▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁Many ▁loc als ▁pron ounce ▁the ▁river ' s ▁name ▁, ▁inserting ▁an ▁" n " ▁where ▁there ▁is ▁none ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁sy ll able . ▁ ▁Given ▁the ▁et ym ological ▁similarity ▁between ▁" C os umn es ," ▁on ▁the ▁one ▁hand , ▁and ▁" Tu ol um ne " ▁and ▁" M ok el um ne " ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁( see ▁next ▁paragraph ), ▁a ▁case ▁can ▁be ▁made ▁that ▁the ▁most ▁accurate ▁historical ▁pron unci ation ▁is ▁" k as um me ," ▁since ▁the ▁" n " ▁is ▁essentially ▁silent ▁in ▁the ▁pron unci ation ▁of ▁both ▁" Tu ol um ne " ▁and ▁M ok el um ne ," ▁and ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁" s " ▁or ▁" z " ▁sound ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁those ▁names . ▁An ▁older ▁pron unci ation ▁common ▁among ▁Central ▁Valley ▁loc als ▁is ▁), ▁which ▁includes ▁the ▁ep enth etic ▁[ n ] ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁sy ll able , ▁om its ▁the ▁initial ▁[ n ] ▁of ▁the ▁final ▁sy ll able ▁( as ▁in ▁" M ole l um ne " ▁and ▁" Tu ol um ne "), ▁has ▁the ▁expected ▁value ▁for ▁the ▁letter ▁in ▁an ▁open ▁sy ll able ▁( created ▁by ▁the ▁om ission ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁[ n ]), ▁and ▁uses ▁a ▁final ▁[ s ] ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁[ z ]. ▁ ▁Cos umn es ▁River ▁College , ▁a ▁two - year ▁community ▁college ▁located ▁in