How Do You Pronounce Sophus Lie?

[Teegvin]

How is it pronounced?

The Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman) says it is pronounced like "Fine-man".

This has been bugging me for some time.

 

[zoobyshoe]

How is it pronounced?
The Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman) says it is pronounced like "Fine-man".
This has been bugging me for some time.

That tallies with everything I've read. FINEman, accent on the first syllable. Why is this bugging you? You think he pronounced it differently? Call Cal-Tech and ask how it's pronounced.

 

[Teegvin]

Why is this bugging you?

It's bugging me because I wouldn't read it that way, and could find nothing else on the internet concerning its pronunciation.

 

[rachmaninoff]

Say it out loud very loudly, a dozen or more times. Yell it at a friend or passerby. Then it'll be second nature, and you'll hear it correctly when you read it.

 

[Pengwuino]

Yah it doesn't look like how its spoken. When I originally saw it, i thought "fayn man"

 

[zoobyshoe]

It's bugging me because I wouldn't read it that way, and could find nothing else on the internet concerning its pronunciation.

I was unsure how it was pronounced when I first saw it as well, and I settled on FAYNman, until someone corrected me. I've read three biographies of him, and all concur that it's FINEman. Feynman is probably a poorly chosen spelling of the German/Yiddish Feinman.

 

[ZapperZ]

It's bugging me because I wouldn't read it that way, and could find nothing else on the internet concerning its pronunciation.

Then you might pop a vein when you realize that "Einstein", "Brillouin", etc. are not pronounced the way they are spelled.

Zz.

 

[EL]

You should now how funny english sounds if I would pronounce it like it is spelled...

 

[selfAdjoint]

How about Goethe?

In Chicago there is a Goethe Avenue; the locals pronounce it Go-eth. But then they have also a Devon Avenue, which they pronounce Dee-Von.

 

[ZapperZ]

How about Goethe?
In Chicago there is a Goethe Avenue; the locals pronounce it Go-eth. But then they have also a Devon Avenue, which they pronounce Dee-Von.

In Texas, there's "Houston" prounced as "Hius-ton". In NYC, there's Houston St, pronounced as "House-ton". That's how the New Yorkers can tell if you're an out-of-towner.

Zz.

 

[FredGarvin]

In Texas, there's "Houston" prounced as "Hius-ton". In NYC, there's Houston St, pronounced as "House-ton". That's how the New Yorkers can tell if you're an out-of-towner.
Zz.

The first level was pronouncing Houston St. properly. The second level was knowing what Soho stood for.

I always thought Einstein sounded just like it was spelled...

 

[ZapperZ]

The first level was pronouncing Houston St. properly. The second level was knowing what Soho stood for.

Or Tribeca, etc... But New Yorkers, especially those living in Manhattan, do pronouce it as "Hous-ton".

I always thought Einstein sounded just like it was spelled...

It's "Ein-Schtein".

Zz.

 

[michealsmith]

Diffirent People Pronounce It Difiirently (wish I Cud Spell)

 

[neutrino]

I always thought Einstein sounded just like it was spelled...

I think it's like Ein-shtein. I may be wrong, but that's how I heard it on a German TV channel we receive.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,8495,00.html

(Don't forget to take part in the quiz and win an Einstein action figure! )

 

[neutrino]

It's "Ein-Schtein".
Zz.

Looks like I type too slow.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

I'm reading "Don't You Have Time To Think?" at the moment and in a letter from someone from his childhood the pronunciation of Feynman as "FINE-man" on a radio programme is mocked. However, there was no reply printed from the man himself. Make of that what you will.

 

[zoobyshoe]

It's "Ein-Schtein".

German speakers pronounce the second syllable as "shtine" but no one in the US or UK or Canada or Australia does. It's "stine" in all those places.

 

[ZapperZ]

German speakers pronounce the second syllable as "shtine" but no one in the US or UK or Canada or Australia does. It's "stine" in all those places.

