| Comment | This came up in an episode of QI. Here is the link for your viewing pleasure:
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| #1 | Author | Himalia
(970475)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:05 |
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| Comment | Van Goff, if you don't want to watch the video. |
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| #2 | Author | papousek
(343122)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:06 |
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| Comment | @Himalia: Thanks. Unfortunately it's apparently not available in the US.
This video contains content from Fremantle International, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds. Sorry about that. |
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| #3 | Author | eric (new york)
(63613)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:07 |
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| Comment | I can't watch the video either (work!) but would be interested to know what it says, Himalia. |
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| #4 | Author | papousek
(343122)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:07 |
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| Comment | Thanks.
I realized that the standard American pronunciation is probably closer to /væn 'goʊ/ rather than /væn 'goː/ |
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| #5 | Author | eric (new york)
(63613)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:08 |
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| Comment | Das Daniel Jones Pronouncing Dictionary (ältere Auflage) gibt als BE an:
væn 'gɔx , alternativ ... 'gɔk bzw. ...'gɔf
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| #6 | Author | wienergriessler
(925617)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:14 |
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Beitrag #7 wurde gelöscht.
| Comment | I can't watch the video either (work!) but would be interested to know what it says, Himalia.
The QI panel makes several wrong suggestions for the correct (Dutch) pronunciation of the name. Among the wrong suggestions is the common English pronunciation (Van Go). The host of the Dutch version of QI makes an apperance and presents the correct Dutch pronunciation which is quite difficult. |
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| #8 | Author | Himalia
(970475)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:25 |
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| Comment | http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/20...But what is the real pronunciation of Van Gogh? Native English speakers can be heard saying van GOFF (-v as in vet, -a as in pan, -g as in get, -f as in fit) or van GOH (-oh as in no).
Something that drives British people absolutely bonkers is hearing an American "mispronounce" the name of Dutch post-impressionist Vincent van Gogh. Pangs of rage fill up the collective consciousness as the nation retorts in one voice: "it's VAN-GOFF, not VAN-GO!"
edit, thanks Himalia. |
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| #9 | Author | papousek
(343122)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:26 |
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| Comment | Vincent himself said he signed his paintings thus because no one in France could pronounce 'van Gogh'. Certainly it's difficult if you're not Dutch. The G and the gh are the same. Most educated Brits would make the gh the same as the ch in 'loch' but wouldn't do the same for the G. Most less educated Brits would probably say 'goff'. I have never heard the pronunciation 'go' in Britain. (Of course 'van' is not pronounced 'van' either, but that's another story.) |
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| #10 | Author | escoville
(237761)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:37 |
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| Comment | I think most Brits would say either van Goch (to rhyme with loch) or van Goff, but definitely not van Go.
Edit: I obviously type more slowly than escoville :-) |
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| #11 | Author | Spike BE
(535528)
| 20 Jan 16, 16:42 |
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| Comment | escoville, I don't think there's an educated/less educated distinction -- I think van Goff is pretty common even among people who might know how to pronounce the original Dutch...It's just become the accepted BE pronunciation. I agree that you sometimes hear van Goch (like loch) too. |
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| #12 | Author | papousek
(343122)
| 20 Jan 16, 17:18 |
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| Comment | #12: It's just become the accepted BE pronunciation - an accepted BE pronunciation, in my view, at best.
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| #13 | Author | Spike BE
(535528)
| 20 Jan 16, 17:30 |
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| Comment | #13, ok, accepted. But I still don't think there's an education element to it. (I'm just smarting because I would probably say van Goff!) |
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| #14 | Author | papousek
(343122)
| 20 Jan 16, 17:32 |
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| Comment | (Of course 'van' is not pronounced 'van' either, but that's another story.)
That reminds me of a little-known 90s band called 'Camper Van Beethoven'. I never found out if they knew better and were making a joke or if they thought it hilarious that Beethoven was called 'Lieferwagen'. |
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| #15 | Author | Gibson
(418762)
| 20 Jan 16, 17:38 |
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