CORNISH pronunciations of some local place names are being altered because the visitors' way is becoming the norm.

"An example is Heligan, put on the map by Tim Smith, but wrongly pronounced by the majority of people who go there," says June Lander, who has written a book on the subject.

"Most people now call it Hellygan, with no emphasis on any of the syllables, but the correct pronunciation, according to local people and the family who have owned the estate for generations, is "Hel'IG'an", with the emphasis on the middle syllable," she added.

Visitors to Cornwall find many of the Cornish place names difficult to pronounce - and even long-term residents and the Cornish-born can be caught out now and again, she points out.

A journalist and author, who has lived in Cornwall for more than 40 years, she has tried to put the record straight with her book How Do You Say....? Places in Cornwall. Location - Pronunciation - Meaning. She has researched more than 1,500 places and, with the help of Cornish people and members of the Old Cornwall Societies, has produced a directory which she hopes will go some way to solving the problem.

"I know there will be constroversy over some of the names because often people living in the same village can't agree about how the name should be pronounced," she said.

The classic example is the village of Breage near Helston. Half the inhabitants say "Breege", the others say "Brayg". Martin Matthews, president of the Helston Old Cornwall Society and former curator of Helston Museum, says the older form is "Brayg". As the derivation of the name is from St Breaca, and Brea in Cornish is pronounced "Bray", then this seems to carry some weight.

Nowadays the general pronunciation of Launceston is "Lawnson", but local people say "Lanson" - the name of the town originally being Lan-Stefan, from the church site of St Stephen, the earlier settlement on the top of the hill.

Delabole, near Camelford, is a conundrum for many visitors, who try to pronounce it as "De 'LAB'o' lee", whereas the local pronunciation is "Del' a BOWL" with the accent on the last syllable.

The famous holy well of St Keyne, near Liskeard, is famous for its spring water, the first to drink it after marriage being the one who rules the roost. Equally contentious is how the name is pronounced. It should be S'nt Kane from the patron saint of St Kayn. She is believed to have come from Keynsham in Somerset, which is pronounced KAYN'sham. The directory also gives the location of places from the nearest large town or village with a road reference.

As to meanings, this is a minefield, as anyone who has studied the subject in any depth will know. The author acknowledges she has re-ferred to many sources, including Oliver Padel of the Institute of Cornish Studies, as well as authorities such as Craig Weatherill, Julyan Holmes, Peter Pool and T F G Dexter.

However, it is pointed out by the author in the introduction that "experts have spent years researching this subject and still admit that there are many names which are obscure and completely unidentifiable."

The publication also serves as a handy reference book, with what to look for in many towns and places of interest, together with descriptions of all the parish churches in Cornwall, National Trust properties and gardens, sites of holy wells, Cornish crosses and much more.

The book is £5.95 from booksellers for £7.20 (to include postage and packing) from the publishers Acanthus Books, Lanner, Redruth, Cornwall. TR16 6BS (01209 217577). SJ