That's besides the point. People bastardizes pronouciations all the time. It is how the person's name is pronouced either by his/her immediately family, or by him/herself that matters. Einstein spoke German, and grew up German. That is how his name was pronounced if one wants to be accurate.

Zz.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

I don't think it necessary to adopt a faux German accent every time you want to say a German name. In fact, I think it's a tad pretentious to do so.

 

[zoobyshoe]

That's besides the point. People bastardizes pronouciations all the time. It is how the person's name is pronouced either by his/her immediately family, or by him/herself that matters. Einstein spoke German, and grew up German. That is how his name was pronounced if one wants to be accurate.
Zz.

Matters of correct pronounciation aren't established that way in the uniquely ecclectic English language. It is a matter of the majority rules when it comes to pronounciation of any word. For English speaking peoples "stine" is correct. It is a bastardization, and it is not the way Einstein himself pronounced it, but it is how it happened to evolve. English is well known to be the least logical language there is. "Einstein" came into our language incorrectly, but "Mozart" did not.

 

[ZapperZ]

Matters of correct pronounciation aren't established that way in the uniquely ecclectic English language. It is a matter of the majority rules when it comes to pronounciation of any word. For English speaking peoples "stine" is correct. It is a bastardization, and it is not the way Einstein himself pronounced it, but it is how it happened to evolve. English is well known to be the least logical language there is. "Einstein" came into our language incorrectly, but "Mozart" did not.

I don't want to get into a debate on this, but notice that I never mentioned anything about being correct.

It is more of a matter of respect in trying to get the pronounciation accurate. I work with many people from all over the world, and regardless of how that person's name is spelled, I always ask how he or she WISH his/her name to be pronounced. I may not get it completely right, but I certainly don't want to be THAT far off.

You also don't want to hear loud snickering when you pronounce "Auger" the way it is spelled, no matter what the standard English pronounciation says.

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

Matters of correct pronounciation aren't established that way in the uniquely ecclectic English language. It is a matter of the majority rules when it comes to pronounciation of any word.

I can't agree on that when it comes to people's names. Their name is their name, and we don't get to vote to change the pronunciation of it. It really makes me cringe when someone makes no attempt at all to correctly pronounce someone's name even after being told the correct pronunciation. It can be difficult, especially if it involves unfamiliar sounds not found in the English language, but it's always worth a best effort. As Zz said, it's something done out of respect to show you care enough to get their name right.

 

[Galileo]

It's "Ein-Schtein".

By the way. Do you guys know why Einstein could never build a wall?

...He only had 'ein stein'.


crawls back to the hole he came from

 

[zoobyshoe]

I can't agree on that when it comes to people's names. Their name is their name, and we don't get to vote to change the pronunciation of it.

In any case of a foreign pronounciation it boils down to how easy a pronounciation is to pick up on. Apparently the way it worked out for Einstein is that too many people balked at, as El Hombre Invisible pointed out, sounding like they were affecting a German accent. The fact is that the vast majority of English speakers have taken to pronouncing it more or less as it seems to be spelt. That being the case, "stine" and not "shtine" has become the "correct" i.e.standard, English pronounciation. Simply put, if you go around calling him "Einshtine" people are going to think you're affected, odd, or otherwise off. There's obviously no disrespect involved.

 

[ZapperZ]

In any case of a foreign pronounciation it boils down to how easy a pronounciation is to pick up on. Apparently the way it worked out for Einstein is that too many people balked at, as El Hombre Invisible pointed out, sounding like they were affecting a German accent. The fact is that the vast majority of English speakers have taken to pronouncing it more or less as it seems to be spelt. That being the case, "stine" and not "shtine" has become the "correct" i.e.standard, English pronounciation. Simply put, if you go around calling him "Einshtine" people are going to think you're affected, odd, or otherwise off. There's obviously no disrespect involved.

Sorry, that last part is not true.

