Content-Type: message/rfc822 Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2006 08:28:14 -0400 From: "Dmitri Nabokov" To: Subject: FW: pronunciation Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=__Part1336DFCE.1__=" --=__Part1336DFCE.1__= Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=__Part1336DFCE.2__=" --=__Part1336DFCE.2__= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=Windows-874 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 -----Original Message----- From: Dmitri Nabokov [mailto:cangrande@bluewin.ch]=20 Sent: mardi, 6. juin 2006 14:10 To: 'monarch@gate.net' Subject: pronunciation Dear Friends, =20 Since the pronunciation question has come up again, let me provide a = simplified off-the-Nabocuff reminder: =20 "Vladimir": as in "redeemer," which VN himself suggested. This is about as = close as one can get to rhyming with the Russian in manageable American = English, if one does not strive for the (short) rolled Russian "r". =20 "Nabokov": as in "that joke of yours." I use "of yours" here for context = in order to take as much stress as possible away from the "ov" syllable, = for which "uh" alone is not an adequate illustration in informal spoken = English, when no emphasis or exaggerated clarity is called for. Perhaps an = even more successful example is "Nabokv-L", which lacks even the phantom = of a vowel to fiddle with between "k" and "v", even if it goes just a bit = too far (one may miss that phantom a little in the mute gap). =20 VN was not pedantic about the stressed "o" in the second syllable, and = himself used the "joke" variant when conversing with Anglophone blokes. = The effort made by some assiduous Americans to approximate the authentic = Russian "o" can verge on an affinity with "aw", of which one should steer = clear. Prof. Stephen Parker has worked hard at this, and comes very near = to the real deal, with only a very faint hint of "aw." Brian Boyd is also = extremely close. =20 =20 The French insist upon accenting the final syllable of the first and last = names, and on ending the latter with a double "f" sound, "Nabokoff". Most = *migr* Russian names originally ending in the Russian "**" were once = spelled that way in French, and the French language itself offers no = euphonious alternative. Nevertheless, most of my family long ago reverted = to "Nabokov" in French. The Italians, whose vowels are more flexible, = ought to do better, but generally do not. Either they stick with the = French-style last-syllable stress for the surname, or they stress the = first syllable as in "Nahbokov", which is as incorrrect as the Anglophone = variant -- an accented "Nab" as in "nab that thief." Martin Amis tells me = that people won't understand about whom he is talking unless he deliberatel= y says it that way -- and, I confess, I too sometimes opt for "Nab" if I = expect a glint of recognition in my interlocutor's eye. There are other = variants: I even have a generally literate army buddy who, after nearly = half a century, calls me "Nibbakov." The Italians press embellishes my = first name with a superfluous "i" after the "D" almost as often as the = American one -- but never, ever, is the name of the hockey forward Dmitri = Nabokov misspelled. =20 Has this helped, or have I simply added to the confusion? =20 Greetings to all, =20 DN =20 =20 -----Original Message----- From: Sandy P. Klein [mailto:spklein52@hotmail.com]=20 Sent: jeudi, 1. juin 2006 17:33 To: spklein52@hotmail.com Subject: Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary ... =20 Webster's Unabridged Dictionary definition of: =20 Nab=95o=95ko=95vi=95an Pronunciation: (nab"u-k*'v*-un), = [key]=20 =AFadj.=20 of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or resembling the literary style of = Vladimir Nabokov: a sly, Nabokovian sense of the absurd.=20 Random House Unabridged Dictionary =20 Na=95bo=95kov Pronunciation: (nu-b*'kuf, nab'u-k*f", -kof"; Russ. nu-b*'kuf), [key]=20 =AFn.=20 Vla=95di=95mir Vla=95di=95mi=95ro=95vich Pronunciation: (vlad'u-m*r" = vlad"u-m*r'u-vich; Russ. vlu-dy*'myir vlu-dy*'myi-ru-vyich), [key] 1899=961977, U.S. novelist, short-story = writer, and poet, born in Russia. Random House Unabridged Dictionary=20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm --=__Part1336DFCE.2__= Content-Type: text/html; charset=Windows-874 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: HTML Message
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Dmitri Nabokov=20 [mailto:cangrande@bluewin.ch]
Sent: mardi, 6. juin 2006=20 14:10
To: 'monarch@gate.net'
Subject:=20 pronunciation

Dear=20 Friends,
 
Since=20 the pronunciation question has come up again, let me provide a=20 simplified off-the-Nabocuff reminder:
 
"Vladimir": as in "redeemer," which VN=20 himself suggested. This is about as close as one can get to= =20 rhyming with the Russian in manageable American English, if = one=20 does not strive for the (short) rolled Russian=20 "r".
 
