[QUOTE=CaerieD]
This is a rather bizarre digression. If one was to take the pronunciation of his name from the state, then he’d either be Loo-eez or Looz.
[/QUOTE]
There is no z sound in the original French pronunciation of Louisiana…only in the American pronunciation And there’s definitely no Looz sound in it at all.
Louisiana was named for King Louis (pronounced Loo-ee) XIII and Queen Anne of France.
[QUOTE=jasonh300]
There is no z sound in the original French pronunciation of Louisiana…only in the American pronunciation And there’s definitely no Looz sound in it at all.
Louisiana was named for King Louis (pronounced Loo-ee) XIII and Queen Anne of France.
[/QUOTE]
If you are suggesting that the French pronunciation is like [lui’iana] (loo-ee-ee-a-na), then I believe that’s not correct. The s is pronounced in French.
[QUOTE=acsenray]
If you are suggesting that the French pronunciation is like [lui’iana] (loo-ee-ee-a-na), then I believe that’s not correct. The s is pronounced in French.
[/QUOTE]
Indeed. “Louisiane” = “lweezeean” (sort of, the i’s are not really like ‘ee’ in English, but shorter).
Indeed-- a terminal s in French coming before a word starting with a vowel is pronounced like a z. Les filles ont ici. Lay feez awnt eecee. An s in the middle of the word before a vowel does the same thing, at least for the words I could think of: Parisian = pareezeeayan.
[QUOTE=BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed]
Les filles ont ici.
[/QUOTE]
The girls on ice? (My French isn’t great)
I note that, whenever the DJ on XM Jazz refers to him, it’s always pronounced “Lewis.”
Here’s my theory that I’ve developed after reading this thread: In New Orleans (where if you throw a brick you’re 99% likely to hit something or someone with a French name) and amongst New Orleans musicians, he was “Louie.” Outside of New Orleans (the greater part of his career was spent in Chicago & New York, from what I’ve read), he was “Lewis.” In his personal life, he was “Satchmo,” “Dippermouth,” or “Pops.”
I think it is pronounced “Satchmo”.
Edit: Man Homie, I can’t read, apparently! :smack:
[QUOTE=HeyHomie]
[QUOTE=BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed]
Les filles ont ici.
[/QUOTE]
The girls on ice? (My French isn’t great)
[/quote]
“The girls have here”, which of course isn’t a complete sentence, “to have” (“avoir” in French) being transitive. Actually, I’m not sure I’d pronounce the liaison in this sentence: in my mouth it would probably sound rather like [lɛfijõtisi]. Now that I think about it, the reason is probably that the last sound in “filles”, the [j], isn’t really a vowel. For a better example, consider “les éléphants” (“the elephants”), pronounced [lɛzelefã].
Also, I’ve usually heard “Louis Armstrong” pronounced as “Lewis”, or rather “Loo-iss”. I guess HeyHomie’s theory is probably correct though.
[QUOTE=Hypnagogic Jerk]
Actually, I’m not sure I’d pronounce the liaison in this sentence: in my mouth it would probably sound rather like [lɛfijõtisi]. Now that I think about it, the reason is probably that the last sound in “filles”, the [j], isn’t really a vowel.
[/QUOTE]
On second thought, there is a liaison in this phrase, but it is the [j] sound of “filles” that liaises with the [õ] of “ont” (and my transcription is basically correct). No [s] or [z] is pronounced. In French, a ‘s’ between two vowels is pronounced as [z], even if these vowels are part of two different words, but the ‘s’ here isn’t actually between two vowels, and remains silent.
[QUOTE=Hypnagogic Jerk]
On second thought, there is a liaison in this phrase, but it is the [j] sound of “filles” that liaises with the [õ] of “ont” (and my transcription is basically correct). No [s] or [z] is pronounced. In French, a ‘s’ between two vowels is pronounced as [z], even if these vowels are part of two different words, but the ‘s’ here isn’t actually between two vowels, and remains silent.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, this makes more sense. Sorry, I was tired when I posted that.
Wikipedia gives evidence for both answers
Thanks, anyway. In the run-up to Christmas, Classic FM were advertising a Jazz FM album featuring “Lewis” Armstrong and it was annoying the hell out of me. Turns out they were probably pronouncing it right after all.
[QUOTE=Hypnagogic Jerk]
I’ve usually heard “Louis Armstrong” pronounced as “Lewis”, or rather “Loo-iss”.
[/QUOTE]
Not sure what distinction you’re making here. Could you put it in IPA?
I had always assumed that formally it was pronounced Lewis. Sometimes it would be shortened to Lou. And then sometimes affectionately lengthened to Loo-ey.
Sorta like James, Jim and Jimmy.
[QUOTE=Johanna]
Not sure what distinction you’re making here. Could you put it in IPA?
[/QUOTE]
Maybe Hypnagogic Jerk pronounces the “w” in “Lewis”?
[QUOTE=Malacandra]
Maybe Hypnagogic Jerk pronounces the “w” in “Lewis”?
[/QUOTE]
Sort of. I’m not very fluent in the use of the IPA, but to me, “Louis” (in English, not in French where it is simply [lwi]) is [lʊɪs] – there might be a consonant in the middle; I haven’t been able to find it on Wikipedia but I know it’s not [w] – while “Lewis” is [lœwɪs] – the [œ] might not be exact but it’s close enough.
As for “Louie”, I pronounce it [lʊi], or something similar.