Liverpool And The Liver Building.

[sapelesam]

My goddaughters daughter, who believes I know everything, sweet innocent child, asked me why there is a difference in the way the word liver is pronouced, as in the words in the post title. Can anybody enlighten me.

[Buenchico]

'Liverpool' is pronounced as in "to LIVE a long life"

'Liver Building' is pronounced as in "I'm aLIVE"

[jno]

the answer appears to be here: the building society started in the Lyver Inn

http://www.royal-liver-superannuitants-association.com/history_of_the_royal_liver.118.html#History%20of%20the%20Royal%20Liver

[Captain2]

Seems Liverpool was named well before The Liver Building came along, hence different pronounciation.

The history of Liverpool can be traced back to 1190 when the place was known as 'Liuerpul', possibly meaning a pool or creek with muddy water.

Construction began on the Royal Liver Building in 1907, when it was designed as an office for the 6,000 employees of the Royal Liver Group

[Buenchico]

Oh, sorry, I didn't read your question properly.
(That's me all over!)

[sapelesam]

She didn't ask how to pronounce them Buenchico.

[Captain2]

Apologies for rushed spelling. 'pronunciation' is what I should have typed.

[sapelesam]

Just noticed I missed an "n" in my pronounced. Read the link and no wiser. Captain2, sorry but you answer doesn't explain it either.

[Mamyalynne]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool#Origins_of_the_name

[sapelesam]

Thanks Mamya, had a quick look, can you point me to the right section.

[Mamyalynne]

Should have opened at the right section

Origins of the name
The name comes from the Old English liver, meaning thick or muddy, and pol, meaning a pool or creek, and is first recorded around 1190 as Liuerpul.[11][12] According to the Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, "The original reference was to a pool or tidal creek now filled up into which two streams drained".[12] The adjective Liverpudlian is first recorded in 1833.[12]
Other origins of the name have been suggested, including "elverpool", a reference to the large number of eels in the Mersey.[13] The name appeared in 1190 as "Liuerpul",[14] and the place appearing as Leyrpole, in a legal record of 1418, may refer to Liverpool.[15]

[Captain2]

Don't suppose the Royal Liver Assurance company wanted to be known as the Royal Liver(as in ... 'and onion') Assurance; and as per jno's link it was formed in The Lyver (Lie-ver) Inn

[sapelesam]

Origins of Liver, yes, but not the differing pronunciations.

[Mamyalynne]

I think the name of the Inn and the reasons Cap'n gives are very likely.

Through History place names in particular undergo changes.

[zebo]

Pronunciation is a funny thing. OH is a Yorkshire man and will refer to Hare-wood House as being the seat of the Earl of Har-wood, but both are written Harewood. My excuse is that being as he's a Yorkshireman, they do their best!

[jno]

sapelesam, I believe Lyver was pronounced to rhyme with diver - much as it looks - while Liverpool rhymes, as the world knows, with river.