"Nabokov": as in "that joke of yours."=20 I use "of yours" here for context in order to = ;take=20 as much stress as possible away from the "ov"=20 syllable, for which "uh" alone is not an adequate illustration = in=20 informal spoken English, when no emphasis or exaggerated clarity is = called=20 for. Perhaps an even more successful example is=20 "Nabokv-L",  which lacks even the phantom of=20 a vowel to fiddle with between "k" and "v", even if it goes = just=20 a bit too far (one may miss that phantom a little in the mute=20 gap).
 
VN was=20 not pedantic about the stressed "o" in the second syllable, and himself = used the=20 "joke" variant when conversing with Anglophone blokes. The = effort=20 made by some assiduous Americans to approximate the authentic = Russian=20 "o" can verge on an affinity with "aw", of which one should = steer=20 clear. Prof. Stephen Parker has worked hard at this, and comes=20 very near to the real deal, with only a very faint hint of "aw." = Brian Boyd=20 is also extremely close.   
 
The=20 French insist upon accenting the final syllable of the first and = last=20 names, and on ending the latter with a double "f" sound,=20 "Nabokoff". Most =C3=A9migr=C3=A9 = Russian names originally=20 ending in the Russian "=D0=BE=D0=B2" were once spelled that = way in French,=20 and the French language itself offers no euphonious alternative.=20 Nevertheless, most of my family long ago reverted to=20 "Nabokov" in French. The Italians, whose vowels are = more=20 flexible, ought to do better, but generally do not. Either they stick with = the=20 French-style last-syllable stress for the surname, or they stress=20 the first syllable as  in "Nahbokov", which is as= =20 incorrrect as the Anglophone variant -- an accented "Nab" as in = "nab=20 that thief." Martin Amis tells me that people won't understand about whom = he is=20 talking unless he deliberately says it that way -- and, I confess, I = too=20 sometimes opt for "Nab" if I expect a glint = of=20 recognition in my interlocutor's eye. There are other variants: I = even have=20 a generally literate army buddy who, after nearly half a century, = calls me=20 "Nibbakov." The Italians press embellishes my first name with a= =20 superfluous "i" after the "D" almost as often as the American one -- but = never,=20 ever, is the name of the hockey forward Dmitri Nabokov=20 misspelled.
 
Has=20 this helped, or have I simply added to the confusion?
 
Greetings to all,
 
DN
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Sandy P. Klein=20 [mailto:spklein52@hotmail.com]
Sent: jeudi, 1. juin 2006=20 17:33
To: spklein52@hotmail.com
Subject: Random = House=20 Webster's Unabridged Dictionary ...

 
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary= =20 definition of:

Nab=E2=80=A2o=E2=80=A2ko=E2=80=A2vi=E2=80=A2an
Pronunciation:=20 (nab"u-k=C5=8D'v=C4=93-un), = [key]
=E2=80=94adj.
of, = pertaining to,=20 characteristic of, or resembling the literary style of Vladimir Nabokov: = a=20 sly, Nabokovian sense of the absurd.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary

 

Na=E2=80=A2bo=E2=80=A2kov

Pronu= nciation: (nu-b=C3=B4'kuf,=20 nab'u-k=C3=B4f", -kof"; Russ. nu-b=C3=B4'kuf), [key]
=E2=80=94n.
Vla=E2=80=A2di=E2=80=A2mir Vla=E2=80=A2di=E2=80=A2mi=E2=80=A2r= o=E2=80=A2vich Pronunciation: (vlad'u-m=C4=93r" vlad"u-m=C4=93r'u-vich= ; Russ.=20 vlu-dy=C4=93'myir vlu-dy=C4=93'myi-ru-vyich), [key] 1899=E2=80=931977, U.S. = novelist, short-story=20 writer, and poet, born in Russia.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary

 
 
 
 
 

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Vi= sit Zembla

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