Jewish Friends: Goldstein pronounced Gold-steen: Why?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I did a search, but I did not find this addressed, so I am asking it here.

Being German, I would pronounce the name to rhyme with “stine”, but I have a doc in my ER who insists we pronounce it “steen”. Well, okay. That is his wish and his prerogative.

I am curious about the history of this practice, however. Is the reason because when Jews first immigrated here the name was mass-mispronounced “steen” and it was much easier just to leave it that way, or was there another reason?

I am of the belief that a person’s name should be pronounced the way he or she wants it to be pronounced. It is their name for life and I consider a matter of respect to learn the name and pronounce it correctly.

Take for instance the late columnist Lewis Grizzard. he wanted his name pronounced Gri-zzard with emphasis on the last syllable, not Grizzard to rhyme with blizzard. Even though his family in Meriwhether County Georgia did and still do pronounce it the “blizzard” way.

So can y’all shed some light on this practice?

Thanks

Quasi

2

Without anything to back me up, I attribute it to sheer ignorance. Have you seen what names people wound up with as they came through Ellis Island?

German Jews(or any other non-English group) who arrived in the US in the 19th Century, or even earlier, would have their names subject to mis-pronuciation by the then-current locals. It ain’t too much better today.

3

I agree with samclem and add the inability for English speakers to learn how to pronounce something in another language.

4

I’m not sure about German, but this would be the Polish/Hungarian pronunciation. The Russian/Lithuanian pronunciation would rhyme with “stain”.