How is l'Hospital's name pronounced?

  • Thread starter Math Is Hard
  • Start date
In summary, the correct pronunciation for l'Hospital is LOH-pee-tahl or LOHS-pee-tahl. The spelling with or without the circumflex over the o is acceptable in French. The rule was discovered by Johann Bernoulli, but popularized by Marquis de L'Hospital who bought the rights to Bernoulli's discoveries. However, the name is commonly spelled both ways.
  • #1
Math Is Hard
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
4,652
37
LOH-pee-tahl or LOHS-pee-tahl?

Thanks! I have heard it both ways recently.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Lo-Pih-tall
 
  • #3
If it were modern French, it would be [tex] l'H\hat{o}pital[/tex] with a circonflex, a little hat, over the o to denote the missing s. But even in the 17th century, the s was not pronounced. The only other language with spelling as weird as English is French.
 
  • #4
Thanks for the info and explanation. Personally, I think we should just call it Bernoulli's Rule and be done with it! :)
 
  • #5
There's a s in there?
 
  • #6
According to my book, the name of the fellow who popularized the method was Marquis de L'Hospital. The rule was actually discovered by a Swiss mathematician named Johann Bernoulli. They cut some kind of a business deal where the Marquis bought the rights to Bernoulli's discoveries.
 
  • #7
John Bernoulli was actually Marquis de l'Hospital's private tutor/teacher...their agreement (due to the large sum of money L'Hospital was paying Bernoulli) was that anything they discovered during their studies would be published and credited to L'Hospital. So, yes, Bernoulli acutally dicovered it, but L'Hospital was given credit for it.
 
  • #8
I don't think there is an "s" in L'Hopital.

Njorl
 
  • #9
ummm.. James Stewart spells it that way in the standard textbook Calculus, 5th edition.
Not that I trust him completely, but it is a pretty widely used textbook, and I would figure his editors would go to the trouble of fact-checking on that.

I like your jumpsuit, but the way. Red is my favorite color.
 
  • #10

1. What is the correct pronunciation of "L'Hospital"?

The correct pronunciation of "L'Hospital" is loh-pee-TAHL. The 'L' is pronounced like the English word "el" and the 'H' is silent.

2. Is "L'Hospital" a French name?

Yes, "L'Hospital" is a French name. It is derived from the French mathematician Guillaume de l'Hôpital, who is known for his contributions to calculus.

3. Are there any alternative pronunciations for "L'Hospital"?

Some people may pronounce "L'Hospital" as loh-pee-SHAL or loh-pee-ZHAL, but the most commonly accepted pronunciation is loh-pee-TAHL.

4. Can I pronounce "L'Hospital" with an English accent?

Yes, you can pronounce "L'Hospital" with an English accent, but it is important to remember to pronounce the 'H' as silent and the 'L' as "el".

5. How is "L'Hospital" pronounced in French?

In French, "L'Hospital" is pronounced as loh-pee-TAHL. The 'H' is silent and the 'L' is pronounced like the French word "elle".

Similar threads

Replies
11
Views
5K
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • General Discussion
2
Replies
51
Views
4K
  • General Discussion
Replies
29
Views
5K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
944
  • General Discussion
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Classical Physics
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • Art, Music, History, and Linguistics
Replies
6
Views
2K
Back
Top