I have presented MANY talks, and in my line of work involving photoemission and photocathodes, the name "Einstein" appeared many times in my presentation. I have never had people thinking that I'm "affected, odd, or otherwise off". In fact, on the contrary, I've even had a few members of the audience followed suit in pronoucing his name that way. And considering that the audience were made up of an international conglomerate of people, I have seen a few approving nods especially from those who do speak German.

The same is true with "Brillouin". While almost everyone here in the US pronounced it as "Bree-lou-in", I have always tried to pronounce it the way it should sound in French, even when I am illiterate in French. One of my thesis committee during my defense even complimented on the fact that I found out the "correct" way to pronounce Brillouin's name.

From my perspective, anyone who pronounced someone's name the way it should be pronounced shows that the person cared enough to make an effort and a sign of respect. I see nothing negative at all about this.

Zz.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Sorry, that last part is not true.
I have presented MANY talks, and in my line of work involving photoemission and photocathodes, the name "Einstein" appeared many times in my presentation. I have never had people thinking that I'm "affected, odd, or otherwise off".

You can't know what people were thinking, and there are precious few who would have the bad manners to comment if they did think it sounded affected, odd, or off. It would certainly strike me as one of those, simply because I had never heard a native English speaker pronounce it "shtine".

In fact, on the contrary, I've even had a few members of the audience followed suit in pronoucing his name that way.

For whatever reason, they were following your lead for the occasion. In the course of normal conversation English speakers don't pronounce it that way.

And considering that the audience were made up of an international conglomerate of people, I have seen a few approving nods especially from those who do speak German.

Yes, I'm sure it sounds better to German speakers. I think the French also pronounce it "shtine".

Feynman, however, pronounced it "Einstine."

 

[ZapperZ]

You can't know what people were thinking,

Then why brought it up in the first place? You were the one who were making about how people would react. I could tell you the same thing. I countered your argument by saying that based on MY personal experience, what you were speculating never happened.

And honestly, I am surprised that we're worried about other people's reaction in a case like this.

and there are precious few who would have the bad manners to comment if they did think it sounded affected, odd, or off. It would certainly strike me as one of those, simply because I had never heard a native English speaker pronounce it "shtine".

I have, and it was the first time I realized that I've been saying it all wrong. I've corrected myself ever since, and I know that my students now know how to properly pronounce not only Einstein, but a bunch of other names.

Feynman, however, pronounced it "Einstine."

Feynman also played drums, refused to write letter of recommendations for his students, and generally didn't care that much about what other people think of him. Do you think he'd care if other people look at him funny if he correctly pronounce Einstein's name? Hell no! So why not emulate THAT characteristics also?

Zz.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

As some midway point between the two of you, I strive to use the correct pronunciation of names (imagine my horror when I realized I'd been mispronouncing 'de Broglie' for years). However, you have to draw a line between getting the right pronunciation and mimicking someone's accent.

For instance, if I went to America and was talking in my English accent to an American named Bill about a conversation I'd been having with another American named "Bahb" (in English: Bob), Bill would be disconcerted by my lapse into an American accent for that one word alone, would assume I was taking the piss, and think I was a contemptful English twerp.

Likewise I wouldn't pronounce Einstein "ine-shtine" because I don't have a German accent. In fact, due to my English accent, even my corrected pronunciation of 'de Broglie' is different to how a Frenchman would say it.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Then why brought it up in the first place? You were the one who were making about how people would react. I could tell you the same thing. I countered your argument by saying that based on MY personal experience, what you were speculating never happened.
And honestly, I am surprised that we're worried about other people's reaction in a case like this.

We're not worried about other people's reactions. We're worried about whether it's correct to say "It's pronounced 'Einshtine'." It isn't. Not among English speakers. All those "stein" names have come into English as "stine": Bernstein, Weinstein, Frankenstein, Einstein, and all the other steins. To the extent anyone is thinking you're eccentric for pronouncing it "Einshtine" it is simply a measure of the fact it's pronounced "Einstine." I'm not encouraging you to worry about what other people think, but to face the fact that pronounciation boils down to "Majority Rules". This is just the way it is with language. It is no disrespect to him to pronounce it "Einstine." To the best of my knowledge he never complained about the way English speakers pronounce it.

