Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0012912, Wed, 5 Jul 2006 11:09:57 -0700

Subject
Fwd: Re: [NABOKV-L] Correct pronunciation of "Nabokov" for
English speakers.
Date
Body
----- Forwarded message from tom@discobolus.co.za -----
Date: Tue, 04 Jul 2006 07:59:00 +0200
From: learmont <tom@discobolus.co.za>
Reply-To: learmont <tom@discobolus.co.za>
Subject: Fwd: Re: [NABOKV-L] Correct pronunciation of "Nabokov" for English
speakers.
To: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>

------- Forwarded message -------
From:
To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" <NABOKV-L@listserv.ucsb.edu>
Cc:
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Correct pronunciation of "Nabokov" for English speakers.
Date: Sat, 01 Jul 2006 21:26:28 +0200

Dear Editors and List,

Some years ago I had an ill-fated romance with a native of Kamchatka who was
raised in Simferopol.
I don't know if this would mean that she had a southern accent, but she
pronounced the second syllable of Nabokov to correspond exactly with the
Glaswegian term 'polk' (bag). As in "a wee polk o' chips tae go wi' ma fush."
The same vowel appeared in a Tunisian gangster movie I once subtitled for TV;
the chief baddie's nickname was 'El Bab',(The Gate) pronounced just like a
Glaswegian referring to his Uncle Bob -- 'Unca Boab'.
So the same sound is doing sterling service in three very different places.
Small world, innit?

Regards,
Tom (Rymour)

----- End forwarded message -----

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