Message: "Re: Question to Denise..."

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Re: Question to Denise...

by Anneza (guest)

11/13/2002, 6:40 AM

Fear not - they don't!

However, the well-respected Graeco-English name: Phyllis is unfortunately pronounced exactly like the Afrikaans word for Rubbish (vullis). Which didn't stop my Afrikaans grandmother-in-law from using it for her elder daughter (who died in infancy).

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- Pavlos (guest) +2

11/13/2002, 2:11 PM

Well, the surname one of the most successful Greek financial moguls --a former boss of mine -- (http://bhcc.gr/directory_details.cfm?member_id=276) always raises eyebrows when addressing English-speaking audiences :p

- Anneza (guest) +1

11/14/2002, 3:34 AM

By Jove! Or, presumably, by Zeus! I see what you mean ...

In some local South African languages, a perfectly respectable female name is Nakedi. Pronounced Nah KAY dee, but that hardly helps.

- Pavlos (guest)

11/14/2002, 5:47 AM

Few more nuggets: every respectable TV and Radio commentator in Greece pronounce "Charlton Heston" as "Charlton EAston". That is because "Heston" in Greek means, how shall I put it, "defecate on him!" As far as Vladimir Putin is concerned...well, in Cypriot Greek a "putin" is one of the most private parts of a lady's anatomy.

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