I have, and it was the first time I realized that I've been saying it all wrong.

You were never saying it wrong. You know, our German and Swiss members pronounce your name as Tsappah Tsee. Maybe the British ones think of you as Zapper Zed. Ever heard a recording of Einstein? He pronounced English all wrong: "Ee eekvals em see skveered." There's nothing improper or disrespectful on any of their parts.

Feynman also played drums, refused to write letter of recommendations for his students, and generally didn't care that much about what other people think of him. Do you think he'd care if other people look at him funny if he correctly pronounce Einstein's name? Hell no! So why not emulate THAT characteristics also?
Zz.

As a matter of fact he has that story about how he mispronouced "Bernoulli". Once he found out he had it wrong, he corrected himself.

 

[zoobyshoe]

As some midway point between the two of you, I strive to use the correct pronunciation of names (imagine my horror when I realized I'd been mispronouncing 'de Broglie' for years). However, you have to draw a line between getting the right pronunciation and mimicking someone's accent. For instance, if I went to America and was talking in my English accent to an American named Bill about a conversation I'd been having with another American named "Bahb" (in English: Bob), Bill would be disconcerted by my lapse into an American accent for that one word alone, would assume I was taking the piss, and think I was a contemptful English twerp.
Likewise I wouldn't pronounce Einstein "ine-shtine" because I don't have a German accent. In fact, due to my English accent, even my corrected pronunciation of 'de Broglie' is different to how a Frenchman would say it.

I bet your pronounciation of your own username would be a treat for the ears of native Spanish speakers.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

I bet your pronounciation of your own username would be a treat for the ears of native Spanish speakers.

Good example. Talking of which, are you "zooby shoe" or "zooby's hoe"?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Good example. Talking of which, are you "zooby shoe" or "zooby's hoe"?

It would be a good time to make yourself invisible, hombre.
http://frazettaartgallery.com/ff/bio/1960/neanderthal.jpeg

 

[ZapperZ]

We're not worried about other people's reactions.

Correction. You were the one who said

"... Simply put, if you go around calling him "Einshtine" people are going to think you're affected, odd, or otherwise off."

What do you call that?

We're worried about whether it's correct to say "It's pronounced 'Einshtine'." It isn't. Not among English speakers.

I really don't care what is the "correct" pronounciation "among English speakers". I care about how that person wishes his or name to be pronounced. Period. Chinese names are notorious for not having the same pronounciation as the English spellings. Try pronoucing "Xhou" or "Xi" or "Zhou", or "Qiang", etc. Or what about the Vietnamese name "Nguyen"? You are going to tell me, that even when you are told what the proper pronounciation of these names are supposed to be, that you are STILL going to stubbornly stick to the English pronounciation from the way it is spelled?

If that isn't a sign of disrespect, I don't know what is.

Zz.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

If that isn't a sign of disrespect, I don't know what is.

Zz.

It can also be funny. I saw an interview once with Colin Powell, where he said something to the effect that he eventually gave up his protestations and bowed to public demand that his given name be misspronounced in such a ridiculous way.

 

[FredGarvin]

Or Tribeca, etc... But New Yorkers, especially those living in Manhattan, do pronouce it as "Hous-ton".

I was warned quickly when I moved there. It has always been 'House-ton'.

It's "Ein-Schtein".

Really? I had never heard that. Now that you mention it, there are quite a few words that follow the same suit. I never really discussed Einstein when I was stationed there so I never really thought about that part of pronunciation. The one I always hear people complaining about with Einstein's name is that he got the "i before e" rule wrong twice in his name. I always have to argue that one.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Correction. You were the one who said
"... Simply put, if you go around calling him "Einshtine" people are going to think you're affected, odd, or otherwise off."
What do you call that?

