Gardian Posted November 12, 2023 Share Posted November 12, 2023 This is an extremely trivial question, but the answer has been niggling at me for a week or so! I’ve always pronounced Ajaccio with soft c’s, but our son picked me up on it after he visited Corsica and said that the c’s are hard. Then I saw a travel programme on TV and a ‘local’ pronounced the city with soft c’s. Maybe it’s like a lot of places where two versions are in use, a bit like Shrewsbury in England. Anybody know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted November 12, 2023 Share Posted November 12, 2023 Google Translate has it as Ahhjaksio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted November 12, 2023 Share Posted November 12, 2023 I think it might depend on whether you are speaking to an Italian or a French audience. After all, Corsica was Italian once. If Italian, then a hard c is correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted November 12, 2023 Share Posted November 12, 2023 Guardian, your mind in exercised by the strangest things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 12, 2023 Share Posted November 12, 2023 I think the first is hard as in "ak" then the second is soft as in is "sio" ( in the French version anyway) if you think about it there is d'AC as in "d'accord" and "cio" as in "ciel" or "cimes" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted November 12, 2023 Share Posted November 12, 2023 4 hours ago, anotherbanana said: Guardian, your mind in exercised by the strangest things! I don't agree, Wools. IMO, virtually nothing is not improved by a bit of "wondering". Does you good to wonder. Finding out is enjoyable. In fact, I read somewhere that curiosity is the best thing going for you if you wanted to live a long and interesting life😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted November 12, 2023 Share Posted November 12, 2023 After Norman's contribution, I thought about the pronunciation a bit more and I have revised what I said. I think the double c needs to be followed by h to make the k sound so, Ajaccio would sound as Lori and Norman have pointed out. I was thinking of how the Italian tennis player pronounces his name Cecchinato is therefore Checkinato. Also, the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence. So for a k sound, h has to come before the vowels i or e. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted November 12, 2023 Author Share Posted November 12, 2023 Lovely !!! Lori’s version sounds best - but thanks everybody for your input. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehaut Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Hope the Corsicans are more tolerant with mis-pronunciations that they are with French road signs! Saw loads like this when we were touring there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajal Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 22 hours ago, Lori said: Google Translate has it as Ahhjaksio. Out of interest, did you translate English -> French or French -> English? I entered 'Ajaccio' into DeepL, and it returned two totally unrelated pronunciations. E -> F (amyahcho) and F -> E (ajatio). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 French to English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajal Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 I guess the most accurate pronunciation would be achieved via a French -> French, simply for the audio. However, translation software doesn't allow for that permutation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 3 hours ago, Lehaut said: Hope the Corsicans are more tolerant with mis-pronunciations that they are with French road signs! Saw loads like this when we were touring there. Well, that doesn't surprise me. Before we had "real" terrorists, the Corsicans were, only semi-jokingly, dubbed "les terroristes"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 4 hours ago, cajal said: I guess the most accurate pronunciation would be achieved via a French -> French, simply for the audio. However, translation software doesn't allow for that permutation. If I pronounce my version (which is an argued-through version of Lori's) into my French note taker it gives Ajaccio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 19 hours ago, menthe said: After Norman's contribution, I thought about the pronunciation a bit more and I have revised what I said. I think the double c needs to be followed by h to make the k sound so, Ajaccio would sound as Lori and Norman have pointed out. I was thinking of how the Italian tennis player pronounces his name Cecchinato is therefore Checkinato. Also, the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence. So for a k sound, h has to come before the vowels i or e. i think the last two Cs, in Italian, would be pronounced like English "ch", as in focaCCio (soft before e and i, I remember; if followed by an h, then the c is hard). But I know nothing about how Corsicans would pronounce Ajaccio! https://storylearning.com/learn/italian/italian-tips/italian-pronunciation-guide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Loiseau, you got home OK then? (Please excuse the digression, but this is justified?) Was thinking of you this evening. Driving back from the dentist took an hour and a half instead of the usual 40 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 ”this”?🙀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted November 14, 2023 Share Posted November 14, 2023 4 hours ago, menthe said: Loiseau, you got home OK then? (Please excuse the digression, but this is justified?) Was thinking of you this evening. Driving back from the dentist took an hour and a half instead of the usual 40 minutes. Dear mint, yes, I did, thank you! Wading through rushing water to reach the car; wind and rain near Calais; but sm8ling blue skies to welcome me to Kent when the Shuttle doors opened. Feel bad that I have abandoned Wooly to more downpours, but he's got the drill now to cope with the rising waters (I hope). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajal Posted November 14, 2023 Share Posted November 14, 2023 19 hours ago, NormanH said: If I pronounce my version (which is an argued-through version of Lori's) into my French note taker it gives Ajaccio. Given the effect that fronting a double 'Marshall stack' for decades had on my hearing, coupled with the questionable quality of translation audio, I don't think my F⇾E ajatio is a million phonetics away from Lori's example. 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted November 14, 2023 Share Posted November 14, 2023 9 hours ago, Loiseau said: Dear mint, yes, I did, thank you! Wading through rushing water to reach the car; wind and rain near Calais; but sm8ling blue skies to welcome me to Kent when the Shuttle doors opened. Feel bad that I have abandoned Wooly to more downpours, but he's got the drill now to cope with the rising waters (I hope). Ha! Ha! Loiseau, I hope the drill includes how to clean out the buanderie? Relieved and happy you got home in one piece. That rain where we are was like driving through a car wash. Even the French drivers were slowing down...so, that says it all? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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