When I was young, in the 1970's, a lot of people used to say "ren-alt". These days, it seems just about everyone says "ren-o".
When did the change come about? Does anyone still say "ren-alt"? And if not, when did you last hear someone using the Olde English pronunciation?
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Yes it's Ren-o according to the pronunciation key on..
dictionary.reference.com/search?q=renault
Ren-ault is just the ignorant way of saying it.
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Never heard it, c'est un compagnie Francais.
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It's Ren-o
As in Purg-o
In French, some consonants (e.g. t, d) on the end of a word is silent unless it is followed by a vowel
e.g.
straight ahead - a droit - a droi
on the right - a droite - a droi-t
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Ok, but is it then;
REN-o as it is frequently pronounced in the UK
or
re-NO as it is often pronounced in the US ?
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Someone could have told me. I've been calling it Per ge ot all these years!
The Americans. Oh where to start.
Nissan becomes Neeeson
Actually, that's it. I can't remember the other one.
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Adam
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Yes, yes, yes. We all know the correct pronunciation. But there was a time when the ignorant pronunciation was widely used in the UK, if I am not mistaken. My question was ... (see above)
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When my friend's Dad got a Laguna, I did call it a Ren alt until they corrected me. I was only 6 though.
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Adam
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No I wasn't - I was in year 6 which would have made me 10.
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Adam
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Always been Ren-o for as long as I can remember and that's, as the song says, a long, long time..:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Always been Ren-o for as long as I can remember and that's, as the song says, a long, long time..:-)
I see. Clearly I grew up in ignorant circles!
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Ren-o for me too, since working at a dealers in the 60s.
Back when I used to listen to Essex police, one of their ops could never get the hang of 'purr-jo' - it was always 'pew-jot'.
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Is it "Per-jo" though?. A friend's father was a Peugeot specialist and spoke French as his first language and I always heard him pronounce it "Pew-jo".
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"Yes, yes, yes. We all know the correct pronunciation ...!"
Without wishing to be pedantic, I believe that you will find that it should actually be pronounced "the-no", with "the" as in the demonstrative adjective "the", and rolling the "r" sound), followed by a very short "no".
Next thing you know, we'll all be saying "See-trow-n", as the French do, instead of "Sit-row-n" - and what a good job they are no longer making Delages, Delahayes, Facel Vegas or Panhards!
I doubt if the French care how we pronounce the names of their cars - as long as we keep buying them! - so it's all a bit like expecting Americans to say "Ca-dee-ack" since that is just as much a French word as Renault, Citroen, Peugeot etc
Jack (aka Jacques)
PS Incidentally, I wonder how many of you say "Pa-ree" rather than "Paris" and laugh at Americans saying "Jag-war", which is more or less exactly how our French friends pronounce the word too!
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Next thing you know, we'll all be saying "See-trow-n", as the French do, instead of "Sit-row-n" - and what a good job they are no longer making Delages, Delahayes, Facel Vegas or Panhards!
That's a problem I have, because I'm still not sure whether I should be saying that I have a Citroen Berlingo "Mull-tea-space" or whether I should say "Mool-tea-spas". Analogy with the Renault Espace suggests the latter, but the former seems more natural.
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Nee-sonn and Mitsubeeshi were the two that stood out to me. And Jagwar. And they say Chevrolet instead of Daewoo.
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And, going non-motoring (as I tend to do), who came up with 'tiskerlee' for the Tiscali adverts?
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Phew! Glad i've got a Ford.
Only the wife's Ren-no Clee-o to worry about.
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I think you'll find it's a Cly-O.
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Adam
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Phew! Glad i've got a Ford
That's pronounced "Froud" by the way ;-)
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Damn you and your clear cut car name PU!!!
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Adam
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Bayerische Motoren Werke ??
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Hope to take the Cow-ar-sarky for a run tomorrow.
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A jaguar is a "Hag-whar" BTW. Its a Spanish word.
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Exactly - Bayerishk Moteren Work ;-)
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Adam
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>>who came up with 'tiskerlee' for the Tiscali adverts?>>
It may well be correct (it's an Italian based company with HQ in Cagliari) but I've always pronounced it Tis-car-lee...:-)
If I remember correctly, Italian nouns ending in "i" represent the plural, but I don't know if it's so named because Tiscali is now based in 14 different countries in Europe.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Surprising that - unless I've missed it - VW hasn't come into this thread yet. I say Folks-vargen as the Germans do, but the Australian who sold me one a few years ago pronounced it Foakes-wagon.
