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Juan Martinez · 09-03-2002, 08:25 AM

Dear All,

I love exercises like this - attempting to transcribe correct sounds using words and phonetics that are understood by everyone. So, allow me to wade in with some confirmation on the pronunciations of things suggested thus far. (For what it's worth, besides English, I speak and read Spanish well, and I speak and read both Italian and French well enough to get me into trouble.)

Bouguereau: the hard "g" is correct. Boo-geh (as in "get")-roh. Chris's explanation was comprehensive. French is officially unaccented, so each syllable gets equal emphasis.

chiaroscuro: hard "c". kya-ro-SKOO-ro. In Italian, a "c" followed by an "i" or an "e" is normally soft and sounds like our "ch" in "church". But, when followed first by an "h" it makes it a hard "c". Otherwise, since they don't use the "k", there is no way to write the hard "c" sound prior to an "i" or "e". By the way, for those who wish to know, the literal translation of chiaroscuro is "lightdark".

Robert Henri: I've always heard it pronounced Hen-rye, too. But, I have no knowledge as to why this is so. The reasons put forth sound good to me.

Here's a few other ones of interest to - well - me:

Imprimitura: eem-pree-mee-TOO-rah. Just as many seem to get this wrong as they do right, perhaps even more. It is frequently misspelt as imprimatura. That middle "a" should be an "i". The plural is imprimiture (eem-pree-mee-TOO-ray). Using the "ray" for the Italian long "e" is not quite precise, but it's the closest we can come in English writing.

Giotto, Giambattista, Ghiberti
In Italian, the "g" follows similar rules as does the "c". That is, a "g" followed by an "i" or "e" is soft and pronouced like the "g" in the English "gel". However, when you want a soft "g" before an "o" or an "a", which isn't normally possible, you must insert an "i" which is more-or-less silent. Thus Giotto is NOT Gee (as in "gee-whiz")-otto, but rather Jotto. (Linger on the double "t" just a split second longer, will ya?) And, Giambattista is Jambattista, as in jambalaya. To make a hard "g" before an "i" or "e", in Italian you insert an "h". So, Ghiberti sounds like Gee (like the "gi" in Yogi) -BEAR (again, as in "Yogi the--") -tee.

And here's two more for all of you fun-loving pedantics out there: it's broo-SKET-tah, not broo-SHEHdah for bruschetta. The "h" makes for a hard "c". As strange as it may sound to the non-Italian waiter in your local non-Italian Trattoria, it is correct. And, oh yes, it's trat-tor-REE-ah, not tra-TOR-eeyah.

Now, let's get back to work.

All the best,

Juan

09-03-2002, 08:25 AM	#8
Juan Martinez Juried Member FT Painter Grand Prize & Best of Show, '03 Portrait Society of Canada Joined: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 106	Dear All, I love exercises like this - attempting to transcribe correct sounds using words and phonetics that are understood by everyone. So, allow me to wade in with some confirmation on the pronunciations of things suggested thus far. (For what it's worth, besides English, I speak and read Spanish well, and I speak and read both Italian and French well enough to get me into trouble.) Bouguereau: the hard "g" is correct. Boo-geh (as in "get")-roh. Chris's explanation was comprehensive. French is officially unaccented, so each syllable gets equal emphasis. chiaroscuro: hard "c". kya-ro-SKOO-ro. In Italian, a "c" followed by an "i" or an "e" is normally soft and sounds like our "ch" in "church". But, when followed first by an "h" it makes it a hard "c". Otherwise, since they don't use the "k", there is no way to write the hard "c" sound prior to an "i" or "e". By the way, for those who wish to know, the literal translation of chiaroscuro is "lightdark". Robert Henri: I've always heard it pronounced Hen-rye, too. But, I have no knowledge as to why this is so. The reasons put forth sound good to me. Here's a few other ones of interest to - well - me: Imprimitura: eem-pree-mee-TOO-rah. Just as many seem to get this wrong as they do right, perhaps even more. It is frequently misspelt as imprimatura. That middle "a" should be an "i". The plural is imprimiture (eem-pree-mee-TOO-ray). Using the "ray" for the Italian long "e" is not quite precise, but it's the closest we can come in English writing. Giotto, Giambattista, Ghiberti In Italian, the "g" follows similar rules as does the "c". That is, a "g" followed by an "i" or "e" is soft and pronouced like the "g" in the English "gel". However, when you want a soft "g" before an "o" or an "a", which isn't normally possible, you must insert an "i" which is more-or-less silent. Thus Giotto is NOT Gee (as in "gee-whiz")-otto, but rather Jotto. (Linger on the double "t" just a split second longer, will ya?) And, Giambattista is Jambattista, as in jambalaya. To make a hard "g" before an "i" or "e", in Italian you insert an "h". So, Ghiberti sounds like Gee (like the "gi" in Yogi) -BEAR (again, as in "Yogi the--") -tee. And here's two more for all of you fun-loving pedantics out there: it's broo-SKET-tah, not broo-SHEHdah for bruschetta. The "h" makes for a hard "c". As strange as it may sound to the non-Italian waiter in your local non-Italian Trattoria, it is correct. And, oh yes, it's trat-tor-REE-ah, not tra-TOR-eeyah. Now, let's get back to work. All the best, Juan __________________ http://www.juanmartinez.com