as the news anchor did, Ne-vah-da. The Ne-vay-da pronunciation is strictly "gringo" but if the anglo/white residents feel that's correct then so be it.

Not just the anglo/white residents. No need for the eye rolls. It is not strictly "gringo".

version when speaking in English. That doesn't make it correct. Remember your history. The Spanish conquered and colonized first giving their language names to places all over the South West. The anglo/Americans came in and conquered those territories but kept the names and the mispronunciations until they seem right, but they aren't.

The word was anglicized and is thus now a cognate. And even most of the long-term Latino residents say it the anglicized way; if they are referring to a snowy mountain, they say it the Spanish way. The state name is English; the word for snowy is in Spanish.

Look at "grand prix." We use the English pronunciation of grand, but the French pronunciation of prix. I believe the name of Montana comes from the Spanish word for mountain, montaña, and the English pronunciation is nothing like it.

One thing I will never understand is why Kansas is pronounced the way it looks while Arkansas has a silent "s" at the end.

Nevada is an adjective derived from the Spanish verb "nevar", meaning "to snow". "Nevada" means "snowy".

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_Nevada_mean_in_Spanish#ixzz28YD9b5Qc

Since I once lived near the Andes, we sometimes referred to the snow topped peaks as "nevada" like in 'la montaña nevada" or snowy mountain. The original Sierra Nevada is in Andalusia, Spain.

call-o-ray-do by that logic.

It is a Spanish word. People in Nevada need to a) get a life and b) learn proper Spanish

Calloraydians used to get upset with me mispronouncing their state.

conducive to a long and happy life. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Nevada is pronounced with the "a" as in "add" and has been as long as I can remember and I am 70 now. Perhaps you'll can discuss Versailles, Kentucky next. When there, it is pronounced Versails. There are many towns across this country with their own pronunciations and respecting it shouldn't be a problem.

I have noticed that news anchors of Spanish heritage on our local stations are increasingly using the Spanish pronunciation of Spanish names in their reports. I believe it's starting to be a trend.

once a lovely town. Now an armpit.

I'll admit it's a little too big box stores for me, but I don't find it that armed.

Broadway and Main use to have some charm. That was all ripped out to make way for the Mall. The mall is now a ghost town, because the box stores moved in along the freeway. The streets are filled with potholes, and the parks are no longer maintained. Santa Maria High School is in severe disrepair. Why? Bad decisions by the city and the voters.

corporate restaurants. The people of Santa Maria seem to have voted in the wrong leadership in their local offices who made those decisions, but it's not a hell hole by any means. I haven't noticed any potholes in the streets when I have to go there to see a couple of my doctors. The streets are actually very well maintained.

Not the WC Field's version, I hope.

way it should be. Not pronouncing words in a foreign language has always been a way for people to disrespect those people they don't like. Look at how the military pronounces Iraq. They say Eye-rack instead. They know it's wrong but they like to disrespect the Iraqi people, so that's why they do it.

I have most often heard it pronounced with a long a sound for that location. Just to add to the complications.

And the way the vast majority of that state want it pronounced.

I say that as someone who grew up in Hartford, CT on Sigourney St and cringe every time I go home because the Southern New England accent mutates it to "Hahdferd" and "Sig-ernie"

Do not presume that people who live someplace actually know how to pronounce it.

as in "New-ARK", DE & Newerk, NJ.