pronounciation question: Gemma
Fritz Mordell
Or hard, as in "get"?
Thank you.
Mark Raymond
news:6a85e79c.0212...@posting.google.com:
> Is the g in "Gemma Hayes" pronounced as a soft g, as in "gem"?
Yes
> Or hard, as in "get"?
No.
> Thank you.
>
You're welcome.
Robert Lieblich
>
> Is the g in "Gemma Hayes" pronounced as a soft g, as in "gem"?
> Or hard, as in "get"?
The only way to know is to ask a Gemma. After meeting a "Joan" who
pronounced her name "Jo-Ann" and a Mr. Taliaferro who pronounced his
surname "Tolliver," I decided it wasn't up to me to decide how names
are pronounced.
Left solely to the spelling, I'd guess as in "gem," but with
confidence level only slightly higher than zero.
--
Bob Lieblich
Whose surname is pronounced many different ways
Paul Bailey
news:6a85e79c.0212...@posting.google.com...
> Is the g in "Gemma Hayes" pronounced as a soft g, as in "gem"?
I've never known it otherwise, but you'd have to ask Gemma.
Cheers
Paul
R Fontana
> Is the g in "Gemma Hayes" pronounced as a soft g, as in "gem"?
> Or hard, as in "get"?
The reasonable assumption is that it's like "gem". But there was a
Gillian in my high school who pronounced her name with /g/ rather than
/dZ/, so you never know.
mb
> The only way to know is to ask a Gemma. After meeting a "Joan" who
> pronounced her name "Jo-Ann" and a Mr. Taliaferro who pronounced his
> surname "Tolliver," I decided it wasn't up to me to decide how names
> are pronounced.
>
> Left solely to the spelling, I'd guess as in "gem," but with
> confidence level only slightly higher than zero.
Typically US in respecting anyone's own wishes re things that are
otherwise higly codified. Not meant as a negative comment, though.
There is a lot of positive things to say about a culture where unique
person names abound.
However, anywhere else in the world Gemma, being Italian, starts with
a sounded G and Joan is plain Joan.
rzed
"mb" <azy...@mail.com> wrote in message
news:9cc8f152.02122...@posting.google.com...
> Robert Lieblich <Robert....@Verizon.net> wrote
>
> > The only way to know is to ask a Gemma. After meeting a "Joan" who
> > pronounced her name "Jo-Ann" and a Mr. Taliaferro who pronounced his
> > surname "Tolliver," I decided it wasn't up to me to decide how names
> > are pronounced.
> >
> > Left solely to the spelling, I'd guess as in "gem," but with
> > confidence level only slightly higher than zero.
>
> Typically US in respecting anyone's own wishes re things that are
> otherwise higly codified. Not meant as a negative comment, though.
> There is a lot of positive things to say about a culture where unique
> person names abound.
Not only unique person names, but names that originated in a variety of
places, each place pronouncing the name in its local fashion.
Transplantation to America doesn't necessarily change the pronunciation of a
name, even if the spelling is (sometimes) altered to more familiar forms.
>
> However, anywhere else in the world Gemma, being Italian, starts with
> a sounded G
>and Joan is plain Joan.
Even in Portugual?
--
rzed
John Lawler
>"Fritz Mordell" <saxu...@yahoo.com> writes:
>> Is the g in "Gemma Hayes" pronounced as a soft g, as in "gem"?
>I've never known it otherwise, but you'd have to ask Gemma.
The only Gemma I've ever known pronounces her name /hEmma/.
The fact that she is Mexican may have something to do with that.
As Paul says, one should ask, or listen to someone else ask, so as to see
how *she* pronounces it. Personal names are personal possessions, and may
be personalized. This ought to be respected, as far as possible. Much
the same advice applies to surnames.
-John Lawler http://www.umich.edu/~jlawler U Michigan Linguistics Dept
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the Hotel Magni-
fique at Cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty,
hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French."
-- P. G. Wodehouse
Robert Bannister
Interesting that you assume Gemma is an Italian name. I thought it was a
'modern' spelling for Jemma (short for Jemima). BTW, I don't think
'sounded G' makes much sense. Presumably, an unsounded G is what occurs
in gnaw, gnome, etc.
--
Rob Bannister
Robert Bannister
> Paul Bailey <pb...@lineone.net> writes:
>
>>"Fritz Mordell" <saxu...@yahoo.com> writes:
>
>
>>>Is the g in "Gemma Hayes" pronounced as a soft g, as in "gem"?
>>
>
>>I've never known it otherwise, but you'd have to ask Gemma.
>
>
> The only Gemma I've ever known pronounces her name /hEmma/.
> The fact that she is Mexican may have something to do with that.
