Chancer Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Pretty much every time someone says to me "I have been to England, I stayed at.............." I can never fathom the place name from their prononciation unless I have already heard it spoken by a French person, I usually have to ask them to spell it. What I cant understand is how widespread it is by people who do indeed know the correct english pronunciation, English speaking newsreaders, reporters etc, I now have to pi55pronounce all english place names to be understood but unfortunately have unwittingly done so in the UK.[:$]Peoples names are another one, to be honest even the most inbred Englishman only has to hear a French persons name pronounced once or twice to pronounce it pretty well correctly, there is a young lad that I know by the name of Joffré, at least that is what I had thought for 3 years until I saw it written as Geoffrey!!!! I now call refer to him as Geoffrey which his mother adores but no-one else has a clue who I am talking about.Watching a documentary tonight I heard a name that really jarred my ears, this is my best attempt at a phonetic spelling:Rob anne sonne Crew sew eh!Ring any bells?I know that Ians have a rough time of it here, that Michaels have to just accept being Mikael's but what about any women called Jean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbles Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Yep. That's me - Jean.Face to face I always had to say - "comme les jeans" and shake a trouser leg at them.When filling in forms online I often had them returned with a polite message saying the equivalent of "You put Mme (or "f") - haven't you made a little mistake?Good job we are back in England now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I'm a Jean too. I always say, "Comme les pantalon."Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 jean is a masculine forename.perhaps [IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Ingres_coronation_charles_vii.jpg/300px-Ingres_coronation_charles_vii.jpg[/IMG]apter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyNuff Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 I agree, it's sometimes quite a puzzle. The one that really winds us up is Michael Shoomarrer! When you ask why, no-one can explain it.FairyNuffPS Daniel Defoe's hero I think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Oh come on, ...... this is not fair !! [:)]The vast majority of British people I know can't pronounce my son's name GUILLAUME ...He becomes " gwillem" or something like that... And often ends up being called William ... ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 [quote user="FairyNuff"]I agree, it's sometimes quite a puzzle. The one that really winds us up is Michael Shoomarrer! When you ask why, no-one can explain it. FairyNuff PS Daniel Defoe's hero I think?[/quote]The French pronounce it in the German way. CH is " rr" in German. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 [quote user="Frenchie"][quote user="FairyNuff"]I agree, it's sometimes quite a puzzle. The one that really winds us up is Michael Shoomarrer! When you ask why, no-one can explain it. FairyNuff PS Daniel Defoe's hero I think?[/quote]The French pronounce it in the German way. CH is " rr" in German. [/quote]So 'Auch' is prnounced ARRRand 'Ich' IRRR?'Doch' DORRR 'Nicht' NIRR?I don't think so.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Don't take it to heart, Frenchie. You should hear Americans attempt Leicester and Loughborough.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 [quote user="Chancer"]Pretty much every time someone says to me "I have been to England, I stayed at.............." I can never fathom the place name from their prononciation unless I have already heard it spoken by a French person, I usually have to ask them to spell it. [/quote]We British aren't all that great though, are we?Boulogne - Boo-loinReims - ReemsNimes - Neems (even heard that version from a Ryanair pilot!)Avignon - Aveenyonn (that's the American version)Dordogne - Doordoyn .............. but at least Marseille usually comes out more or less right these days, rather than the old Mar-sails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAiffricaine Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 [quote user="Frenchie"] ... The vast majority of British people I know can't pronounce my son's name GUILLAUME ... He becomes " gwillem" or something like that... [/quote]Gwillym bach cariad [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 [quote user="Frenchie"][quote user="FairyNuff"]I agree, it's sometimes quite a puzzle. The one that really winds us up is Michael Shoomarrer! When you ask why, no-one can explain it. FairyNuff PS Daniel Defoe's hero I think?[/quote]The French pronounce it in the German way. CH is " rr" in German. [/quote]Since when? Certainly not when I learnt German. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneySuckleDreams Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 you should try discussing Harry Potterunless you say Arrie Pottaire they haven't a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Guillaume's not to bad....a good friend of mine has a son called Romain. My then-three-year-old son kept calling him "homard" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 [quote user="FairyNuff"] The one that really winds us up is Michael Shoomarrer! [/quote]Better still : Graaam Eeel [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 We had a friend here called Craig - he said the french just couldn't produce the sound. In english it's just one syllable. And is there a hard "g" sound in french? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 [quote user="Patf"] And is there a hard "g" sound in french?[/quote]In the middle of words, certainly. And at the end, but spelt gue/s as in Hugues (well that's the closest example which I use to help my French friends with this - there are probably better ones.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 [quote user="Patf"]And is there a hard "g" sound in french?[/quote]Around Montpellier and towards Marseille there certainly is: bread is "pang", tomorrow is "demang", etc.RegardsPickles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I quite enjoy hearing the French rendering of Cillit Bang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 [quote user="Hoddy"]Don't take it to heart, Frenchie. You should hear Americans attempt Leicester and Loughborough. Hoddy[/quote]Or English people tryng to pronounce Kirkcudbright (a town in SW Scotland pronounced as Kircoobree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Donkey Shot, always got me, it literally took me several years to work that one out. Names, well, some sound better in french like Agnes and Herbert. Some don't. What about this confusion for me, called at a friends and her son was there, who told me his sister had had a daughter and given her an english name. Ee lene. I kept asking him to repeat it and assuring him that it was not 'english' when I asked him to spell it, he said Eileen. Hmmmmmmmm what could I say, I personally prefer the 'french' version. Look at Hugh in french, sounds like someone is shouting out a japanese number as they choke. Add to that all the diminutives in french and it's hard to know what people are called sometimes. I often get called by my diminutive name by french friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard51 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 You mean you aren't all referred to to as 'les anglais'?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I am l'Anglois"Les Anglois ont désormais renoncé à venir occuper les contrées étrangères par la force des armes, ils viennent plutôt par charter et le tunnel sous la Manche, de juin à septembre. Obèses, le visage rougi par la bière et le fish & chips, vêtus de short ridicules et de chemisettes immondes ils débarquent en troupeaux sur les plages de la Méditerranée, braillant comme des gorets qu'on égorge dans ce gargouilli qui leur sert de langue.Ils passent alors deux semaines à boire, uriner en public et montrer leur fesses boutonneuses aux passants avant d'être renvoyés chez eux.Contrairement à ce que pensent les Anglois, ce comportement ne les rend pas plus sympathiques." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 I have heard it all now, a Frenchman (presumably a man) talking about short ridicules [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 à boire, uriner en public Thankyou for the chuckle NH. As if french men wouldn't do that[6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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