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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French

Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French (some of which have been discussed recently in alt.usage.english):
"forte" : The "e" is often pronounced, as "ay" (as in "hay"), /eI/, or as "ee," /i/ (source: MWCD11). The French original does not have an "e": "fort" (and the "t" is silent).
"lingerie" : The "ie" is often pronounced as "ay" (as in "hay"), /eI/. The "in" is often pronounced /An/, with the vowel in the American pronunciation for "hop," and can also be pronounced /A~/, as in the vowel the French pronunciation of the word "blanc." The pronunciation "an," /&n/, which is arguably the "logical" adaptation into English of the French pronunciation /&~/ (also represented as /E~/) is not to be found in MWCD11.

"Lupin" : I pointed out in a post concerning "lingerie" that the /An/ pronunciation is also used in the name of the main character in the animated series "Lupin the Third." In the series, Lupin is the grandson of the French fictional character Arsène Lupin. The "logical" adaptation into English would be "loo-PAN," /lu'p&n/, although one might argue for "LOO-pun," /'lup@n/ on the basis that the name is the name of a flower, and that is how the flower is called in English.
"chamois" : The "ois" is pronounced "ee," /i/. The French original is "wah," /wa/, or, in an older pronunciation, "oy," /OI/.
Any other unexpected pronunciations in English words derived from French?

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com
  

Top answer

english): "forte" : The ... is "wah," /wa/, or, in an older pronunciation, "oy," /OI/. [/nq] beef mutton fowl judge pork fort page paper dozen royal parliament pinch perjury reason rent ward reward warranty virgin wicket wait AND OF COURSE: X-ray No; just kidding about "X-ray".

  • english): "forte" : The ...
  • is "wah," /wa/, or, in an older pronunciation, "oy," /OI/.
  • [/nq] beef mutton fowl judge pork fort page paper dozen royal parliament pinch perjury reason rent ward reward warranty virgin wicket wait AND OF COURSE: X-ray No; just kidding about "X-ray".
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171 Answers
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[nq:1]Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French (some of which have been discussed recently in alt.usage.english): "forte" : The ... is "wah," /wa/, or, in an older pronunciation, "oy," /OI/. Any other unexpected pronunciations in English words derived from French?[/nq]
beef
mutton
fowl
judge
pork
fort
page
paper
dozen
royal
parliament
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[nq:1]Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French (some of which have been discussed recently in alt.usage.english): "forte" : The ... or as "ee," /i/ (source: MWCD11). The French original does not have an "e": "fort" (and the "t" is silent).[/nq]
I believe "forte" comes from Italian, not from French. That's why it's pronounced closer to the Italian "forte", which is less than "for
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[nq:1]Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French (some of which have been discussed recently in alt.usage.english): "forte" : The "e" is often pronounced, as "ay" (as in "hay"), /eI/, or as[/nq]
But that is a mistake. The word properly pronounced fortay is the Italian forte, meaning loud. As in fortissimo.
[nq:1]"ee," /i/ (source: MWCD11). The French original does not have an
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In our last episode,
(Email Removed),
the lovely and talented Arcadian Rises
broadcast on alt.usage.english:
[nq:2]Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French (some of ... not have an "e": "fort" (and the "t" is silent).[/nq]
[nq:1]I believe "forte" comes from Italian, not from French. That's why it's pronounced closer to the Italian "forte", which is less than "for
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[nq:1]Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French (some of which have been discussed recently in alt.usage.english): "forte" : The ... is "wah," /wa/, or, in an older pronunciation, "oy," /OI/. Any other unexpected pronunciations in English words derived from French?[/nq]
"Debut" gets knocked around quite a bit.
In the US it's usually DAY-byoo or de-BYOO.
On Aussie radio I
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[nq:1]Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French (some of whichhave been discussed recently in alt.usage.english): Any other unexpected pronunciations in English words derived from French?[/nq]
I have mentioned this before: Detroit.

Would anyone replying to this message please also send me some of his or her brain cells?
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[nq:1]Odd pronunciations of English words derived from French (some of whichhave been discussed recently in alt.usage.english): Any other unexpected pronunciations in English words derived from French?[/nq]
In AE, "colonel" and "kernel" are homophones, or nearly so.

Where the BrE pronunciation of "lieutenant" comes from is a mystery to me.
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[nq:1]Well, yes. That is the musical term. But the word "forte" in English which means "strong point" is pronounced, in English, "fort."[/nq]
By some people, perhaps, but many people pronounce it just like the musical term.

Alan Crozier
Lund
Sweden
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[nq:1]Any other unexpected pronunciations in English words derived from French?[/nq]
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Dave OSOS#24 (Email Removed) Remove my gerbil for email replies

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The (used-to-be) well-known locality of Hurstmonceux in SE Englandn is pronounced Hurstmon-soo or -zoo (this last by the locals). However, this vowel of "oo"for French "eux" may reflect an older French pronunciation.
FWIW the traditional English pronunciation of the French-Swiss town of Montreux is Mon-troo, giving rise to at least one ribald joke, though in recent years English-speakers, unli

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