On 26/8/08 08:05, in article
, "Steve Turner"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:

: On 25/8/08 22:20, in article
: , "Steve Turner"
: wrote:
:
:: Sacha wrote:
::
::
::: And if you want to be correct and pronounce the latter as
::: the Italians do it's oREGano, not the English Oregahhhno! ;-))
::
:: Except it's origano - but agreed the stress is on the rig.
:
: Quite right, my bad - talk about spot the deliberate mistake! My ex
: ma in law always said oREGano, presumably to try to stop the English
: *******ising yet another of her country's words even further. She
: was equally impassioned about how we pronounce Pinocchio and
: Michaelangelo! Getting those 'wrong' was like turning a key in her
: back. It was agony to her! And as for zabaglione - well, you can
: imagine!

I'll admit I didn't know and looked it up. Italian words are mostly stressed
on the penultimate syllable (I have a friend who lives in Italy and I tried
to learn the language at one point) but origano is one of those exceptions.
I would have presumed it was pronounced more like we do. On American TV they
always say it "properly" and it used to grate - but not any more.

It's one of those things that once you learn the 'right' way, is very
difficult to do the 'wrong' way just to fit in with everyone else. I still
pronounce it the Italian way and get some very funny looks from English
people. What I have never become accustomed to is the American way of
saying 'erbs instead of herbs. It's the the French way - sort of - but it
still sounds strange to my ears.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon