"The name of Paris' Louvre museum - which made global headline this year after the 88 million jewellery heist - is the French word most likely to be mispronounced by Americans, according to a French language specialist. It's one of the world's most famous museums, attracting more than 10 million visitors each year to see its artistic treasures, including the Mona Lisa. It also made global headlines in October when thieves smashed their way in and stole France's crown jewels, with an estimated value of 88 million."
"Although the suspected robbers are in custody, the jewels have not been recovered. But in spite of its fame, it is also the French word that is most likely to be mispronounced by Americans, according to The Captioning Group and translators Babel. The issue appears to be the 'r', with Americans tending to refer to the museum as the 'loove', as in the news clip below."
"The French, however, pronounce the central 'r' to say loo-vruh, as demonstrated in the press conference given by Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau after the robbery. We should point out, however, that the data comes from American media reports, mostly presented by US-based journalists and TV hosts - Americans based in Paris have probably adopted the local pronunciation."
The Louvre attracts over 10 million visitors annually and houses world-famous artworks including the Mona Lisa. In October, thieves broke into the museum and stole France's crown jewels, valued at an estimated €88 million; suspects have been detained but the jewels remain unrecovered. A French language specialist identified 'Louvre' as the French word most likely to be mispronounced by Americans. American broadcasters often pronounce the central 'r' weakly, rendering it as 'loove', while French speakers pronounce it 'loo-vruh'. The finding derives mainly from American media reports, and Americans living in Paris likely adopt the local pronunciation.
Read at www.thelocal.fr
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