Pronunciation dilemmas for Galanthophiles ('Poculiform' etc.)

[Alan_b]

Sorry, yes, I have in the past successfully used both the answering machine and the email of Monksilver Nursery to get in touch with Joe Sharman.  But it's a bit hit-and-miss should you want a rapid response as he is a busy person.  I respect this and would hesitate to call him over anything so trivial as how to pronounce a word. 

These days when somebody calls me from a 'withheld' number it has become so likely to be an unwanted marketing call that I usually let my answering machine handle it.     

[Tim Ingram]

Wow - no wonder there are so many languages in the world and no one can understand a Scot or Cockney! And it's all come about as a result of a weird looking snowdrop. This must be why the Czechs and others add these wonderful diacritics which add so much fun when you write about their rock gardens and want to get the names right, even if you have no idea how to pronounce them. In 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' the English spy who parachuted into Cephallonia spoke Ancient Greek learnt at Eton

[Lesley Cox]

Happily, my doc calls with "Hello Lesley, ir's Richard from the surgery. I've recognized his voice anyway. Now he's retired I've yet to meet Ben. We tend to be a bit informal in NZ.

Anthony has already decried our ability with foreign languages. Maori MUST be pronounced correctly or we are accused - by Maori - of racism, which means that I largely avoid their language altogether but I'm having fun recently with the fantastic Micheline Van Houtem as she sings Jacques Brel songs, which she did recently in Dunedin. I can cope with the French reasonably but struggle with the Dutch and Flemish. The music's amazing though.

[Alan_b]

If you are really worried ring Joe

No need now as Joe has been kind enough to put something in volume 2 of his publication, 'The 'Drop Out'.

By common consent or lazy habit poculiform is usually pronounced "poc-you-li-form".  Most of us haven't had a classical education, but it does not stop us from making our best effort in Latlish!"

That must surely be the definitive answer, at least amongst the galanthophile community.

[mark smyth]

Galanthus el-wes-e-i or el-wes-e-e
Galanthus el-wheeze-e-i or el-wheeze-e-e

[Alan_b]

Good question, Mark.  I cannot believe the family after which the snowdrop is named calls themselves El-wheeze, surely it has to be a short e ('wes' as in Wesley).  And personally I always say e-i.

On the subject of family names, I have never been 100% sure if you are Smyth to rhyme with pith (i.e. the same as Smith) or Smyth to rhyme with lithe (long y sound).  Would you care to give the definitive answer here?

[mark smyth]

I'm not posh so it's said like Smyth. No one over here says s-my

[mark smyth]

When I first got in to snowdrops most people were saying el-wheeze-e-i but I know say el-wes-e-i.

[Alan_b]

I know it's frequently pronounced el-wheeze-e-i but if you're in the Elwes family that must really grate.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Maori MUST be pronounced correctly or we are accused - by Maori - of racism, which means that I largely avoid their language altogether

If they accuse you of racism, try getting them to pronounce some UK placenames: Pwhelli, Betws-y-Coed or Machynlleth come to mind. Or how about Sgor an Lochain Uaine, Liathach or Sgùrr na Banachdaich?

[David Nicholson]

or Uddersfild if it comes to that

[Anthony Darby]

We have Aviemore Drive (pronounced 'ay, as for 'orses) and Ben Lomond Crescent (pronounced Ben Le Mond) near us. I despair.

[Alan_b]

Pronunciations change, particularly of places I think.  Sometimes that happens even after the spelling has been fixed.  'Leicester', for example, is surely spelled that way to reflect some past pronunciation (now it's 'Lester').  Are you sure Ben Lomond isn't a corruption of the original Ben Le Mond, Anthony?

[Anthony Darby]

Not sure what Ben Le Mond is, but Ben Lomond is a muckle great hill near Glasgow, and seeing as other streets have a Scottish connection, I would suggest that's the origin. I think pronunciation is just peculiform here! 

[Brian Ellis]

Perhaps I will enter the fray with Galanthus woronowii which is never pronounced correctly (probably not by me either).  Named in honour of the Russian botanist and plant collector Georg Woronow.  Presumably pronounced Voronoff and therefore should be Voronoff-ee-eye or Voronoff-ee.