How Do You Pronounce.....

[azmark]

I know I'm going to it from some of you.....but how do you pronounce L'Occitane? I called 411 today to see if there was a boutique at the mall near my office on my way homee from the airport and the operator had no clue how to even enter the name. I obviously didn't pronounce it right so if anyone could help?

I did end up finding the store but did not muster up the courage to ask the pimply face kid at the counter.

 

[thunderball]

http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=l'occitane

 

[azmark]

OMG I was't even close. Sounds way cool though.

Thank You Dave!

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

Damnit, I've been saying "Loss-a-tain" this whole time

 

[azmark]

I said El Octane

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

I said El Octane

 

[thunderball]

I said El Octane

Sounds like some nasty homebrew tequila or something...

 

[HoratioCaine]

I said El Octane

I'd order that in a bar just to see what they served me.

 

[SRock]

Sounds like some nasty homebrew tequila or something...

Yes it does.

 

[jakespoppy]

I had to look up the pronunciation, too.

Also, I was also surprised at how a store sales person pronounce Penhaligon's. It sounds like "Pen-hal-ee-uns", with a silent "g". Is this right?

 

[HoratioCaine]

Also, I was also surprised at how a store sales person pronounce Penhaligon's. It sounds like "Pen-hal-ee-uns", with a silent "g". Is this right?

I've only dealt with West Coast Penhaligon's salespeople in the U.S., but they pronounced it like it looks: "pen-HAL-ih-guns." And for all of that, one of them was actually English. English pronunciation can be a bit non-phonetic sometimes - "BAR-um" instead of Barham, "NEH-sess-ree" instead of necessary - but I don't recall ever seeing a silent 'g' in English pronuncation. Unlike, say, in Italian, where it is quite common: "consigliere," for example. So, I'm not saying "Pen-hal-ee-uns" is wrong, but I never would have guessed that's how it was pronounced. I'll stand corrected if others have more insight on the matter.

 

[Obsessed]

Sounds like some nasty homebrew tequila or something...

That explains how I came home from the mall with some shaving soap and a tattoo.

 

[jakespoppy]

I've only dealt with West Coast Penhaligon's salespeople in the U.S., but they pronounced it like it looks: "pen-HAL-ih-guns." And for all of that, one of them was actually English. English pronunciation can be a bit non-phonetic sometimes - "BAR-um" instead of Barham, "NEH-sess-ree" instead of necessary - but I don't recall ever seeing a silent 'g' in English pronuncation. Unlike, say, in Italian, where it is quite common: "consigliere," for example. So, I'm not saying "Pen-hal-ee-uns" is wrong, but I never would have guessed that's how it was pronounced. I'll stand corrected if others have more insight on the matter.

I've only heard this one sales person pronounce it, and since she was very new on the job (she had to ask another sales person for help a couple of times), and she was not English, I assumed she may have heard someone else use her unusual pronounciation, as it doesn't look like it would be pronounced that way.

I'll continue to use the "g" unless others insist the silent "g" is correct.

Thanks!

 

[tsmba]

Thanks for that link! Hearing a word pronounced is so much better than reading a pronunciation!

 

[azmark]

Something that should have been on the movie "The Hanover."

That explains how I came home from the mall with some shaving soap and a tattoo.

 

[JPM]

I said El Octane

Isn't that gasoline in spanish?

 

[Captain Flint]

I've only dealt with West Coast Penhaligon's salespeople in the U.S., but they pronounced it like it looks: "pen-HAL-ih-guns." And for all of that, one of them was actually English. English pronunciation can be a bit non-phonetic sometimes - "BAR-um" instead of Barham, "NEH-sess-ree" instead of necessary - but I don't recall ever seeing a silent 'g' in English pronuncation. Unlike, say, in Italian, where it is quite common: "consigliere," for example. So, I'm not saying "Pen-hal-ee-uns" is wrong, but I never would have guessed that's how it was pronounced. I'll stand corrected if others have more insight on the matter.

To my knowledge the "g" in consigliere is not silent. "gl" is an italian digraph that sounds like Spanish "ll" or Portuguese and Occitan "lh". It doesn't exist in English and many other languages, that's why it's difficult to get the right pronunciation.

 

[StylinLA]

Also, I was also surprised at how a store sales person pronounce Penhaligon's. It sounds like "Pen-hal-ee-uns", with a silent "g". Is this right?

Having a few different frags and dealing with lots of SAs, I have a sense that the SA may have been giving an Italian spin to the pronunciation of a British perfumer. They deal with so many exotic frags, one with a name that is simple English may have baffled them.

I can't believe the g is silent. Any of our UK buddies care to weigh in on this?

And while you're pointing out how to pronounce Penhaligons, perhaps you could let me how how "Tyrwhitt" is pronounced. (Ter-witt, tier-witt, tire-wit).

 

[azmark]

So it's not right when I pronounce it Panhandling?

 

[HoratioCaine]

To my knowledge the "g" in consigliere is not silent. "gl" is an italian digraph that sounds like Spanish "ll" or Portuguese and Occitan "lh". It doesn't exist in English and many other languages, that's why it's difficult to get the right pronunciation.

I'm sure you're right, as I only studied Italian pronunciation enough to allow me to sing opera - I never studied the language formally. Be that as it may, I think we're still talking about the same pronunciation. Even if the 'g' in the 'gl' digraph is technically not silent in linguistic terms, to those accustomed to Anglican pronunciation, for all intents and purposes it is. By that I mean, one does not pronounce it, "cohn-SIG-lee-air-ee," but rather, "cohn-seel-YAIR-ay," with a tapped 'r,' yes?