How do you pronounce Cinelli?

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  • Coriander
    Coriander Posts: 1,326
    mercsport wrote:
    cycologist wrote:
    Now we've learnt to say Cinelli , boys and girls, we will now move on to "Campagnolo" .

    "Kampan-yolo" .. is somewhere about what it ought to be.

    But back to the Cinelli business : Although I skimmed most of the answers to this one, I didn't pick up on anyone stressing the 'i' to be pronounced 'eee'. So seemingly the consensus on here is : 'Chin-elli'. Wrong! Try this: 'Chee-nell-ee'. Right

    OK, say it quicky enough it sounds-to our ears- like 'Chin-elli' and isn't so readily apparent, but like 'Grazie', the Italians would say and think 'Grahtz-ee-er' and Chee-nell-ee'.

    Italians though, are an accommodating lot and large enough to let our anglicised fumblings pass without comment.

    Actually, if I'm going to be really pedantic, which I usually am - it's /chi-nel-lee/ - you split the final two syllables at the double 'LL'. And the emphasis is on the middle syllable (unless indicated by an accent, the emphasis in Italian is always on the penultimate syllable).
  • mercsport
    mercsport Posts: 664
    Coriander wrote:
    Actually, if I'm going to be really pedantic, which I usually am - it's /chi-nel-lee/ - you split the final two syllables at the double 'LL'. And the emphasis is on the middle syllable (unless indicated by an accent, the emphasis in Italian is always on the penultimate syllable).

    Phonetics are a minefield but yes, you're quite right :)

    Except, perhaps, you write chi-nel-lee, and not chee-nel-lee. First syllable, stressed or not, ought one not to say 'chee' ? I would like know and be corrected on this if so (elderly, and full time thicko, y'see). :?
    "Lick My Decals Off, Baby"
  • Coriander
    Coriander Posts: 1,326
    mercsport wrote:
    Coriander wrote:
    Actually, if I'm going to be really pedantic, which I usually am - it's /chi-nel-lee/ - you split the final two syllables at the double 'LL'. And the emphasis is on the middle syllable (unless indicated by an accent, the emphasis in Italian is always on the penultimate syllable).

    Phonetics are a minefield but yes, you're quite right :)

    Except, perhaps, you write chi-nel-lee, and not chee-nel-lee. First syllable, stressed or not, ought one not to say 'chee' ? I would like know and be corrected on this if so (elderly, and full time thicko, y'see). :?

    I vacillate between representing the Italian sound /ci/ to an English audience as /chi/ or /chee/ (in fact I think my first post in this thread used /chee/) - the truth is that the sound is probably somewhere between how an English speaker would say /chi/ and /chee/ - it's shorter than /chee/ as in 'cheese' but longer than /chi/ as in 'chin'.

    Grief, teaching English phonetics was hard enough!
  • mercsport
    mercsport Posts: 664
    Sorry for flogging this one to death. :oops:

    I see the difficulties in trying to precisely phonetecize someone else's language, particularly with all the accents to average out and consider. Still, in this case, I tend to think of an Italian theatrically (..and rather emphasising my point I hope) - commentating at the end of a cycle race on tv, say - proclaiming "Cheeeeeeeee-nehhlllll-llleeeeeeee!"(..or something close), and desperately wishing for there to be an R in there to roll for a climactic minute or so.

    I couldn't imagine extending the syllable 'chi' in like manner.

    Well, perhaps you can, but probably not as effectively

    Oh, I give up! :roll:
    "Lick My Decals Off, Baby"
  • bill57
    bill57 Posts: 454
    Anyone want to start a "How do you pronounce Ciocc" thread?
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    bill57 wrote:
    Anyone want to start a "How do you pronounce Ciocc" thread?

    How about Ultegra then? What's the correct japanese pronunciation?

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