Audi is what Americans used to say in greeting - or was that just in films?
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I say Folks-vagen.
--
Adam
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Audi is what Americans used to say in greeting - or was that just in films?
Audi Murphy ?
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Union Jack is the closest. Renault is not pronouned 'Ren-no'. The correct pronunciation is 'Rur-no', with a rolling 'r' and a soft 'n'.
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Renault = Ruh-noh.
Peugeot = Puh-joh.
When talking with a French speaker I referred to a Citroen but pronounced it as per citron i.e. lemon. She laughed as they also use lemon to mean a duff car.
Citroen = See-troh-enn.
And lastly:
Rover = Ca-ca.
Anyway, since when did we have to pronounce things the foreign way. Buffet is pronounced buffy by many of us including me. Garage is pronounced garij by most of us, as opposed to the 'correct' gah-rahj.
Leif
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Could I be the first to point out that you guys have WAY too much time on your hands.
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I say Folks-vagen. -- Adam
And Jeremy Clarkson say Vokes-Vargen or something similarly incorrect!
Yes, the People's Car should be pronounced Follks-vargen, as you correctly say.
All these are infinitely better than Volks-Wagon!!
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It sounds too weird saying vargen. Maybe it's just being up here.
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Adam
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Due to swearing rules I can't say how - according to Clarkson - the head of a German car company pronounces Vanquish (as in Aston Martin).
Leif
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I can
8< SNIP 8<
I'd rather you didn't. DD
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pronouncing it is the easy bit......just try running one ;-)
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Just think yourselves lucky the Welsh don't make cars.
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My French and Belgian friends all say "Rhunoh" with a gutteral "Rh".
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I do believe in France that they pronounce it Hreno
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How about the pronunciation of Michelin ?
We say "Mitch-a-lin"
Shoud really be "Meesh-lan"
The crazy world of the French language and English ignorance ! :o)
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I've always pronounced it Wren Oh.The initial R as if clearing the phlegm from your throat before spitting ( as is usual when mentioning French Cars)
I'm just glad I've got a Honda and not a Hyundai - Heeunday er Hayundar.
BTW - If you ever go to Chartwell House in Kent there is some interesting correspondence by Churchill to some of his minions who used non English pronunciation of foreign place names.
Suffice to say the great man told them in no uncertain terms not to use the foreign pronunciation....
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When I was young, in the 1970's, a lot of people used to say "ren-alt". These days, it seems just about everyone says "ren-o".
It's an affectation, bought about by sleazy ad-men, salesmen, and hoity-toity television broadcasters, not to mention the "Hyacinth Bucket" mob of pseuds.
The proper pronunciation is still "Ren-alt", or sometimes "Ren-ault". Peugot is pronounced "Pew got", and Citroen is "Cit ren". For goodness sake, you don't say "I'm off for a dirty weekend in Par-ee!", do you.
When did the change come about? Does anyone still say "ren-alt"? And if not, when did you last hear someone using the Olde English pronunciation?
Just now. Anyway, *they* don't say "London", "England", or whatever, do they! They can't pronounce "Vauxhall", either. Pah.
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But in France the dealer won't understand you if you say I would like to book my 'Ren-no' in for a service.
But at least the french had a sense of humour, knowing that the Brits couldn't pronounce their cars, they called them 5,19,25 etc. At one time anyway.
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Hear Here OB.... No eo fth epolitical correctness or "we are a global community" rubbish. English is the word.
So its Raynought
Pew geot
Citrowen
Volekes Waggen
Hi Un die
Be Em double you
Opel make fuits not cars. they are vawlkshalls
Nissen? they are huts, they are still Dats Huns
And its Paris, Peking, Bombay, Calcutta. none of this bejing or mumbai rubbish.
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Yes!!!!!! I can say Ren alt now and be different but in a superior way ;-)
--
Adam
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Pronunciation changed at the same time "Nestles" changed to "Nestlé" for Milky Bars etc
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And they are still Opal Fruits and Marathons. Snickers for gods sake, what kind of name is that for a chocolate bar!
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Spangles, those were the days!
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And they are still Opal Fruits and Marathons. Snickers for gods sake, what kind of name is that for a chocolate bar!
Yeah, and don't get me started on the current pronounciation of Uranus)
I always remember giggling in science class in the 1960's. Now the planet has been made prim and proper!
To keep this motoring related....anyone know how long it would take to drive there? Or would it be a waste of time driving all the way to a Cul-de-Sac! (geddit?)
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This thread seems to have gone as far as it can, with just silly comments now being posted - hence locked.
DD.
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