Sort of OT--French/English speaker help

[etimh]

Friends,

I need some help from a bilingual French/English speaker. I know, of course, that the proper French pronunciation of "Godard" is like GO-DAR, with the final consonant "D" being silent. But what if I say in English something like: "As in Godard's film Le Mepris..." do I then pronounce the final consonant "D" in his name, saying "GodarD's films," or is it still like this: "GO-DAR'S films"?

Strange question, I'm sure, but I have to give a short little presentation (in English) to some French department students and I want to give the proper pronunciation. I think I've always followed the final silent consonant rule even when using the possessive "'s", saying "GODAR'S." But a friend said she thinks you pronounce the final consonant in a French name when you add the possessive "'s".

(Just to add to the confusion--I recently watched a documentary where the native French speaker, speaking in English, clearly pronounced the "D" at the end of Godard's name, even when he was just saying "GODARD," without the possessive. Explanation by another friend was that the "D" is only silent in the French pronunciation and when Godard's name is spoken in English you should pronounce the "D." Never heard that before.)

Any help on this? Thanks in advance.

Tim

[MovieStuff]

Je fais pas désolé. Désolé.

Roughly translated, "Godar nit, I haven't a clue. Sorry."

I know. I'm useless.

[christoph]

my french is a bit rusty and i'm not native english either, but in case nobody with a better clue comes up:

i don't think you'd ever add an "s" in french, because it would be: "dans un film de jean-luc godard..." - and even if you did, pronouncing the last "d" sounds very strange to me.
so i'm pretty sure in english you'd say: "in godar's film..." - at least if you want to pronounce his name in french and not some weird transformed english like "gou-dard".

hope that helps
++ c.

[Jean Poirier]

Bonjour. I've always heard Godar. For me GodarD'S would sound very strange. Jean

[Rick Palidwor]

Simple solution: revise your presentation such that you don't mention Godard
Rick

[Clapton Pond]

I think you were spot on with your original instinct; in French it's pronounced GoDAR, so the English possessive should be pronounced GoDAR's (in French, the stress is normally at the end of the word / phrase).

I think the French person being interviewed in English was just trying to be helpful by pronouncing it as he thought an English speaker might... (possibly because he subconciously thought the English speaker was too thick to understand otherwise... )

ian

[Charlie Blackfield]

Speaking as a German UK resident with some ancestry from Alsace, I'd also say that you're right in your pronunciation of 'Godard's film'. In contrast, when talking about Paulette Goddard, you're welcome to pronounce all three ds.

Thierry, where are you? You could give us the definite answer.

[reflex]

Thierry, where are you? You could give us the definite answer.

Egads. Where is Sherlock Holmes when one needs him?

The question has already been answered by Jean Poirier. His name and location strongly suggest that he's either (a) A Belorussian dissident who changed his name to avoid prosecution for political crimes by the authorities in his homeland, or (b) a Francophone.

I pick b. ;)

[VideoFred]

Bonjour. I've always heard Godar. For me GodarD'S would sound very strange. Jean

Jean is right.

Godar it is: 'Godarrrr' with the French 'rrrrr'

Fred.

[alex-rus]

I'd say 'Godar' remembering my French learning years

Of course great French director...

[Andersens Tears]

Blimey this reminds me of being at film school - everytime I would say GodarD or ReSnaiS etc - the lecturers would always correct me - which is fine, but why the bloody hell were they still happy to say BERGman instead of the correct BARRYman when pronouncing Ingmar Bergmans surname - or for that matter directors of any other nationality - no disrespect to the Great French Directors - I love them - but why should they be the execption?

[Uppsala BildTeknik]

All the french I know is: Kun pierazé, se lemuaa
(someone who knows finnish might understand it...)

[etimh]

Thanks to all for the thoughts and suggestions--very much appreciated.

Tim

[Janne]

Now that you have already started dropping phonemes what difference does it make to get rid of one or two more, why don't you just say God? And you get to say the D after all.

All the french I know is: Kun pierazé, se lemuaa
(someone who knows finnish might understand it...)

Yes, it's pascaa.

[MovieStuff]

Blimey this reminds me of being at film school - everytime I would say GodarD or ReSnaiS etc - the lecturers would always correct me - which is fine, but why the bloody hell were they still happy to say BERGman instead of the correct BARRYman when pronouncing Ingmar Bergmans surname - or for that matter directors of any other nationality - no disrespect to the Great French Directors - I love them - but why should they be the execption?

That is interesting. Beaulieu is pronounced in the USA as "Bowl-you" by virtually everyone that I know except for a few French associates that cringe at such pronunciation. But during the heyday of 16mm production in the 80s, if you called camera shops, asking for Beaulieu accessories using the correct French pronunciation, most camera clerks would go, "WTF? Nope." So I guess it depends on the level to which well known names become, essentially, product identification, even if repeated incorrectly. And sometimes there is simply no logic to it to follow. In Texas "Houston" is pronounced "Hu-sten" while the city of "Humble" is pronounced "Um-ble" with a silent "H".

Roger