English Jane Posted April 11, 2007 #1 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Coco Cay Is it Cay like 'way' or Cay like 'key'? I know it's a little island like the Florida Keys but I have seen differing advice about pronounciation. I hope this isn't a too stupid question? Jane x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FitzLA Posted April 11, 2007 #2 Share Posted April 11, 2007 I usually say Cay like way, but I hear Key all the time too. I think either way is correct, but I think that RCI says key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truffles2 Posted April 11, 2007 #3 Share Posted April 11, 2007 It can be either way. The English dictionary gives both "ka" and "ke" with long a's and e's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiog1 Posted April 11, 2007 #4 Share Posted April 11, 2007 It is actually pronounced "KEY". You can use either one, however, having spent several years in the Bahamas, whenever we would hear someone say " cay" we would know they were tourists. LOL. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeeAngel Posted August 21, 2009 #5 Share Posted August 21, 2009 When referring to the private islands with Cay, is it pronounced "kay" or "key"? Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English Jane Posted August 21, 2009 Author #6 Share Posted August 21, 2009 http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=534765 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeeAngel Posted August 21, 2009 #7 Share Posted August 21, 2009 http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=534765 Thanks so much. I did a search on the Private Island forum, but nothing showed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English Jane Posted August 21, 2009 Author #8 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I've been back since that last thread - I made sure I was saying 'key' to appear very knowledgeable but the ship's staff were all saying 'Kay'!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanineM Posted August 21, 2009 #9 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I've heard both from crew and passengers ... some say "kee", some say "kay". I normally say "kee", but if surrounded by people saying "kay" then that seems to be what comes out of my mouth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nhrich Posted August 21, 2009 #10 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Oh great, now we'll have people talking about the Keyman Islands. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFritz Posted August 21, 2009 #11 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Here's how I separate out the pronunciation regarding Cay. If it is spelled CAY as in Half Moon Cay then I say "kay". If it is spelled Caye as in Caye Caulker in Belize then I say "key". I haven't had anyone laughing at me yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseLover15 Posted August 21, 2009 #12 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I always thought it was pronounced Key, but when I was on board the captian pronounced it cay. I found this on Wikipedia Cay From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A cay (also spelled caye or key; pronounced as "key," Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquahound Posted August 21, 2009 #13 Share Posted August 21, 2009 The way I understand it from living with my Spanish-speaking counterparts down here is.... If you are pronouncing the word in Spanish, the proper pronunciation is "kay." However, since most islands (as we know them) are preceeded or proceeded with English words like "Little Stirrup Cay," the proper English pronunciation is "key." This is how the Florida Keys came to be spelled K-E-Y, from the English pronunciation of the word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masonpips Posted August 21, 2009 #14 Share Posted August 21, 2009 One of the best children's book out there is _The Cay_ which we (and my son's teacher) all called "The Kay", (not "The Key") http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cay But, IMO I say poe-ta-toe, you say paa-tat-toe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovingUT Posted August 21, 2009 #15 Share Posted August 21, 2009 It is actually pronounced "KEY". You can use either one, however, having spent several years in the Bahamas, whenever we would hear someone say " cay" we would know they were tourists. LOL. Agree with the above. We lived in the Caribbean for almost 5 years, both in the Bahamas & St. Maarten, traveling to lots of other islands while there. Locals pronounce it Key, tourists pronounce it Cay. As one poster suggested; think of Key West in FL & that will keep you on track. Happy Sailing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruzaholic41 Posted August 21, 2009 #16 Share Posted August 21, 2009 The way I understand it from living with my Spanish-speaking counterparts down here is.... If you are pronouncing the word in Spanish, the proper pronunciation is "kay." However, since most islands (as we know them) are preceeded or proceeded with English words like "Little Stirrup Cay," the proper English pronunciation is "key." This is how the Florida Keys came to be spelled K-E-Y, from the English pronunciation of the word. I am bi-lingual and agree with this assessment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Posted August 21, 2009 #17 Share Posted August 21, 2009 As it was explained to me a few years ago by an RCI CD, RCI purposely says it as "cay" when referring to Coco Cay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquahound Posted August 21, 2009 #18 Share Posted August 21, 2009 (edited) As it was explained to me a few years ago by an RCI CD, RCI purposely says it as "cay" when referring to Coco Cay. That is correct since the entire name is Spanish. The English translation is Coconut Key. If you refer to it by it's charted name, Little Stirrup Cay, you would pronounce cay as key. Clear as mud? Bottom line, both pronunciations are correct when speaking Spanglish. Edited August 21, 2009 by Aquahound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruznjan Posted August 21, 2009 #19 Share Posted August 21, 2009 The preferred pronunciation is "key." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurelius180 Posted August 21, 2009 #20 Share Posted August 21, 2009 That is correct since the entire name is Spanish. The English translation is Coconut Key. If you refer to it by it's charted name, Little Stirrup Cay, you would pronounce cay as key. Clear as mud? Bottom line, both pronunciations are correct when speaking Spanglish. Thanks for the insight! My first trip to CoCo Cay the tour guide on the jet skis told us the correct pronunciation is "key" but last time we were there the guide on the jet skis said it is "kay." This is after I thought I was wicked smaht saying "key." I prefer "kay" anyway but felt sufficiently like a donkey with 95%+ saying "kay." In the end I just had a ton of CoCo Locos and didn't care what anyone thought. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alphakitty Posted August 21, 2009 #21 Share Posted August 21, 2009 (edited) I say key...Ive also heard kay many times too. Dictionary.com seems to prefer key, but includes kay as proper too. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cay Edited August 21, 2009 by alphakitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alphakitty Posted August 21, 2009 #22 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Dictionary.com has sound pronunciations and they include both cay and key. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbond Posted August 21, 2009 #23 Share Posted August 21, 2009 When we were staying in the Florida Keys, we ate at a restaurant called The Quay. I figured it was pronounced KEY, but everyone who worked there pronounced it KWAY.:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamFritz Posted August 21, 2009 #24 Share Posted August 21, 2009 One of the best children's book out there is _The Cay_ which we (and my son's teacher) all called "The Kay", (not "The Key") http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cay But, IMO I say poe-ta-toe, you say paa-tat-toe I teach "The Cay" occasionally, and pronounce it as it is spelled. It's a nice little book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquahound Posted August 21, 2009 #25 Share Posted August 21, 2009 (edited) When we were staying in the Florida Keys, we ate at a restaurant called The Quay. I figured it was pronounced KEY, but everyone who worked there pronounced it KWAY.:confused: Now this one is totally opposite. Actually the proper Spanish pronunciation for that word is KEY. "KWAY" is only from English speakers saying it as it's spelled. You were correct. The more appropriate English translation would be "KAY." Edited August 21, 2009 by Aquahound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now