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Luce
05-26-2009, 07:01 AM
Just a quick one guys - how do you pronounce Wegener's?

Is it Wegeners, like the word leg, as used in House?

Or do you use the German pronunciation of Vagueners, like the word vague?

Just been watching a lot of House lately and noticed the "say what you see" version, I've always gone with the German surname way.

Sangye
05-26-2009, 07:08 AM
I've only heard it pronounced like leg. I guess since the doctor who named it was German, the proper pronunciation is probably vague-ners.

But would that make us "Vague-ies?"

Jack
05-26-2009, 07:12 AM
You pronounce the W as a V to sound like your example of "vague". It is the name of a German doctor (of questionable background).

crackers
05-26-2009, 09:08 AM
sangye i think it's our docs that are the vague-ies.
john.

Sangye
05-26-2009, 09:43 AM
I see my vaguey this week. Hope he's cleary.

crackers
05-26-2009, 10:36 AM
luce what have you started.
john.

Sangye
05-26-2009, 10:44 AM
Luce started the rabbit thing, too. For which I will always be grateful. Makes me laugh every time I think of it.

Doug
05-26-2009, 01:25 PM
vaig'-eh-nairs (the "eh" is short and high in the mouth)

The proper German pronunciation. I just go for weg'-uh-nurs because to pronounce it the correct German way here would be ostentatious to some, and confusing to others. There's enough confusion about WG without throwing in a correct German pronunciation, and who wants to be around an ostentatious twit? :confused::eek::rolleyes:

Luce
05-26-2009, 06:37 PM
Oooh I do love a good debate!

andrew
05-27-2009, 06:06 AM
Apparently my sister who is a doc was always correcting the nurses and other docs. I'm pretty sure they had a sense of humour about it. It's pronounced as a 'v' rather than a 'w'.

Sangye
05-27-2009, 07:25 AM
I can barely get people to pronounce the "e" in the middle. Everyone wants to say "Wegner's" They think I'm mentally impaired when I say the e.

I can't imagine saying "Vegener's" then spelling it "Wegener's" for them!

andrew
05-27-2009, 07:31 AM
If you use a German accent, it works much better. Try it next time a stranger asks you about it :)

Doug
05-27-2009, 07:42 AM
Apparently my sister who is a doc was always correcting the nurses and other docs. I'm pretty sure they had a sense of humour about it. It's pronounced as a 'v' rather than a 'w'.


Ja, auf Deutsch ist das wahr. In English, it makes you an ostentatious twit. See earlier response! ha~! :rolleyes:

andrew
05-27-2009, 07:51 AM
Ja, auf Deutsch ist das wahr. In English, it makes you an ostentatious twit. See earlier response! ha~! :rolleyes:

LOL, absolutely! That's the point :D:D

Doug
05-27-2009, 08:11 AM
I've had people refer to it as "Wagner's disease". I think Hitler had it. There are many Richard-Wagner-strassen in Germany so it apparently still is acceptable to listen to the tedious music but forget the tedious bigotry of the man. :) (The Bayreuth festival is in a lovely Alpine area of Germany.)

Sangye
05-27-2009, 09:13 AM
Doug, is that new avatar a picture of your birth or what?? :D

crackers
05-27-2009, 10:30 AM
omg sangye what a thought.doug if it is you must have tickled like hell on your way out.
john.

Doug
05-27-2009, 10:30 AM
No. It reminds me of the Google Earth feature where you can type in an address, and it takes you down to street level. Once there, you peer through a world that has the look of the photo. Only, there never are any close-ups of people. If there were, they'd look like this. Haw! There's a slightly sinister quality to the Google Earth feature I mention. It reminds me of the bubbles that appeared in the British series "The Prisoner". You know, every time anyone tried to escape, they'd be tracked down and captured by them? :(
Oh, I found the photo ablum feature of this website just now, and downloaded a bunch of photos, including one of me made into a rabbit. Jack's version was much better!:) I think I'll add it to my album because you can blow it up and see it more clearly.