I call that a clear indication that you're not pronouncing Einstein the way it is pronounced.

I really don't care what is the "correct" pronounciation "among English speakers". I care about how that person wishes his or name to be pronounced. Period.

Obviously if someone corrects your pronounciation of their name you should respect their wishes, but the wholesale conversion of a name from one language to another is a different situation. A person named Steven will automatically be called Shteven in German speaking countries, and Esteeben in Spanish speaking countries. French speakers might simplify it for themselves by saying "Stefen", perhaps. If Steven visits, say, Venezuela, he will have a hard, unpleasant stay if he spends his time getting bent out of shape by the fact that everyone is pronouncing his name incorrectly.
People's neural wiring for language and pronounciation starts as soon as people start talking to them in the cradle. By the end of grammar school, their range of pronounciation, and the association of that pronounciation with the alphabet of their native language is pretty much set. In almost all cases it then requires deliberate instruction and hundreds of hours of practise to acquire another language. In the vast majority of cases people simply never overcome their native pronounciation to become flawless at pronouncing the new language. Some lucky individuals are especially flexible and can pass themselves off as native speakers of the second language, but they are the minority.

Now, if Einstein's feeling were hurt (which I very much doubt) by the fact of all the native English speakers in the world pronouncing his name "ine-stine" than I'd have to say he was not thinking about it realistically.

I guarrantee you every country in the world is jam-packed with people who are pronouncing the names of foreigners in a manner other than the possessors of those foreign names, themselves, pronounce them. I don't think anyone should lose any sleep over it.

 

[ZapperZ]

I call that a clear indication that you're not pronouncing Einstein the way it is pronounced.
Obviously if someone corrects your pronounciation of their name you should respect their wishes, but the wholesale conversion of a name from one language to another is a different situation. A person named Steven will automatically be called Shteven in German speaking countries, and Esteeben in Spanish speaking countries. French speakers might simplify it for themselves by saying "Stefen", perhaps. If Steven visits, say, Venezuela, he will have a hard, unpleasant stay if he spends his time getting bent out of shape by the fact that everyone is pronouncing his name incorrectly.

Then we're talking about apples and oranges.

I never said everyone should automatically pronounce everything correctly. If you look at the BEGINNING of this thread, I responded to how "Einstein" is supposed to be pronounced based on the original language (German) that the name was given.

You contradicted that and said this is NOT the "correct" pronounciation in English. Fine. It means that, even when told of how it is pronounced in the original language of that name, you and/or someone else, do not wish to change the way you pronounce that name even upon realizing this information. This is the situation that I understood.

Now you may try to justify such things based on the ignorance of the masses and the "common" practices, but the bottom line is, you have bastardized that person's name KNOWINGLY. I couldn't blame others who do not know any better on how a name from a different language is pronouce. We can't all be previledged enough to know many languages or met many people from all over the world to know better. But upon such realization and still be stubborn enough to continue doing that?!

Zz.

 

[Lyuokdea]

And of course this all leads to the quintessential question of scientific research today...

How did Euler pronounce Euclid?

~Lyuokdea

 

[Norman]

In Milwaukee there is a street spelled Vliet, which I would think would be pronounced VLEE-a (where the a is said like the letter not "uh") but all the locals call it VUH-leet... I couldn't figure out where this Vuhleet street was for a couple of months- drove me nutz.

 

[zoobyshoe]

You contradicted that and said this is NOT the "correct" pronounciation in English. Fine. It means that, even when told of how it is pronounced in the original language of that name, you and/or someone else, do not wish to change the way you pronounce that name even upon realizing this information. This is the situation that I understood.
Now you may try to justify such things based on the ignorance of the masses and the "common" practices, but the bottom line is, you have bastardized that person's name KNOWINGLY. I couldn't blame others who do not know any better on how a name from a different language is pronouce. We can't all be previledged enough to know many languages or met many people from all over the world to know better. But upon such realization and still be stubborn enough to continue doing that?!
Zz.

