Sinti culture, language & the origin of the name Django

Jazzaferri · August 2014

I guess I must be pretentious then though I was brought up to pronounce names as close to the way a person calls themselves ....as a matter of courtesy.

But then, courtesy is becoming somewhat passé it seems these days.

crookedpinky · August 2014

I'm with Jazzaferri in that I would try and pronounce someone's name - or indeed any word in a foreign language - as close to their pronuniciation as possible, otherwise you're not speaking the other language. I've noticed that in a lot of PBS documentaries, which we now see on cable in the UK, that little regard is given to European pronunciation - the funniest being the Knights of the crusades being referred to as "tem - plars" with the emphasis being placed on the "plars" and extending it to sound it for twice as long as most people sound it. Much like the sketch Kevin describes in his post.

Jazzaferri · August 2014

When I was growing up, the adults I knew who talked of Django used the pronunciation that might be thought of as French.
I

Buco · August 2014

I reread the article and realized that spellings and pronunciations were one of the main bases for Dennis' analysis .

Sorry Dennis

it wasn't intentional.

Good call on pointing out to I's a Mugging @stuart .
I'm thinking the whole thing could've gonne from his family and friends nick naming Jean to Jeangot to some Americans Americanizing that and pronouncing it Django which, that pronunciation turned into common spelling to then Europeans/Gypsies pronouncing that with an open sounding "a" as in car which then fit Roma for I awake.
Crude analysis I know but one of the possibilities.

dennis · August 2014

haha jazzaferri, i didn't mean to insult you, it was just that i was reminded of one of my brothers who likes to show off his knowledge... i remember telling him that i was going to eindhoven (pronounced the english way), and he'd correct me and tell me i was pronounced "eindhovuh"... as if i didn't know.

stuart, interesting! i know that a lot of people say solos,pianos, bravos, tempos, etc... but every know and then i meet someone who will say soli, or tempi , etc. What do you do about a word like Gadjo which, as far as i know, is not "officially recognized" in the English language? do you say Gadjos, or Gadje? Where does one draw the line, and what makes one word official?

I remember talking to Tcha Limberger and he was complaining that there was no gypsy words for many things, such as maple... then I told him that most words in other languages are adapted anyway, even in Asian languages... in Mandarin, guitar is "ji-ta". And the Sinti are known to make up words by borrowing from languages "telefona" for example... As far as tcha's maple example is concerned, the German sinti can probably say ahorna, or ahorno... and the French sinti can probably invent "erabla" or "erablo"

Jazzaferri · August 2014

Dennis, the way I was brought up.....admittedly old fashioned......it would be considered rude to correct someone else's pronunciation :laugh: At least once one was finished school.....

I wonder if it was the American Jazzmen who first pronounced his name Jango with the hard J and flat A, and Django thought it cool......

Svanis1337 · August 2014

I made this for all of you, so you will learn how to pronounce Django Reinhardt once and for all.

It's all chronological, apart from the last two which are from 1948 and another very small chronological mistake and two accidental omissions, if you find them you get a reward! I realized my mistake when it was too late to do anything about it, I also have one by Louis Armstrong but it's omitted.

(see next post.)

ENJOY!!!

Svanis1337 · August 2014

Here it is! Took over two hours to do, but it was worth it! :laugh: :-B

Tutorial:
J without attack (no d in the sound). au (with round mouth). ng (put the root of your tongue at the top of your mouth/block your throat with your tongue). gau (with round mouth).