Can you give us a hand to reveal actors, singers, writers, philosophers, politicians’ nicknames or pseudonyms? Send us anecdotes and fun facts you know about celebs real or false names. Send your News to info@comesipronuncia.it
Thank you! (August 14, 2008)
About famous names: Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a Grammy Award-winning English band. The bandleader and singer Jay Kay became so famous that most of the fans thought he was a solo artist named Jamiroquai. But which is the origin of the name? Jamiroquai is a blend of Jam session and Iroquois, a Native Indian American from the Iroquois tribe to whom Jay Kay feels very close philosophically speaking. (May 6, 2008)
About red Italian wine
Verona, Romeo and Juliet town, just hosted Vinitaly (April 3-7), the largest wine show in the world. Thousands of exhibitors came from more than 30 countries and about 150,000 visitors appreciated guided wine-tastings, presentations and conferences about the best wines in the planet. Here, few clues about Italian red wines: Sangiovese is one of the most common wine-grapes cultivated in Italy. You can see this kind of vineyard, vigneto, in all the area that goes from Romagna to Campania. Sangiovese is the pride of Toscana. From this variety derive such wines as Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Nobile di Montepulciano. In the North, in Piemonte, we find Nebbiolo vineyards from which they produce also the great Barolo.In the same area, most of the hillsides are covered of Barbera vines, considered one of the classic red Italian wines. (April 9, 2008)
Election Day in Italy: parties and politicians
Italy is getting ready for the Election Day on April 13 and 14. According to the opinion polls, the real match is between the center-left Democratic Party, PD (Partito Democratico), represented by Walter Veltroni, and the newborn center-right People of Freedom, PDL (Popolo Delle Libertà) coalition, with Silvio Berlusconi. The PD is allied with the Italy of Values, Italia dei Valori, party of former Clean Hands prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro. The PDL is allied with AN (Alleanza Nazionale), represented by Gianfranco Fini, the Northern League,Lega Nord, in the north and the centrist MPA (Movimento Per l'Autonomia) in the south. Sounds clear? Not really! Thanks to a terrible electoral law, pushed through by the center right, even after the election, Italians are not sure of what will really happen in Parlamento.
About famous names: Rothschild
The Rothschilds are one of the most famous families of bankers. Of German origin, their empire began between 1700 and 1800 and spread all over Europe. That's the reason you can pronounce their name in German, Rothschild (GER), in English, Rothschild (UK) or in French, Rothschild (FR), according to the branch of the family you are referring to. (March 25, 2008)
Oscars 2008: the winners
The 80th Annual Academy Awards came to an end.
The most important Oscars went to:
For everybody he's Maniche, but the pronunciation of this pseudonym is incorrect. Even the very Atlético Madrid footballer, currently playing on loan for Inter Milan, fed up of rectifying it, decided to go for it. Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Ribeiro, born in Lisbon, received his nickname after Benfica's 1980s legendary Danish forwardMichael Manniche. And in Danish, the nickname should be pronounced. (February 19, 2008)
About famous names: Stendhal
Henri Beyle, the famous French writer chose as his penname Stendhal. Yes, as you hear it: French pronunciation, not German. In spite of what is commonly believed, it’s not certain that he borrowed his pseudonym from the German city of Stendal in honour of Johann Joachim Winckelmann, an archaeologist born there. According to some Stendhal scholars, the name is the anagram of Shetland, the Scottish islands. A place Stendhal loved very much. At a certain point, anyway, even Stendhal himself didn’t know how to pronounce properly his name, that’s why the French way prevailed.
(January 29, 2008)
Comesipronuncia.it on TG5
You already know that we are receiving hundreds of pronunciation requests and we are late in dealing with them. The missing part was the reason of this sudden need for correct pronunciations: it was enough to be on Barbara Palombelli La Posta del TG5, on December 23, 2007. Watch the video. (January 14, 2008)
Everybody knows that Chow Chow is a breed of dogs originating from China, but only a few are familiar with the fact that the name is the result of a misunderstanding.
When the first dogs were shipped from China to England, in 18th century, they arrived in crates marked chow chow, Chinese pidgin English for miscellaneousmerchandise. At the arrival, everybody simply assumed that Chow Chow was the name of those dogs. (January 3, 2008)
Overwhelmed by hundreds of pronunciation requests!
We know: we are running late. After appearing on TV, we have been receiving hundreds of pronunciation requests and it is taking longer than usual to get them all online. Please, be patient a few more days! (January 3, 2008)
About famous names: Moleskine
Moleskine is a notebook not bound in moleskin, but in oilcloth-covered cardboard on which is printed a leather pattern. An elastic band holds the notebook closed.
This note pad was created last century in France and it became famous after being used by well-known artists and writers, such as Henri Matisse, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh. Although moleskine is a common name, it has been officially registered in 1996 by the Italian company Modo & Modo. The increasing success of this famous notebook apparently makes the company unable to keep up with demand. (January 1, 2008)
About famous names: Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band formed by Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger e Daniel Adair. How did the band's name come up? Mike Kroeger, the bassist, before becoming famous used to work at Starbucks, the multinational coffeehouse chain, and he always had to give customers their change, usually a five cent coin. This is what he would repeat all the time: "Here's your nickel back." (December 10, 2007)