Yes, I can see you're struggling with the larger issues of language here, and they're getting the better of you.

Now, I attended summer school for intensive German classes at Andover when in high school, and followed that up with four years of college German. I've also had four years of French in college, and two years each of Russian and Spanish. My German and Russian accents are, according to native speakers of those languages, excellent. French and Spanish, not as good. The point being I'm conversant with issues of accent and pronounciation.

I have never met a foreigner who could pronounce my last name properly. They trill the r or fail to produce a properly American vowel. Should I accuse them of bastardizing my name?

Steven, whom I mentioned earlier, may pronounce his name perfectly distinctly to all the Venezuelans he meets there, only to find them pronouncing it back to him as "Esteeben." It's the neural wiring. Habits like this go very deep, and there seem to be a lot of people who just can't ever break them. As I mentioned before, Einstein couldn't pronounce English to save his life. He had the same problem adapting to a language foreign to him that most people have. There are no reports of him I'm aware of suddenly losing his thick Swiss German accent when pronouncing American or British names. Nor have I ever heard any reports of any American or British people who knew him complaining: "That damned Einstein! He keeps pronouncing my name with a GERMAN accent. That's NOT the way I want it pronounced!"

The fact that people don't break into a foreign accent when pronouncing foreign names is pretty much understood to be perfectly acceptable. People do their best without inconveniencing themselves overly, and it's understood there is no disrespect intended.

The irony is, that were you able to meet Einstein and tell him of your crusade to get his name pronounced properly, he would reply "Senk you, Tsappah Tsee!"

 

[Ratzinger]

How do you english speaker pronounce Euler?

 

[ZapperZ]

Yes, I can see you're struggling with the larger issues of language here, and they're getting the better of you.
Now, I attended summer school for intensive German classes at Andover when in high school, and followed that up with four years of college German. I've also had four years of French in college, and two years each of Russian and Spanish. My German and Russian accents are, according to native speakers of those languages, excellent. French and Spanish, not as good. The point being I'm conversant with issues of accent and pronounciation.
I have never met a foreigner who could pronounce my last name properly. They trill the r or fail to produce a properly American vowel. Should I accuse them of bastardizing my name?
Steven, whom I mentioned earlier, may pronounce his name perfectly distinctly to all the Venezuelans he meets there, only to find them pronouncing it back to him as "Esteeben." It's the neural wiring. Habits like this go very deep, and there seem to be a lot of people who just can't ever break them. As I mentioned before, Einstein couldn't pronounce English to save his life. He had the same problem adapting to a language foreign to him that most people have. There are no reports of him I'm aware of suddenly losing his thick Swiss German accent when pronouncing American or British names. Nor have I ever heard any reports of any American or British people who knew him complaining: "That damned Einstein! He keeps pronouncing my name with a GERMAN accent. That's NOT the way I want it pronounced!"
The fact that people don't break into a foreign accent when pronouncing foreign names is pretty much understood to be perfectly acceptable. People do their best without inconveniencing themselves overly, and it's understood there is no disrespect intended.
The irony is, that were you able to meet Einstein and tell him of your crusade to get his name pronounced properly, he would reply "Senk you, Tsappah Tsee!"

Again, you seem to have not read what I have said earlier. Did you simply ignored me when I said that I may never get the pronouciation right, but I certainly don't want to be THAT far off?

I do not have an "English" name, so you do not have to tell me about my name being bastardized. It happens frequently. However, when someone asks me how it is pronounced, and I tell them, these people make an EFFORT to get right. It doesn't matter if they can pronounce it the way a native speaker can. That isn't the point. The point has ALWAYS been TRYING and making an effort to pronounce it as accurately as possible ONCE one knows or is told how it should be pronounced. Your claim that one can never say in in its proper language as a valid excuse to not even do it is, frankly, shocking.

