Serpo
17th May 2012, 01:36 PM
France’s new prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault leaves Middle East red-faced… as his name sounds like the Arabic for penis
By Ian Sparks (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Ian+Sparks)
PUBLISHED: 15:34 GMT, 17 May 2012 | UPDATED: 16:06 GMT, 17 May 2012
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2145871/French-prime-minister-Jean-Marc-Ayraults-sounds-like-Arabic-penis.html#comments)
France's new prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has triggered confusion and embarrassment in Arabic-speaking countries - because his surname sounds like their word for 'penis'.
Newsreaders in Arab nations have swiftly come up with a host of strategies to avoid pronouncing his name correctly.
In French, the name is correctly pronounced 'Eye-ro'.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/05/17/article-2145871-008B4EAC000004B0-611_468x510.jpg Lost in translation: Newsreaders in Arab nations have begun mispronouncing Jean-Marc Ayrault's name to avoid embarrassment
But certain states are saying his name with an 'h' at the beginning, while in other countries they are saying it as 'Arrow' to avoid uttering the word properly, French daily newspaper France Soir reported.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/05/17/article-2145871-1318B581000005DC-29_233x250.jpg Reaction: The prime minister's name has caused such concern that the French foreign ministry has issued a press release to Arabic media
The French foreign ministry has even been forced to issue 'alternative pronunciations' of his name to avoid embarrassing Arab speakers.
France-Soir said: 'The ministry has sent out a press release to the Arabic media, telling them how the name should be said in French.
'But it also says that Mr Ayrault finds it acceptable that they pronounce all the letters of his name, including the "l" and the "t" at the end, so that it sounds like "Eye-rolte".'
The French themselves changed the spelling of Russian president Vladimir Putin's name to 'Putine', because it sounded like 'putain' - the French word for prostitute.
In recent years, the English-speaking media has also had problems with pronouncing the name of French radio and TV host Yvan Le Bolloc'h.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2145871/French-prime-minister-Jean-Marc-Ayraults-sounds-like-Arabic-penis.html#ixzz1vA3jmbnx
By Ian Sparks (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Ian+Sparks)
PUBLISHED: 15:34 GMT, 17 May 2012 | UPDATED: 16:06 GMT, 17 May 2012
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2145871/French-prime-minister-Jean-Marc-Ayraults-sounds-like-Arabic-penis.html#comments)
France's new prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has triggered confusion and embarrassment in Arabic-speaking countries - because his surname sounds like their word for 'penis'.
Newsreaders in Arab nations have swiftly come up with a host of strategies to avoid pronouncing his name correctly.
In French, the name is correctly pronounced 'Eye-ro'.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/05/17/article-2145871-008B4EAC000004B0-611_468x510.jpg Lost in translation: Newsreaders in Arab nations have begun mispronouncing Jean-Marc Ayrault's name to avoid embarrassment
But certain states are saying his name with an 'h' at the beginning, while in other countries they are saying it as 'Arrow' to avoid uttering the word properly, French daily newspaper France Soir reported.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/05/17/article-2145871-1318B581000005DC-29_233x250.jpg Reaction: The prime minister's name has caused such concern that the French foreign ministry has issued a press release to Arabic media
The French foreign ministry has even been forced to issue 'alternative pronunciations' of his name to avoid embarrassing Arab speakers.
France-Soir said: 'The ministry has sent out a press release to the Arabic media, telling them how the name should be said in French.
'But it also says that Mr Ayrault finds it acceptable that they pronounce all the letters of his name, including the "l" and the "t" at the end, so that it sounds like "Eye-rolte".'
The French themselves changed the spelling of Russian president Vladimir Putin's name to 'Putine', because it sounded like 'putain' - the French word for prostitute.
In recent years, the English-speaking media has also had problems with pronouncing the name of French radio and TV host Yvan Le Bolloc'h.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2145871/French-prime-minister-Jean-Marc-Ayraults-sounds-like-Arabic-penis.html#ixzz1vA3jmbnx