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-   -   French pronunciation: Place des Vosges (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/french-pronunciation-place-des-vosges-280748/)

Jim Rosenberg Dec 20th, 2002 01:26 PM

French pronunciation: Place des Vosges
 
I alway READ it and SEE it, but I've never heard it SAID. So to SAY it, it's "Ploss-dai __________"? Thanks for your help! (Please, don't work too hard on the finer points of "Ploss-dai", okay?) :o)

Wayne Dec 20th, 2002 01:30 PM

the last word should be pronounced "Vozh" where the zh sounds like the s in leisure.

Jim Rosenberg Dec 20th, 2002 01:35 PM

Thanks, Wayne! (It was not knowing the "g" part that was getting me)! :o)

Eye Spy Dec 20th, 2002 05:32 PM

Jim, it's a long "o" -- like the "o" in "toe." VOE-ZH. Wayne was right. There's a circonflex above the 'o' so whenever you see that accent above an 'o', the 'o' is always long.

Christina Dec 20th, 2002 05:46 PM

I don't know the origin of that word, but it has kept its old spelling and in modern spelling would be "Vôge" which you would probably know how to pronounce. You do see it spelled with a circonflex rather with the original "s" in some geographic matters in its region around Alsace. You probably know a circonflex represents a lost "s"; a "g" is always pronounced that way before an "e". I don't think there is a circonflex with there is an "s", it's one or the other.

Bill Dec 20th, 2002 05:47 PM

Circonflex? I don't think there's any corconflex in Vosges.<BR><BR>I agere with the pronunciation, but not the circonflex.<BR><BR>Rhymes with loge.<BR><BR>

kalena Dec 20th, 2002 09:59 PM

Christina suggests that voge has a circomflex. <BR>Q; what happened to my earlier post in french? We have to allow for a little leeway when it comes to good fun.

xxx Dec 21st, 2002 02:10 AM

Christina rocks.<BR>

jules Dec 21st, 2002 02:15 AM

Christina added that &quot;it's one or the other&quot;, an 's' OR a circonflex.<BR>Vosges or V&ocirc;ges<BR>but the latter is hardly used.<BR>That is how f.ex. &quot;vostre&quot; became &quot;v&ocirc;tre&quot;, hostel h&ocirc;tel, hospital h&ocirc;pital, etc..

Ira Dec 21st, 2002 05:47 AM

I am wondering: is that little hat above the 'o' a circonflex or a carat?<BR>I thought that a circonflex was a squiggly thing under a letter (usually c).

xxx Dec 21st, 2002 06:14 AM

No onr has included the pronunciation of the &quot;Place de&quot; as well for novices. I'd do it, but not very good at phonetics.

Martine Dec 21st, 2002 06:19 AM

Ira,<BR>The accent circonflexe is the little hat.It has nothing to do with the pronounciation of the vocal, but in fact it is an apostrophe you have to write on a vocal when the letter s is left out of the word (f.i.ethymologicly).<BR>example: &ecirc;tre (= to be) comes from the Latin word esse (the s is gone in the French word). <BR> Il est (with s), but vous &ecirc;tes (without s) <BR> frais (fresh)--&gt; fra&icirc;che<BR><BR>And the little sign you have under the letter e is a &quot;c&eacute;dille&quot;. You write it when the c is pronounced as an s and when it precedes an &quot;a&quot;, &quot;o&quot; or &quot;u&quot;, like in fran&ccedil;ais, gar&ccedil;on, re&ccedil;u.<BR><BR>You pronounce Vosges &quot;Vau&quot;je (with the French &quot;je&quot; and without the English &quot;w&quot; sound at the end of Vau)<BR>

tracy Dec 21st, 2002 09:39 AM

hi . . . try:<BR><BR>plahss day VOHzh<BR><BR>hth! = )

norskie Jun 2nd, 2004 09:45 PM

I've been wondering how to pronounce Vosges and just ran a quick search. This gave me my answer and was an amusing read - deserving of a second round.

Neil_Oz Jun 3rd, 2004 01:55 AM

When I went to school it was spelt &quot;circumflex&quot;, but maybe something's changed. Jim, I think &quot;place&quot; should be pronounced more like &quot;plahss&quot; than &quot;ploss&quot; but I'm open to correction there.

sfowler Jun 3rd, 2004 03:39 AM

circonflex is the French spelling.

travelbunny Jun 3rd, 2004 05:28 AM

..as to the etiology of the name...it was the Place Royale..post revolution the &quot;county&quot; (departement) which was the first to pay its taxes was the Vosges and hence the name...or so ive been told..


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