

@marcopront beat me to it. Also 'Tanzania' is not a weird pronunciation of 'Tanzania'? That's literally how you pronounce it.

Tanganyika ceased to exist after the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964. It's not directly linked to independence, which happened 3 years earlier.

I've spent a lot of time in east Africa and haven't heard a 'Keeenya' for years- very colonial and I suspect that generation are almost gone. Your friend sounds a bit affected OP!

This. You sound really annoyed that her accent doesn’t match what you perceive to be her ‘station’, OP.

I don't think the op is being snobbish she seems to be alluding to the fact that her cousin is.

'Keenya' is considered offensive and is associated with British colonialism (which, btw, fits with the op's implication that her cousin is being a snob).

It's kenya.

My mum grew up there and calls it Keenya as that's how it was pronounced then.

Same!

My son points out yesterday I said Keenya. I think I would have heard how it was said in the 1960s and 70s from my parents who said Keenya. I am under 70 (just)! Will try to remember to say ken ya from now on.