It all boils down to this: if one is told of the proper pronounciation of a name, does one CONTINUES to be stubborn and pronounce it anyway one pleases, or does one make an EFFORT to pronounce it that way? I choose the latter.

Zz.

 

[zoobyshoe]

. The point has ALWAYS been TRYING and making an effort to pronounce it as accurately as possible ONCE one knows or is told how it should be pronounced. Your claim that one can never say in in its proper language as a valid excuse to not even do it is, frankly, shocking.
It all boils down to this: if one is told of the proper pronounciation of a name, does one CONTINUES to be stubborn and pronounce it anyway one pleases, or does one make an EFFORT to pronounce it that way? I choose the latter.
Zz.

And as I said earlier, if someone made a point of asking me to pronounce their name a certain way, I would certainly do it.

The point I'm trying to make is that the English pronounciation isn't wrong, it's just the English pronounciation. No one singled Einstein out, this happens to everyone's name when it crosses international borders. I also know that Van Gogh isn't pronounced "Van Go" in Dutch, but I'm not about to try and pronounce that the way he himself did.

 

[ZapperZ]

The point I'm trying to make is that the English pronounciation isn't wrong, it's just the English pronounciation. No one singled Einstein out, this happens to everyone's name when it crosses international borders. I also know that Van Gogh isn't pronounced "Van Go" in Dutch, but I'm not about to try and pronounce that the way he himself did.

And I will continue to point out that NOWHERE in my posting have I ever insisted on a CORRECT pronounciation or insisting that such-and-such pronouciation is WRONG.

All I said before you jumped all over this was to indicate to another person of ANOTHER pronouciation of the name "Einstein" in Einstein's native language. Your reaction to this appears as IF it is WRONG to point this out to English speakers.

Zz.

 

[Norman]

How do you english speaker pronounce Euler?

I have always heard and said "oiler." But I have heard it pronounced "youler." I think "oiler" is closer to the correct (used very carefully in context of the rest of this thread).
How do you pronouce it Ratzinger?
Cheers,
Ryan

 

[Ratzinger]

It's Oiler. At least in german.

Three weeks ago Lee Smolin gave a public lecture in Berlin that I visited. He pronounced Einstein in the common american way but apologized to the audience for doing so.

What about the french writer Houellebecq, Norman?

 

[Norman]

It's Oiler. At least in german.
Three weeks ago Lee Smolin gave a public lecture in Berlin that I visited. He pronounced Einstein in the common american way but apologized to the audience for doing so.
What about the french writer Houellebecq, Norman?

I wouldn't even begin to guess how to say Houellebecq... I don't think I would even try in public.

 

[Lyuokdea]

You know, the thought suddenly popped into my mind during Orgo today (where everything pops into my mind besides how to do Orgo) that although I pronounce Einstein the common american way, I pronounce Liechtenstein with the faux German "schtein" on the end. I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between the two.

Really, i don't think it matters too much how you say somebodies name, especially somebody no longer among the living. For instance Julius Caesar should be pronounce "Yuel-ius Kai-ser" because there are no soft C's in latin, nor is there even a letter J, it would have been spelled Iulius Caesar. However, people from around the world have dozens of different pronunciations of his name. When you are talking directly to the person, you should always go with the pronunciation they would like, however, otherwise, I don't think it matters very much.

~Lyuokdea

 

[zoobyshoe]

~Lyuokdea

Speaking of which, how does this apparent tongue-twister go?

 

[Andre]

In Milwaukee there is a street spelled Vliet, which I would think would be pronounced VLEE-a (where the a is said like the letter not "uh") but all the locals call it VUH-leet... I couldn't figure out where this Vuhleet street was for a couple of months- drove me nutz.

A Vliet is a wide river mouth in Dutch. For instance the Herring vliet or Haringvliet

Therefore the locals pronounce it the correct way, Vuh-leet