How Do You Pronounce ____________? (2 Viewers)

[Farnboro John]

Let's start a petition to change its name to Hoopoopoo. Or Hūpupu to make it extra exotic and less scatological.

(The Dutch name is Hop, only to be outdone by German Wiedehopf – ever less accurate descriptions of its call).

But the German is surely "again hopf" which at least implies a repeating call?

John

 

[Xenospiza]

But the German is surely "again hopf" which at least implies a repeating call?

John

No, it's "Meadow hopf". But I like the idea of "Wiederhopf"!

 

[01101001]

What about 'Sprague'? I used to think it's 'Spr' + 'ague', Wikipedia has one name pronounced like 'plague', and--then--it could also potentially be 'S' + 'Prague'.

EDIT: Turns out, there's also desague (DEY-SAH-GWEY (?)).

Isaac Sprague - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Jacana]

I've always pronounced it as "Sprawg", although it's not really a species that comes up much in any conversations I've had. I'm sure I pronounced it that way in front of Americans before and no eyebrows were raised...

 

[raymie]

How do you say Vaux, as in "Vaux's Swift"?

 

[Andy Adcock]

What about 'Sprague'? I used to think it's 'Spr' + 'ague', Wikipedia has one name pronounced like 'plague', and--then--it could also potentially be 'S' + 'Prague'.

EDIT: Turns out, there's also desague (DEY-SAH-GWEY (?)).

Isaac Sprague - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Spray -g but, if you compare the spelling and pronunciation of the Czech capital?

This sounding of an 'A' as 'Ar' in EVERY circumstance where there is an A, is a relatively new and very annoying thing for me, I've heard some ridiculous renderings of words and I won't say where it comes from, too many sensitive types here.

As we know English is complex and you also have to allow for local accents, some on this forum, to me would be 'ba*****s' but people from the South would call them 'bar'*****s. To me and most of my country men of my age it's always been Mon-a-co and Mi-la-n but many are now following the trend and it's 'Mon-ar-co' and 'Mi-lar-n'.

 

[01101001]

How do you say Vaux, as in "Vaux's Swift"?

Like 'faux'? (Obviously, don't take my word for it.)

 

[MJB]

How do you say Vaux, as in "Vaux's Swift"?

Rhymes with 'owe'...
MJB

 

[MJB]

What about 'Sprague'? I used to think it's 'Spr' + 'ague', Wikipedia has one name pronounced like 'plague', and--then--it could also potentially be 'S' + 'Prague'.

Sprague is a Devonian name from Old Middle English. I knew someone in the RAF whose surname was Sprague - he came from Devon and had a quite broad accent: his pronunciation was 'Sprag', but with a long 'a' sound... I'm told that other versions are available...
MJB

 

[Andy Adcock]

Like 'faux'? (Obviously, don't take my word for it.)

Vo

 

[Andy Adcock]

Sprague is a Devonian name from Old Middle English. I knew someone in the RAF whose surname was Sprague - he came from Devon and had a quite broad accent: his pronunciation was 'Sprag', but with a long 'a' sound... I'm told that other versions are available...
MJB

The same as I describe above, as if it were followed by an R''?

 

[01101001]

Sprague is a Devonian name from Old Middle English. I knew someone in the RAF whose surname was Sprague - he came from Devon and had a quite broad accent: his pronunciation was 'Sprag', but with a long 'a' sound... I'm told that other versions are available...
MJB

Just now, I've remembered

Roland Sprague - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

who was a German (maybe the surname has even more ancient Germanic roots)

 

[Xenospiza]

Just now, I've remembered

Roland Sprague - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

who was a German (maybe the surname has even more ancient Germanic roots)

His grandfather was British:

Thomas Bond Sprague - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Xenospiza]

Sprague is a Devonian name from Old Middle English. I knew someone in the RAF whose surname was Sprague - he came from Devon and had a quite broad accent: his pronunciation was 'Sprag', but with a long 'a' sound... I'm told that other versions are available...

Is that long "a" pronounced as in Prague, Pray, Pad or even Pug?

 

[Edward]

Like 'faux'? (Obviously, don't take my word for it.)

I've only ever heard people say Vox's in the US and Vaux himself said "Vawks"

 

[Andy Adcock]

I've only ever heard people say Vox's in the US and Vaux himself said "Vawks"

It's well know that American's regular corrupt the pronunciation of their European, family names, why, who knows?

Here's an example that I hear a lot, name ' Rasmussen', pronouced usually as Ras-mu-ssen I believe but Americans usually say 'Raz-mew-sen.

 

[Mono]

A fascinating exploration of the different ways Brits and Americans nativise pronunciations.

 

[James Lowther]

It's well know that American's regular corrupt the pronunciation of their European, family names, why, who knows?

Here's an example that I hear a lot, name ' Rasmussen', pronouced usually as Ras-mu-ssen I believe but Americans usually say 'Raz-mew-sen.

Proper Danish pronunciation of that name is given here;

Rasmussen - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

First syllable apparently rhymes with southern English arse i.e long a, no r sound

Pronouncing it like either razzle or wrasse is wrong

I very much doubt many British people get it right.

James

 

[Andy Adcock]

Proper Danish pronunciation of that name is given here;

Rasmussen - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

First syllable apparently rhymes with southern English arse i.e long a, no r sound

Pronouncing it like either razzle or wrasse is wrong

I very much doubt many British people get it right.

James

This is how I have always understood it to be said.

Rasmussen Pronunciation

How to say Rasmussen in English? Pronunciation of Rasmussen with 3 audio pronunciations, 4 synonyms, 1 meaning, 6 translations, 28 sentences and more for Rasmussen.

www.howtopronounce.com

 

[James Lowther]

But those people pronouncing it are American.

The point is that all of those pronunciations are “wrong” in the sense that they aren’t actually how that name would originally have been pronounced in Denmark or Norway or Sweden. So why arbitrarily decide that one new way is right and one way isn’t?

A couple of Danish pronunciations here

Rasmussen pronunciation in Danish

How to say Rasmussen in Danish? Pronunciation of Rasmussen with 2 audio pronunciations and more for Rasmussen.

www.howtopronounce.com

Norwegian

Rasmussen pronunciation in Norwegian

How to say Rasmussen in Norwegian? Pronunciation of Rasmussen with 1 audio pronunciation and more for Rasmussen.

www.howtopronounce.com

Swedish

Uffe Kåre Rasmussen pronunciation in Swedish

How to say Uffe Kåre Rasmussen in Swedish? Pronunciation of Uffe Kåre Rasmussen with 1 audio pronunciation and more for Uffe Kåre Rasmussen.

www.howtopronounce.com

Have you watched the video linked above? English and American people nativise/mangle the same loan words, foreign names etc in different ways, sometimes the English version will be closer to the original, sometimes the American way will

James