Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0009980, Thu, 8 Jul 2004 15:22:35 -0700

Subject
Re: TTReaa. Ch. I. Hullo (fwd)
Date
Body
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Thursday, July 08, 2004 9:21 PM +0900
From: Akiko Nakata <a-nakata@courante.plala.or.jp>
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Re: TTReaa. Ch. I. Hullo

Thanks very much for clarifying that "Hullo" is standard English.


Hugh says "Hello there" (Ch. 15) in contrast to "Hullo" by Mr. R who, as
Don points out, exclusively uses it in the novel.
In TT, VN intentionally makes Mr. R say "Hullo." In the TT typescript in
Berg Collection remain the queries from the editors and VN's answers. The
first query is:
"Although there's not much difference in pronunciation, U.S. spelling puts
Hello/? And if "hullo" is used it will suggest a British milieu from the
outset. Unless intentional, I suggest this be avoided." VN writes just
"Stet."

As a non-native speaker of English, I would like to ask (especially)
American readers about many Hullo's in VN's novels. I feel Hullo is rarely
used by Amercian authors. Even if it is not strange that Van and Demon say
"Hullo" to each other*, do you not mind Joan Clements' "Hullo!" (Pnin Ch.2)
and John Farlow's "Hullo there" (Lolita I:20--probably Hugh quotes him) as
well?

* $B!F (BHullo, Dad. $B!G (B
$B!F (BOh, hullo, Van. $B!G (B
Très Américain. (Ch. 38)
Isn't that sarcastic? What is très Américain is their casualness?

Akiko Nakata


---------- End Forwarded Message ----------

EDNOTE. VERY interesting--from one who has studied VN's TT in manuscript
form. I confess I had never noticed the "HulloS" in Pnin and Ada. My
suspicion is that Americans often actually say HULLO but almost never SPELL
it that way. Hence the US/UK split is graphic rather than auditory. Webster
III gives both as acceptably pronunciations.