Yes on the first point - it's closer to how the Italians pronounce it. But Parmigiano and Parmesan are not the same word.
The English word "Parmesan" comes from the French word "Parmesan", which is pronounced, you guessed it, with a s/z sound.
The soft g/j is not more accurate, because it's a different word. It's an over-correction.
FWIW, the word was in English nearly a whole century before the first British colony in America. It really is a word that existed and folk in America changed the pronunciation of.
All the southern Italians. I point this out because standard Italian settled on a northern dialect as the standard. So the Italian those immigrants brought has some differences.
Our unique pronunciation comes from Philadelphia, where they use the word "jawn" to mean "thing." They called it "that parma jawn", meaning like "that thing from parma" but the j became a zh over time.
All languages and country have all sorts of different historical names for foreign places or things. And that is fine. Except when Americans do it. Well and Germans calling Barcelona "Bazelona". That's just not okay.
Huh? You must have heard someone having no idea what they're talking about. :D
We write it the same as in Spanish... So we have an r sound in there, but typically we don't roll the r and instead pronounce it like the French. And we'll pronounce Spanish "c" like a sharp S, but there's plenty of Spanish and Latin American people doing the same. I have lived in Bogotá, I'm allowed to do this. :D
Even we native Londoners get confused sometimes. It took me a while to realise Southwark isn't pronounced south walk, but suthuk, with a hard th. Fenwick was another one.
Haha, I used to work at Neo Bankside. One of my Italian coworkers instructed customers to get to Suh-duck station.
I also find the English custom of putting an 's at the end of whatever business (even when it's not there by default) quite cute. The same happened when another colleague referred to the store as Fenwick's. First I thought it was the local pronunciation of Phoenix.
66 Comments
CombatWombat@feddit.online · 42 pts · 6d
Colby? Jack? Lori?
felixwhynot@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 6d
Lori??
CombatWombat@feddit.online · 22 pts · 6d
Iirc it's an Armenian semi-soft cheese.
felixwhynot@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 6d
So it is! TIL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lori_(cheese)?wprov=sfti1
prettybunnys@piefed.social · 17 pts · 6d
Lori deez nuts, lmao gotem
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net · 41 pts · 6d
And Bert is short for Camenbert.
SnerkRabbledauber@lemmy.today · 22 pts · 6d
Colby.
Zoomboingding@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 6d
Jack
Grimy@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 6d
These are my sons Cream Cheese Jr and Kraft Singles
DakRalter@thelemmy.club · 4 pts · 6d
This is my sister, Dairylea.
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 2 pts · 6d
Oh god this reminds me of a reddit sub for over-the-top first names that always contain a y and a pointless h.
13igTyme@piefed.social · 11 pts · 6d
Tragedeigh
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 3 pts · 6d
Thank you so much!
!tragedeigh@lemmy.blahaj.zone
joined
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 21 pts · 6d
The missing Limburger baby.
skisnow@lemmy.ca · 14 pts · 6d
John Cleese's original family name was Cheese, but his dad changed it because it was silly
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 6 pts · 6d
Well now I have to link this clip and I deliberately chose the audio only version because it's so much better than any other.
SHUT THAT BLOODY BOUZUKI UP!!
inari@piefed.zip · 14 pts · 6d
Always fun how Americans pronounce "parmesan" as "parmezhan"
arctanthrope@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 6d
the original Italian is parmigiano, so a soft g/j sound is actually more accurate than a s/z sound
Apepollo11@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 6d
Yes on the first point - it's closer to how the Italians pronounce it. But Parmigiano and Parmesan are not the same word.
The English word "Parmesan" comes from the French word "Parmesan", which is pronounced, you guessed it, with a s/z sound.
The soft g/j is not more accurate, because it's a different word. It's an over-correction.
FWIW, the word was in English nearly a whole century before the first British colony in America. It really is a word that existed and folk in America changed the pronunciation of.
scbasteve@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 6d
I wonder if it came from all the italian immigrants that came over.
HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 6d
All the southern Italians. I point this out because standard Italian settled on a northern dialect as the standard. So the Italian those immigrants brought has some differences.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 5d
In our defense, Italians kept coming here and eating Parmesan. It makes sense we'd pronounce it closer to the Italian
AlteredEgo@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 6d
Parmezany!
CombatWombat@feddit.online · 15 pts · 6d
Our unique pronunciation comes from Philadelphia, where they use the word "jawn" to mean "thing." They called it "that parma jawn", meaning like "that thing from parma" but the j became a zh over time.
source: I made it up
kiterios@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 6d
Unironically though, I do think that is how i say it. It's parmesan Luc not parmesan Grey.
