How do you pronounce the name "Georges"?

July 31, 2007 9:31 AM

How do you pronounce the name "Georges" (for a male)?
posted by chefscotticus to Grab Bag (26 answers total)

Jorj
posted by TypographicalError at 9:34 AM on July 31, 2007

In French? Zhorzh.
posted by Joleta at 9:35 AM on July 31, 2007

Response by poster: @ TypographicalError: Jorj, as in the same as "George"?

@ Joleta: in English.
posted by chefscotticus at 9:37 AM on July 31, 2007

In French, you don't usually pronounce the last consonant of a word unless there is a vowel in the proceeding word.

But remember that in the latter case, the consonant becomes part of the next word, not pronounced with the first. So "Georges And" would be pronounced "George Sand." This is called "liaison."
posted by nasreddin at 9:43 AM on July 31, 2007

Hm. Clearly I don't understand the hocus-pocus that is phonetic spelling. Joleta's correct.
posted by TypographicalError at 9:58 AM on July 31, 2007

There's a Spanish version of this name, even a hurricane with it several years ago. The media uniformly pronounced it "Whore Hess". I distinctly remember joke fights about the name with my wife... I'd call it "jorjez" with a redneck accent and my wife would correct me in precisely enunciated Spanish.
posted by rolypolyman at 10:07 AM on July 31, 2007

So "Georges And" would be pronounced "George Sand." This is called "liaison."

I don't know why, but no. A liaison is made most the time, (like in Allons-y/ alonzee - let's go-) but not in Georges' case.
posted by bru at 10:13 AM on July 31, 2007

rolypolyman, in every news broadcast I heard about that hurricane (I was living in Mississippi at the time), the reporters pronounced it the French way.
posted by solotoro at 10:56 AM on July 31, 2007

I knew a guy from Guatemala who pronounced it like "Hore-Hay"
posted by jockc at 11:06 AM on July 31, 2007

You pronounce it the French way because it's a French name. There is no "English pronunciation".
posted by jjg at 11:23 AM on July 31, 2007 [2 favorites]

Georges Jeanty pronounces his name like the plural of George. Georgez.
posted by Constant Reader at 11:31 AM on July 31, 2007

I don't know why, but no. A liaison is made most the time, (like in Allons-y/ alonzee - let's go-) but not in Georges' case.

You're probably right, but where did you find this information? I'm not a native French speaker, so I'd appreciate a link for clarification.
posted by nasreddin at 11:41 AM on July 31, 2007

Best answer: The S part at the end is silent I believe.
If you want to pronounce it like he's used to hearing (if French) then you would say it without pronouncing the S at the end.

The G sound is more like the sound when saying the Zsa in Zsa Zsa Gabor's name... so say it just like "george" here except replace the G sounds with the "slushy J" sound in Zsa Zsa
posted by clanger at 11:56 AM on July 31, 2007

jockc, the name you're referring to is "Jorge."
posted by splendid animal at 12:24 PM on July 31, 2007

I thought this name was pronounced with an H sound:

Horhey or whore hey
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 1:56 PM on July 31, 2007

Charlie, see the post above yours.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:53 PM on July 31, 2007

The comment, rather.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:54 PM on July 31, 2007

Wait, the Zsa in Zsa Zsa Gabor is a 'slushy J' sound? Isn't it Z/S sound?
posted by bkudria at 4:01 PM on July 31, 2007

But I thought those two could be pronounced the same way.
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 4:25 PM on July 31, 2007

ʒɔʀʒ is the IPA way to write it, but that doesn't help you if you don't know IPA, does it. Zhorzh is pretty much right.

Here in Edmonton, Canada, there was a pretty popular hockey player for the past few years named Georges Laraque. Edmonton's not very French, but people still generally said "zhorzh", though with a little bit of "g" thrown in sort of.
posted by blacklite at 4:54 PM on July 31, 2007

Think jejune for the slushy J.
posted by JaredSeth at 5:35 PM on July 31, 2007

Assuming I'm pronouncing that right.
posted by JaredSeth at 5:37 PM on July 31, 2007

I live in Canada and I worked in Quebec for a time. I've never heard anyone use liaison in English -- just in French. Zhorzh is the right pronounciation, but I'd be hesitant to use liaison in English.
posted by acoutu at 6:21 PM on July 31, 2007

But I thought those two could be pronounced the same way.

I don't think so. Jorge is Spanish. I'm not a native speaker, but I've never seen Georges as a Spanish name.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:15 PM on July 31, 2007

Nasreddin: Liaison doesn't apply here because the e after the second g is silent—if the name were pronounced Zhorzh-uh, then the s would make its presence known whenever it was followed by a word beginning with a vowel. Since the name isn't pronounced that way, it doesn't.
posted by Acetylene at 10:19 PM on July 31, 2007

George = English
Jorge = Spanish
Georges = French

...all variations on the same name. There are others.
posted by splendid animal at 10:59 PM on July 31, 2007