Pronunciation watch

[Serial_Apologist]

I suppose one can sit on the Banksy of the Exie....

Thanks for that off-the-wall contribution.

[subcontrabass]

I find the current widespread BBC pronunciation of "salvator" (as in "Salvator Mundi") with the accent on the first syllable to be very odd.

[french frank]

I find the current widespread BBC pronunciation of "salvator" (as in "Salvator Mundi") with the accent on the first syllable to be very odd.

Analogy with preferred British pronunciation SAL-və-dor DAAAAHlee, I suppose. Though Sal-və-TOR Mundi would be rather odd, too. Third time lucky?

[Stanfordian]

I find the current widespread BBC pronunciation of "salvator" (as in "Salvator Mundi") with the accent on the first syllable to be very odd.

I confess that I've had to Google 'Salvator Mundi' a name that I've never come across before.

Maybe some of the presenter's haven't either.

Although I agree that we are hearing some very curious sounding pronunciations.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Analogy with preferred British pronunciation SAL-və-dor DAAAAHlee, I suppose. Though Sal-və-TOR Mundi would be rather odd, too. Third time lucky?

Having never heard the correct pronunciation, I've "always" imagined it to be pronounced with the accent on the first syllable - precisely because I've heard Signor Dali's name more frequently than the latin title. I presume it should be accented on the second syllable, as in "salvation"?

[Richard Tarleton]

Having never heard the correct pronunciation, I've "always" imagined it to be pronounced with the accent on the first syllable - precisely because I've heard Signor Dali's name more frequently than the latin title. I presume it should be accented on the second syllable, as in "salvation"?

No - last syllable, Salvador - if a Spanish word ends in a consonant other than "n" or "s" the emphasis falls on the last syllable (if the word is irregular, there'll be an accent to tell you which syllable to stress).

The name Dalí is irregular, having an accent on the final "i" so the stress is on the "i". If there was no accent, it would indeed be Dali

So we Brits usually get both parts of his name wrong

And he's Señor, not Signor - he's Spanish (or Catalan if you prefer )

See me afterwards.

[subcontrabass]

Having never heard the correct pronunciation, I've "always" imagined it to be pronounced with the accent on the first syllable - precisely because I've heard Signor Dali's name more frequently than the latin title. I presume it should be accented on the second syllable, as in "salvation"?

The second "a" is long, pronounced as "ah", and therefore gets accented.

[Richard Tarleton]

The second "a" is long, pronounced as "ah", and therefore gets accented.

Are you talking about the Leonardo here, SCB?

[subcontrabass]

Are you talking about the Leonardo here, SCB?

Yes.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

No - last syllable, Salvador - if a Spanish word ends in a consonant other than "n" or "s" the emphasis falls on the last syllable (if the word is irregular, there'll be an accent to tell you which syllable to stress).

- as in the first name of Salvatore Sciarrino, then? I can incorporate that easily enough!

The name Dalí is irregular, having an accent on the final "i" so the stress is on the "i". If there was no accent, it would indeed be Dali

So we Brits usually get both parts of his name wrong

Ah! Whenever I heard him pronounce his own name, it was always this correct way - but I always thought he was being silly!

And he's Señor, not Signor - he's Spanish (or Catalan if you prefer )

<doh>! Yes, if course - I should have known that!

See me afterwards.

Promises, promises!

[Richard Tarleton]

- as in the first name of Salvatore Sciarrino, then? I can incorporate that easily enough!

My Italian minimal, but yes....knock off the "e", and a single flap of the tongue agains the roof of the mouth for the terminal "r" - multiple flaps for double "r"

Same as "matador", or the well-known brand of Spanish brandy, "Fundador"

Promises, promises!

[jean]

Latin and Italian stress could well be different from each other - but it's Latin we're talking about. The second a of Salvator is long.

Blow got it right:

[french frank]

Latin and Italian stress could well be different from each other - but it's Latin we're talking about.

Exactly. The Latin - Salvator Mundi - is a nominative, stressed on the second syllable. But the Romance forms derive from the accusative -Salvatórem Mundi (as would be). Final syllable (-em) often disappeared, but the stress remained on the 3rd: Spanish Salvador, Italian Salvatore, French Sauvëeur.

Why it would ever be stressed on the first syllable, I have no (or little ) idea.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

knock off the "e", and a single flap of the tongue agains the roof of the mouth for the terminal "r" - multiple flaps for double "r"

Ah huut wy hong ow!

[gurnemanz]

The second "a" is long, pronounced as "ah", and therefore gets accented.

I think that it is likely to be the other way round: The second is accented and therefore long. My knowledge of Spanish is very limited (Dos cervezas por favor) but I thought that Spanish only really has long and short vowels inasmuch as vowels tend to be lengthened when stressed. They are pronounced exactly the same and the only difference is in length, whereas in English a long "a" is a phonetically distinct sound from a short "a". (cart/cat). NB This is off the top of my head and I may have got this wrong.