Telemachus93@slrpnk.net · 9 pts · 6d
Yeah, but that's not unique to Americans or even the English language. In German we write it the same (Parmesan) and pronounce a soft s in that place.
AlteredEgo@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 6d
All languages and country have all sorts of different historical names for foreign places or things. And that is fine. Except when Americans do it. Well and Germans calling Barcelona "Bazelona". That's just not okay.
Telemachus93@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 3d
Sorry, haven't seen your reply earlier.
Huh? You must have heard someone having no idea what they're talking about. :D
We write it the same as in Spanish... So we have an r sound in there, but typically we don't roll the r and instead pronounce it like the French. And we'll pronounce Spanish "c" like a sharp S, but there's plenty of Spanish and Latin American people doing the same. I have lived in Bogotá, I'm allowed to do this. :D
aaaa@piefed.world · 6 pts · 6d
Why, how do you pronounce it?
In a way easily described as dialect?
lyrial@anarchist.nexus · 12 pts · 6d
I mean Leicester and Lester can be homophones.
FishFace@piefed.social · 6 pts · 6d
"can be"? How else would you pronounce either?!
Apepollo11@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 6d
Foreigners often get tripped up by Leicester - "Lie-Chester" is a common effort.
DakRalter@thelemmy.club · 7 pts · 6d
I used to work in central London and it was always funny hearing Americans trying to pronounce place names.
"Can you tell us how to get to Lee-chester square?"
"You mean Leicester Square?"
They'd always pronounce the H in Buckingham Palace, but the way my nephew or niece said it "bucket and palace" was the best.
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 4 pts · 6d
"Where's that bucking ham palace"
Dicska@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 6d
In my country the most common attempt is lei-Chester.
DakRalter@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 5d
Even we native Londoners get confused sometimes. It took me a while to realise Southwark isn't pronounced south walk, but suthuk, with a hard th. Fenwick was another one.
Dicska@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 5d
Haha, I used to work at Neo Bankside. One of my Italian coworkers instructed customers to get to Suh-duck station.
I also find the English custom of putting an 's at the end of whatever business (even when it's not there by default) quite cute. The same happened when another colleague referred to the store as Fenwick's. First I thought it was the local pronunciation of Phoenix.
Pilon23@feddit.dk · 4 pts · 6d
Yeah it's hard as a foreigner to wrap your head around it. Thankfully this guy has us covered
davidagain@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 5d
Thank you so much.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 5d
I may only speak English, but I really don't speak whatever they're talking in England
DakRalter@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 5d
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs-rgvkRfwc
davidagain@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 5d
One of the best
DakRalter@thelemmy.club · 1 pts · 5d
I should probably actually watch the film one day.
davidagain@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 5d
You definitely should. You won't regret it one bit.
BigDiction@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 5d
Yeah thanks for Worcester as well.
Technoworcester@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 5d
Huh? 😛
Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 6d
My dad was a homophone, and my mom left him. She couldn't stand the bigger brie.
Gay people have rights too
TheGiantKorean@lemmy.today · 11 pts · 6d
Here are my kids Parmesean, Parmejohn, and Parmedawn.
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 6d
Don't forget Parmekayleigh
xeno_the_warrior_prince@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 10 pts · 6d
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 10 pts · 6d
If it isn't yet, Roquefort should definitely be a first name for well-groomed little boys in fancy little adult outfits.
Listen to this for more cheeses.
Jarlsberg? Gorgonzola?
Prancingpotato@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 6d
Isn't it the name of one of the cats in aristocats? It is in french at least if memory serves
Unpigged@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 10 pts · 6d
So it's pronounced Parme-sean
huppakee@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 6d
Depends on whether you pronounce it as Sean or Sean.
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 6d
Chad, short for chaddar :)
OwOarchist@pawb.social · 7 pts · 6d
Cheddar is an underrated baby name.
TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip · 22 pts · 6d
Nounka@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 5d
My dog is a Gou-da boy. But that is not a name
postmateDumbass@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 5d
The neighbor dog is an asiago tho.
SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 6d
Inacan sounds like a real name.
AlteredEgo@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 6d
Maybe in the Aztec empire lol. It does sound badass though.
agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 6d
Harvey is short for havarti
ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one · 2 pts · 5d
Mo is short for Mozzarella.
SPRUNTnsfw@fedinsfw.app · 1 pts · 5d
It's my understanding that there used to be a whole TV series about a family of Munster.
ParadoxSeahorse@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 5d
Dale is short for Wensleydale
WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 6d
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rgrcieOuTE
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 5d
What’s wrong with Wenslydale?