How to pronounce "Mary Jacobus"?

February 3, 2008 10:37 AM

What is the correct way to pronounce the name of the feminist/psychoanalytic critic Mary Jacobus? Which syllable is stressed?
posted by redfoxtail to writing & language (9 comments total)

I believe the emphasis is on the second syllable, ja-CO-bus.
posted by subtle-t at 10:51 AM on February 3

I had to check to see where she's from, but as she is from England (from what I can tell - she works there), pretty much everyone will call her JACK-obus unless corrected. So it's a reasonable default position.
posted by Brockles at 11:33 AM on February 3

Dictionary says second syllable for Jacobus, as in a Jacobean (as you totally know already, I bet). This pronunciation guide of public figures confirms that... for Jacobus ten Broek... which may or may not be helpful at all as a suggestion.

If I were to be, say, making a presentation at a public event or talking about her in a dissertation defense and needed to make sure I got it right I would call someone at her publisher, which would have a PR rep who could clear up any confusion. Or her department secretary, if she was a faculty member.
posted by norm at 11:36 AM on February 3

i vote for JA-cobus.
posted by ncc1701d at 11:41 AM on February 3

My Cambridge friends say Ja-CO-bus (and one of them was supervised by her, so he should know).
posted by verstegan at 11:58 AM on February 3

Dictionary says second syllable for Jacobus, as in a Jacobean

This why location is important. The emphasis is on the first syllable in your example in English (UK), which is why I checked her location. US English routinely stresses different syllables than we do.
posted by Brockles at 11:59 AM on February 3

Ah. On preview, it appears she follows a non-UK standard. Ho-hum.
posted by Brockles at 12:00 PM on February 3

Thank you, Verstegan, that was exactly the kind of nicely attested answer I was hoping for. It's nice to see, too, that I wasn't insane for being uncertain -- thanks, Brockles.
posted by redfoxtail at 12:21 PM on February 3

Oh, and thank you, too, subtle-t!
posted by redfoxtail at 12:24 PM on February 3