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Pronunciation on BBC


nomoss
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I can remember when the BBC's attention to correct pronunciation of foreign words was legendary. I recall hearing of teams of specialists feverishly consulting textbooks and telephoning embassies and other authorities to make sure they had it right.

How sad to hear the french name for (Magic) Roundabout pronounced as ménage, and a south american city described as "kewidad" Guayana.

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[quote user="nomoss"]

I can remember when the BBC's attention to correct pronunciation of foreign words was legendary. I recall hearing of teams of specialists feverishly consulting textbooks and telephoning embassies and other authorities to make sure they had it right.

How sad to hear the french name for (Magic) Roundabout pronounced as ménage, and a south american city described as "kewidad" Guayana.

[/quote]

 

I have had some very funny moments in France when I have got manege and menage mixed up. An easy mistake to make, for me at least.

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Yes, Clair. The same guy who pronounced ciudad as kewidad.

Idun, he IS reading it. And on a quiz show where incorrect pronunciation will result in a wrong answer.

He also seems biased towards the eggheads. He gave a point for a correct answer to "CJ" a couple of shows back when he was obviously just fishing.

But maybe BBC is just reflecting the lack of importance given to correct grammar, pronunciation and terms being used nowadays.

I thought for a while that a "nonsweet" was a new euphemism for a toilet until I realised it was garbled french.

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The BBC had a Pronunciation Unit in the old days precisely for training announcers to pronounce words correctly, and not just foreign words.  I remember an announcer telling a story about pronouncing "deity" as "dayty" and getting made to pronounce it properly afterwards.

The Welsh names they pronounce always bring a smile or a groan and, as for French names, I calculate that it's maybe one time out of ten that they get even the simplest words properly pronounced.

For a start, think of how most BBC bods pronounce SarKOZy.  I hardly ever hear anyone there say SarkoZY (stress shown by capital letters).

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[quote user="sweet 17"]

For a start, think of how most BBC bods pronounce SarKOZy.  I hardly ever hear anyone there say SarkoZY (stress shown by capital letters).

[/quote]

Since the name is Hungarian, perhaps we should ask a speaker of that language for its pronunciation. And anyway, I thought that in French all syllables should be given equal stress so it should be SAR-KO-ZY.

Fast spoken French - between people in heated discussion - often sounds like a machine gun. One of the attractive features of spoken English is the stressing of only some syllables, usually the first in a multisyllabic word. Thanks, I think to a stupid character in a mediochre sitcom, HARass has beome harASS. Not English - again, blame the BBC!

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[quote user="Pommier"]At least the BBC's move will take 1500 jobs from London to Manchester.

It's always seemed strange that institutions which could be located anywhere in the UK where there are people to staff them, chose to remain in expensive, high salary London.[/quote]

It's a modern misconception to suppose that the BBC could be located anywhere. Most of what happens in the UK originates in London and it is right that the public broadcaster should be right in the thick of it. When an MP makes a sudden resignation, or their is big government news of some sort, a representative can be in a studio within minutes. That will not happen if said studio is stuck up in Salford, Greater Manchester. Furthermore it is no good saying it can be done by video link. What we will then have is a totally fractured organisation with people 'working' together who very likely never meet. There will be no integrity or personal commitment in the delivery of public service radio and TV, just a faceless pumping out of bland and shallow material.
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[quote user="nomoss"]

And how about those sub titles when foreigners are speaking perfectly understandable english, but none when some local youf is mumbling unintelligibly into his clothing?

Actually I wouldn't mind sub titles for some of the regional commentators

[/quote]

Me, too!  And, with the honourable exception of Gary Lineker, Scottish football commentators, LOL!

Clarkkent, although the French often give all syllables equal emphasis, the way I hear it is that the stress is often in the LAST syllable.

Eg:  toilette, école, Paris, Lagarde, Ravel, église and so on..... 

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[quote user="Clair"][quote user="Loiseau"]Magic Roundabout was French to start with.

Angela
[/quote]
Quite, but it is called Le Manège Enchanté, not the Ménage Enchanté! [:D]
[/quote]In the days when I did some dressage, this was a very common mistake.  I see that things haven't changed much:

http://www.sarness-livery-stables.com/ALL-WEATHER-OUTDOOR-MENAGE

(Google outdoor menage (sic) and you'll see loads of these.)

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