# Lincoln - "oln" pronounced "en"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291 "2025-08-19T22:25:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/1 "2025-08-19T22:25:12Z")
Is this construct unique to Lincoln? I can’t think of another word that uses it. Was it really supposed to be “oln” and we just slur it? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/2 "2025-08-19T22:39:40Z")
I’ve always heard it as Link-on – but he “o” is so soft it could be ah, uh, eh, or even “nnn” I suppose it’s just slurred. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/3 "2025-08-19T22:47:18Z")
Pronunciation guides indicate that in Britain, it’s commonly pronounced as LIN-kun or LIN-k’n, while standard US pronunciation tends more towards LINK-in, but regional variations include such abominations as LEAN-kin and LANE-kin It seems nobody’s pronouncing the second ‘L’ or saying ‘oln’. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/4 "2025-08-19T22:51:32Z")
Like -gry, there are only three words that end in -oln. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/5 "2025-08-19T22:54:05Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I can’t think of another word that uses it. There is also apparently the word “boln” which is an alternate form of “bollen”, which is a synonym for “swollen”. Completely obsolete in English today; it’s from Middle English, and the most recent examples of it in writing I can find are from the 1600s. It was apparently pronounced with the “L”, which makes sense, because it’s just the word “bollen” contracted to a single syllable. But again, this isn’t in the language anymore (unless someone wants it to make a comeback). The Lincoln surname comes from the city of Lincoln in England, in Lincolnshire. > **[Lincoln, England](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln,_England)** > > Lincoln (/ˈlɪŋkən/) is a cathedral city and district in Lincolnshire, England, of which it is the county town. In the 2021 Census, the city's district had a population of 103,813. The 2021 census gave the urban area of Lincoln, including Bracebridge Heath, North Hykeham, South Hykeham and Waddington, a recorded population of 127,540. > Roman Lindum Colonia developed from an Iron Age settlement of Britons on the River Witham, near the Fosse Way road. Over time its name was shortened to Lincoln, ... The name supposedly came from the Latin term _Lindum Colōnia_, which roughly translates to “outpost at the pool”. That over time was abbreviated to “Lincoln”. > **[Lindum Colonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindum_Colonia)** > > Lindum Colonia was the Roman settlement which is now the City of Lincoln in Lincolnshire. It was founded as a Roman Legionary Fortress during the reign of the Emperor Nero (58–68 AD) or possibly later. Evidence from Roman tombstones suggests that Lincoln was first garrisoned by the Ninth Legion Hispana, which probably moved from Lincoln to found the fortress at York around c. 71 AD. Lindum was then garrisoned by the Second Legion Adiutrix, which then went on to Chester in 77–78 AD. > Probably... ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/6 "2025-08-19T23:48:03Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > I’ve always heard it as Link-on – but he “o” is so soft it could be ah, uh, eh, or even “nnn” I’d say the second vowel sound is a schwa. (And for what it’s worth, I’ve lived most of my life in the heart of Lincolnland.) ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/7 "2025-08-20T00:09:25Z")
Malcolm is similar ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/8 "2025-08-20T00:18:48Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’d say the second vowel sound is a schwa. That was the word I couldn’t think of! Now that this has been answered, let’s tackle libary Febuary and of course, the U.S. pronunciation of colonel. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/9 "2025-08-20T00:45:58Z")
Sorry, I only do libary on Wenesday. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/10 "2025-08-20T00:57:08Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > libary > > Febuary I pronounce them like: Lie-brer-rie Feh-brew-wary Maybe that’s my Seattle area accent. (We’re also infamous for pronouncing “egg” like “aig”, rhymes with “Craig”, same with “beg” or “keg” or “leg”.) > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Wenesday I pronounce it like “winds-day”. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/11 "2025-08-20T01:03:09Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > The name supposedly came from the Latin term _Lindum Colōnia_, Neat. The “-coln,” then, is a direct cognate of Köln, the city in Germany (“Cologne” in English and French) that was also a Colonia. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/12 "2025-08-20T01:04:38Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Neat. The “-coln,” then, is a direct cognate of Köln, the city in Germany (“Cologne” in English and French) that was also a Colonia. Wow, that is really cool. 😃 This is the kind of obscure, cool, weird crap that made me fall in love with the Straight Dope decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/13 "2025-08-20T01:09:24Z")
🙂 You might like either of my two favorite language podcasts, “Because Language” and “Lexicon Valley.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/14 "2025-08-20T01:11:14Z")
I may check those out then. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/15 "2025-08-20T01:18:12Z")
De nada. Someone upthread mentioned “Malcolm” I think that’s relevant. It’s just hard to go right from the “l” sound (tongue tip on roof of mouth) to either the “m” (lips together) or the “n” (tongue covering roof of mouth), so we lose the l. This happened to “Lincoln” when the intervening vowel (in “Colonia”) was dropped. I wonder if the ancestor of “Malcolm” had a vowel between the l and m? I’ll look it up now. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/16 "2025-08-20T01:21:34Z")
Yup: “The name Malcolm originates from **Scottish Gaelic, specifically from the name Máel Coluim, meaning “devotee of Saint Columba”**. —Google AI ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/17 "2025-08-20T01:25:41Z")
From bestwordlist .com ## There are 2 words ending with OLN ST **OLN** • [stoln](https://en.wikwik.org/stoln) v. (Poetic) Obsolete form of stolen. • [STOLN](https://1Word.ws/stoln) adj. (Milton) stolen. SW **OLN** • [swoln](https://en.wikwik.org/swoln) adj. (Poetic) Obsolete form of swollen. • [SWELL](https://1Word.ws/swell) v. to increase in size or volume. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/18 "2025-08-20T01:31:02Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > There are 2 words ending with OLN There **were** 2 words ending with “-oln” but not anymore. > [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Obsolete ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/19 "2025-08-20T01:34:21Z")
Poetic. ---
**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291/20 "2025-08-20T09:24:48Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > and of course, the U.S. pronunciation of colonel. Kernel and Leftenant where always pronounced something like that, but at some point it was decided to use the French spelling. Colonel kept its pronounciation, but in the US Leiutenant dropped the ‘eff’ sound, following the new spelling. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-oln-pronounced-en/1022291.md?page=2)