Pronunciation watch

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

We used not to. But then, we pronounced garage as 'garridge' when I was a boy (50s and 60s).

- I still do!

I also mentioned that Chopin lived for some time in "Madge-orka" to some youths yesterday, which greatly amused them.

Incidentally, does anyone know why Paris is the only French city that is usually pronounced "in English" here? To say "Paree" would sound as affected as it would to refer to "Lion".

[Pabmusic]

- I still do!...

So do I.

Incidentally, does anyone know why Paris is the only French city that is usually pronounced "in English" here? To say "Paree" would sound as affected as it would to refer to "Lion".

Not quite the only one. I'm sure Rheims is not generally said as if we were French. But it is odd, isn't it? And the French say Londres and Edinbourg. But then we say Copenhagen (Kobenhavn), Brussells (Bruxelles), Lisbon (Lisboa), Rome (Roma), Naples (Napoli), Florence (Firenze), and no doubt many more.

[french frank]

And 'Lyons,' used to be pronounced as Lions (isn't it spelled like that in English? I wonder if that is an old locative survival?). I don't think I've heard that for a long time. Nor Leghorn rather than Livorno.

[gurnemanz]

The Germans say Genf, the French Genève. We call it Geneva which seems like the Italian name, but they actually say Ginevra.

[Pabmusic]

The Germans say Genf, the French Genève. We call it Geneva which seems like the Italian name, but they actually say Ginevra.

Yes - all of them derived from the name (in different languages) of the juniper bush - origin of that very fine spirit that goes so well with tonic water.

[amateur51]

So do I.



Not quite the only one. I'm sure Rheims is not generally said as if we were French. But it is odd, isn't it? And the French say Londres and Edinbourg. But then we say Copenhagen (Kobenhavn), Brussells (Bruxelles), Lisbon (Lisboa), Rome (Roma), Naples (Napoli), Florence (Firenze), and no doubt many more.

We still say Mold, Newport and Cardiff too

[Pabmusic]

We still say Mold, Newport and Cardiff too

Indeed we do.

[jean]

It's usually only the largest and most-spoken-of cities that have their own English names, isn't it?

There are more Italian ones, certainly - Milan, Venice, Genoa and Padua as well as Rome - but I don't think anyone says Leghorn instead of Livorno any more.

When we first took French words into English, we were much more cavalier about pronouncing them how we liked, and we're now backtracking on that a bit - we don't have a problem with Beaulieu, but I hear people pronouncing Beaumaris as though it was modern French, although the Welsh spelling Biw- makes it clear what the original pronunciation was.

...And frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,
For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe...

[jean]

we say...Florence (Firenze)...

I've got a theory about that one - I think we English were so proud of our classical scholarship, which we thought gave us greater ownership of Italy's classical past than the current inhabitants of the place had any right to, that we went straight for a name derived from Latin rather than adopt the degenerate modern Italian.

[Pabmusic]

I've got a theory about that one - I think we English were so proud of our classical scholarship, which we thought gave us greater ownership of Italy's classical past than the current inhabitants of the place had any right to, that we went straight for a name derived from Latin rather than adopt the degenerate modern Italian.

Sounds plausible (Grand Tour and all that).

[Ferretfancy]

We still say Mold, Newport and Cardiff too

True, but Ceredigion seems to be de rigeur nowadays doesn't it ?

[scottycelt]

And the French say ... Edinbourg.

And with so much of that beautiful city's historic French influences that might seem both justifiable and acceptable . a walk down the Royal Mile sometimes feels as much French as Scottish to me, even today ... and everything sounds much better in French, anyway?

I very much draw the line at that thoroughly grating Yankee 'Edinboro', though ...

[scottycelt]

And with so much of that beautiful city's historic French influences that might seem both justifiable and acceptable . a walk down the Royal Mile sometimes feels as much French as Scottish to me, even today ... and everything sounds much better in French, anyway?

I very much draw the line at that thoroughly grating Yankee 'Edinboro', though ...

Actually ... the French pronounce it even better still, I think ... Edimbourg! ... mais ouis!

[vinteuil]

We'd never think of pronouncing courage, brave, or confident as if they were French, but there's just as much reason to do so as there is to pronounce garage in a French way.

... we seem to have retained the French -age pronunciation for mirage - persiflage - camouflage - barrage - fuselage.

For me garage still has three pronunciations -

ga-'RAZH

'GA - razh

'GA - ridge

I grew up with the first. It now sounds too lordly by half, and I certainly wdn't use it when considering taking a bus to its terminus at Willesden Garage - that wd definitely be GA-ridge. But in the comfort of my own home...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... we seem to have retained the French -age pronunciation for mirage - persiflage - camouflage - barrage - fuselage.

For me garage still has three pronunciations -

ga-'RAZH

'GA - razh

'GA - ridge

I grew up with the first. It now sounds too lordly by half, and I certainly wdn't use it when considering taking a bus to its terminus at Willesden Garage - that wd definitely be GA-ridge. But in the comfort of my own home...

I thing I use the second one for just about the whole time, but with a touch of the 3rd, resulting in GArardj.