Comments on: French names - stress http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/french-names-stress Language in a word Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:37:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Graham http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/french-names-stress#comment-728 Graham Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:09:30 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/french-names-stress#comment-728 In response to JJM, of course the "obvious" French pronunciation is a no-no because of its similarity to 'putain'. In response to JJM, of course the “obvious” French pronunciation is a no-no because of its similarity to ‘putain’.

]]> By: JJM http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/french-names-stress#comment-724 JJM Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:25:55 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/french-names-stress#comment-724 Also on a lighter note, Vladimir Putin's name often causes some hilarity amongst French Canadians because it is spelled "Poutine" in French. In Canada, "poutine" is a very popular fast food comprising (your arteries are probably already clogging up) fries topped with cheese curds then smothered in gravy. Also on a lighter note, Vladimir Putin’s name often causes some hilarity amongst French Canadians because it is spelled “Poutine” in French.

In Canada, “poutine” is a very popular fast food comprising (your arteries are probably already clogging up) fries topped with cheese curds then smothered in gravy.

]]> By: Athel Cornish-Bowden http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/french-names-stress#comment-625 Athel Cornish-Bowden Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:00:43 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/french-names-stress#comment-625 Marseilles, which I've just commented on in another thread, also raises a question for me in this one. Most French people I know put almost exactly equal stress on the first two syllables, and barely pronounce the final e at all (though people with a strong local accent pronounce it quite strongly). However, when I first lived here 20 years ago I noticed that a senior colleague seemed to stress the first syllable when speaking English, and I could never quite decide whether this was my ear interpreting equal stress as stress on the first syllable as I was expecting stress on the second, or whether he was trying to say it in what he regarded as a more English way. Your comment about how Americans pronounce French names seems almost an understatement: I have long had the feeling that many Americans have a conviction that all French words are heavily stressed on the last syllable. When I first heard the molecular biologist Jacques Monod referred to as Mno I didn't know who was meant, as most British people at that time (and probably most now as well) made the exactly opposite error of stressing the first syllable strongly: Monno. Marseilles, which I’ve just commented on in another thread, also raises a question for me in this one. Most French people I know put almost exactly equal stress on the first two syllables, and barely pronounce the final e at all (though people with a strong local accent pronounce it quite strongly). However, when I first lived here 20 years ago I noticed that a senior colleague seemed to stress the first syllable when speaking English, and I could never quite decide whether this was my ear interpreting equal stress as stress on the first syllable as I was expecting stress on the second, or whether he was trying to say it in what he regarded as a more English way.

Your comment about how Americans pronounce French names seems almost an understatement: I have long had the feeling that many Americans have a conviction that all French words are heavily stressed on the last syllable. When I first heard the molecular biologist Jacques Monod referred to as Mno I didn’t know who was meant, as most British people at that time (and probably most now as well) made the exactly opposite error of stressing the first syllable strongly: Monno.

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