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-   -   Bofinger - Correction Pronunciation (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/bofinger-correction-pronunciation-629234/)

Nina66 Jul 7th, 2006 09:02 PM

Bofinger - Correction Pronunciation
 
I say Bow-finger, my friend insists that it is Bow-fon-jay.

It is an Alsatian (sp) brasserie, so I don't think that it would have a French name. We've both eaten there, separately, numerous times over the years, so there was never any reason for either of us to clarify it.

She speaks fluent French, I don't. Please help us settle this friendl 'argument'.

Nina



kerouac Jul 7th, 2006 09:07 PM

It is pronounced like a French name, not a German name.
If you know how to pronounce these 3 French words, you just string them together:
beau - fin - jet

Nina66 Jul 7th, 2006 10:17 PM

I stand corrected. I speak enough French so that I can put them together.

A few years back we met a lovely local couple in a restaurant. and they offered us a ride home after dinner. We were staying on r. des Tournelles. We told them that it was around the corner from Bow-fon-jay (shortly after my friend had corrected my pronunciation). They had no idea what we were talking about, which was very surprising to us as they were from Paris.

We directed them, and as we passed the restaurant, we pointed it out saying 'Bow-fon-jay". Madame said, 'oh no, that is Bow-finger'.

Nina

Nina66 Jul 7th, 2006 10:27 PM

As I was typing about the lovely local couple who offered us a ride home after dinner, I saw the faces of Christopher Walken and Helen Mirren in The Comfort of Strangers. Scary ... next time we'll take the Metro ;-)

Nina

Dave_in_Paris Jul 7th, 2006 10:35 PM

With all due respect to Keouac, I think for an Anglophone attempting it, would be more like BOW-FAN-JAY.

Dukey Jul 8th, 2006 12:59 AM

Makes since because the pronunciation of "fin" does not rhyme with "inn" but Kerouac does say if you KNOW how to pronounce the word "fin."

Dukey Jul 8th, 2006 01:00 AM

Nina...we have a President who "speaks fluent English" so fluency means nothing in terms of being correct!

ira Jul 8th, 2006 10:33 AM

Hi Nina,

Enter "Bofinger" at
http://www.naturalvoices.att.com/demos/index.html

((I))

Dejais Jul 8th, 2006 11:26 AM

Ira...LOVE the voice demo. Thanks for the link!

Nina66 Jul 8th, 2006 12:15 PM

Thanks Ira, I am in love with Alain. Now I will have to start writing fasters while trying to spell phonectically in French.

You should make a separate post for all to see (or maybe we shud just keep it a secret right here).

Thanks,

Nina

Bigal Jul 8th, 2006 12:17 PM

The fin is pronounced like fan (without the n...like thru the nose.

the Jay is pronounced with a soft J


Nina66 Jul 8th, 2006 12:18 PM

I guess that I already spell phonetically in English .. shud.
Fasters is just a faster form of fast.

What a fun, relaxed day I'm having ...

Nina

Bigal Jul 8th, 2006 12:26 PM

Forgot......you won't make an Alsacian very happy if you make any references to the German sounding name. They are very concerned about this misrepresentation and if they sense any doubts they will let you know that they are French.

Nina66 Jul 9th, 2006 01:55 AM

Bigal, of course you are right - my error.

About 25 years ago I was waiting for my mother in a hospital waiting room, while she was having a broken wrist x-rayed.

I was alone in the small enclosed room, when another woman came in and sat down. We exchanged greetings, and got into a conversation. She spoke with a French accent, so asked I asked her where she was from - she said Alsace.

A few minutes another lady came in and when she spoke, she too had a French accident. Busy body me, told her that the other woman was French also. I asked where she was from - Alsace also. I forget the name of their towns.

Both women appeared to be in their 60's. They started talking, and within minutes it became apparent that one of them had been in the Resistance and the other, well the other, was on the other side.

The Resistance woman accused the other woman of forsaking the French language, in favor of German, etc..and spoke of her Resistance activities to keep the area French.

The woman on 'the other side', actually spit on her, telling her that every time the Resistance did something to interfer with the occupation, the Germans would take it out on the rest of them.

It escalated quickly and the women were yelling at each other. My mother had finished with her x-rays and came into the room for me to take her home. She took one look at the tense scene and asked me what was going on.

I grabbed her by her good arm, whisked her out as quickly as I could, telling her that I had just started WW III.

So much for polite conversation ;-)

Nina

Nina66 Jul 9th, 2006 02:08 AM

Correction ....I should have worded that differently. Actually, I don't know if the woman was really 'on the other side'. I'm sure that she wouldn't have admitted it if she was.

From what she said. and her open hatred of the Resistance, she admittedly followed the rules of the occupation, and made no waves.

Nina

AnthonyGA Jul 9th, 2006 02:30 AM

The correct pronunciation is /bofɛ̃ʒe/, which sounds roughly like &ldquo;bow-fan-jay,&rdquo; where <i>bow</i> rhymes with <i>row</i> and the &lsquo;j&rsquo; in <i>jay</i> is soft, as it is in <i>measure</i>.

ira Jul 9th, 2006 04:31 AM

Bofinger......He's the man. The man with the Midas touch.......

J. Bond

Betsy Jul 9th, 2006 07:12 AM

LOL. Alain speaks way too fast for me! Juliette did a much better job. Great site, Ira.

job816 Jul 9th, 2006 07:41 AM

Love the voice site, but it sounds like Bo-fan-jhee.

grantop Jul 9th, 2006 12:55 PM

Ira - great site!

Nina66 Jul 9th, 2006 02:28 PM

Betsy, you are right, Juliette is much clearer than Alain (French).

DH whose first language was German, doesn't agree with Reiner or Klara with some of their translations, not their pronounction.

Nina

tuscanlifeedit Jul 9th, 2006 05:07 PM

Ira, merci. I love that site. I have been putting in every French word I know (didn't take that long) and having a great time. Merci beaucoup.


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