There is a rare pet form of
Giovanni that's been used in the area of Italy around Venice which is spelled
Zane. That has caused a lot of baby name books and sites to list
Zane as a form of
John, which in an English speaking context is not true, as it clearly comes from the non-Italian family surname which gave the author
Zane Grey his given name.
I am assuming that
Zane in Venice is pronounced something like "Tsah-neh".
Can any of you who speak Italian confirm that this is correct, or is it pronounced some other way in northern Italy?
Thanks!