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Friday, May 13, 2005

Speaking My Language

Different River picks up on my ‘Foreign Word Pronunciation’ post of yesterday morning, and disagrees on a few points.

I do concede that very few people in America pronounce ‘latino’ as LAT-in-oh. But I would hold that that pronunciation is the proper one as far as English standards go: the ‘i’ cannot make an EE sound under normal circumstances. That foreign pronunciation permutation- while incorrect- is deeply ingrained, and there is little hope of exorcising it.

Now, on the subject of Ms. Cindy Rrrrod-RRRRigeZZ, my least favorite WNYC beat reporter:

I’m sorry, I usually agree with Joe, but I have to disagree with that. I think people have the right to pronounce their names anyway they want. If she wants to pronounce it “Rrrrod-RRRRigeZZ” and spell it “Smith” that’s fine with me – as long as she doesn’t get insulted with people with toungues that can’t roll fast enough don’t roll them. In exchange, when you go to Cancún for spring break, you get to call yourself “Joe” or “José” – your choice, not theirs.

I have been to Mexico, and they call me José no matter what. Same in France: I become jo-ZEF, rather than JO-suf. I’ve no say, not even avec mes professeurs de Francais. But I do have to backtrack here: my critic is correct. The right to pronounce your own name as you see fit, and have others do so, is integral.But I wonder how he feels about the plainspoken anchors who use the same outragerous over-Spanish-ennunciation when tossing to Cindy?

Oh- and if there is one thing that gives me standing to tell Cindy how to pronounce her name, it is that she is broadcasting to me over public airwaves on a public radio station. I feel that I should get a say!

In earnest, there is one mitigating factor: that of consistency. I honestly would not mind one bit if she delivered her entire report with a Spanish accent; that’d be fine. But the problem is that she is from Texas and lives in New York. She has a sweet, clean, smooth-sounding voice. Perfect for radio, except she insists on her weird tony lingual demagoguery in her sign-off. The Rrrrod-RRRRigeZZ is entirely an affectation, and stops her overall delivery from gelling.

By the way – how do you pronounce the name of that most American of cars, the “Chevrolet”? Because I think the French would pronounce it, “Shev-row-LAY” not “Chev-ROW-lett.

It should be shev-row-LAY. Chevrolet isn’t a word in French. ‘Chevre’ is ‘goat’. So I think GM, by virtue of its having invented the word, can determine how it should be pronounced.

Posted on May 13, 2005 12:31 AM. Permalink