British broadcasters

[Bruce Dykes]

-----Original Message-----
From: A. Vine <avine at ENG.SUN.COM>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Date: Monday, January 31, 2000 1:41 PM
Subject: Re: British broadcasters


>> But at the same time, I believe there are cases where it is the American
>> pronunciation that is further from the source language, although I'm
having
>> a hard time thinking of an example at the moment.  Of course, the English
>> pronounce "France" more like the French than the Americans, but that's an
>> accident, since it's part of a wider UK English pattern.  In both
countries
>> 'France' rhymes with 'dance.'
>>
>
>Some French pronounced in England may be closer, but some is definitely
further,
>e.g. Beaulieu and Ypres.  I believe the English use more French words than
>Americans do, e.g. gateau, corgette, and aubergine (cake, zucchini, and
>eggplant).


When I was stationed in Belgium, it was at Chievres Air Base (accent
something-or-other over the first e) deep in the heart of the French
(Wallon?) part.

There was a regularly scheduled flight to London, and the London airbase
personnel commonly pronounced it CHEE-vers. When Americans were lazy about
it, they pronounced it SHEV, but most everybody tended to hit reasonably
close, even the Brits assigned to the area.

bkd