>
> As Paul says, one should ask, or listen to someone else ask, so as to see
> how *she* pronounces it. Personal names are personal possessions, and may
> be personalized. This ought to be respected, as far as possible. Much
> the same advice applies to surnames.
Except when you go to a non English speaking country. If your name
exists in their language, then you may expect to be given the local
pronunciation. If the name does not exist, then you get something
approximate. Of course, we English speakers have a nasty habit of
conferring English names on immigrants that have little bearing on their
original name.
--
Rob Bannister
R H Draney
news:3E07A0AC...@it.net.au:
> Interesting that you assume Gemma is an Italian name. I thought it
> was a 'modern' spelling for Jemma (short for Jemima). BTW, I don't
> think 'sounded G' makes much sense. Presumably, an unsounded G is
> what occurs in gnaw, gnome, etc.
It's also one of the "proper names" of the star Alpha Coronae
Borealis, an eclipsing binary...the other is "Alphecca"; what I can
only assume are "improper names" include "Gnosia" and
"Ashtaroth"...says here the name "Gemma" is from Latin and may mean a
bud....r
mb
> Interesting that you assume Gemma is an Italian name. I thought it was a
> 'modern' spelling for Jemma (short for Jemima).
nonstandard (or unique) first names are still theoretically illegal.
> BTW, I don't think
> 'sounded G' makes much sense. Presumably, an unsounded G is what occurs
> in gnaw, gnome, etc.
Oops, jou're right, by Gove!
Fritz Mordell
saxu...@yahoo.com (Fritz Mordell) wrote in message
> Is the g in "Gemma Hayes" pronounced as a soft g, as in "gem"?
> Or hard, as in "get"?
perhaps I did not make my question clear enough, or perhaps I posted
to a wrong group. My question was not about the name "Gemma" in
general, but about a specific person, the Irish singer/songwriter
Gemma Hayes. While I appreciate
the explanations about local customs concerning pronunciation, I would
be even happier if somebody who either knows this person or has
perhaps heard a report about her could tell me how her name is
commonly pronounced.
(I live in a country where English is not an official language, and I
do not trust the pronunciation of my radio or TV announcers who tell
me stories about "WYEnona Rider" or "CHames Bond".)
Thank you.
John L
>
> saxu...@yahoo.com (Fritz Mordell) wrote in message
> > Is the g in "Gemma Hayes" pronounced as a soft g, as in "gem"?
> > Or hard, as in "get"?
>
> perhaps I did not make my question clear enough, or perhaps I posted
> to a wrong group. My question was not about the name "Gemma" in
> general, but about a specific person, the Irish singer/songwriter
> Gemma Hayes.
In Ireland (and Britain) Gemma with a soft 'g' (as in gem) is universal.
If Gemma Hayes pronounced her name differently, media reports would
mention it. But if you go to http://www.gemmahayes.com you can ask
the question in the forum on that site.
John.
John Holmes
No, Gove is just about the opposite end of the country from where Rob
is.
--
Regards
John
rzed
"John Holmes" <hol...@smart.net.au> wrote in message
news:auann9$5sj$1...@perki.connect.com.au...
What's the gove end?
John Holmes
"rzed" <rza...@ntelos.net> wrote in message
news:K7uO9.14305$BP.2246@fe01...
>
> "John Holmes" <hol...@smart.net.au> wrote in message
> news:auann9$5sj$1...@perki.connect.com.au...
> >
> > "mb" <azy...@mail.com> wrote in message
> > news:9cc8f152.02122...@posting.google.com...
> >
> > No, Gove is just about the opposite end of the country from where
Rob
> > is.
>
> What's the gove end?
Not quite: it's .gov, like .com and .mil, etc.
What's Arhem Land?
--
Regards
(and a special Hi to Daniel)
John
Jitze Couperus
<hol...@smart.net.au> wrote:
>>
>> What's the gove end?
>
>Not quite: it's .gov, like .com and .mil, etc.
>
>What's Arhem Land?
>
Well it's not Theirhem Land, that's for sure.
What's the aboriginal Home Land?
Jitze
Maria Conlon
> John Holmes wrote:
>
>>> What's the gove end?
>>
>> Not quite: it's .gov, like .com and .mil, etc.
>>
>> What's Arhem Land?
>
> Well it's not Theirhem Land, that's for sure.
>
> What's the aboriginal Home Land?
>
> Jitze
Is this a gove end[e] thread trying to break free?
Maria
Steve Hayes
wrote:
It may be a Patel or a Naidoo in disguise.
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
John Holmes
"Maria Conlon" <mcon...@sprynet.com> wrote in message
news:aul9m6$7sp5i$1...@ID-113669.news.dfncis.de...
I've been watching to see if it would but it hasn't. Everybody must be
too exhausted.
--
Regards
John