Say bruschetta to me

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
#1

Broo-sketta or broo-shetta?

#2

The Italian pronunciation would be broos-ketta. The ch begins a new syllable, unlike in German or English, where it would be blended with the s.

#3

What Kriss said. Just watch Giada, she knows how to pronounce it.

#4

we use “H” as a softener – cha cha, cheese, etc. The Italians use it as a hardener.

“ce” and “ci” (or “ge” and “gi”) are normally pronounced chay, chee, (jay, jee) (cello for instance)

To harden them you use an H

che = kay, chi = key, ghe = gay or ge (spaghetti), ghi = g’ee (as in gee-tar)

“I” is a softener to use before the other vowels, a, o and u

ca = ca(r), cia = cha cha, go = go, gio = joe (giorgio); thus Giada = Jada

Italian is very systematic, if you just keep those in mind you can pronounce nearly anything.

#5

Ask Roberto. If anyone would know, it would be him. [rofl.gif]

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#6

Thanks for the responses, and Frank, thanks for the Italian primer. I use the hard “ch” sound when I say it, but I’ve been corrected so many times that I was starting to wonder…

#7

Of course, Frank’s explanation is very comprehensive, but if I ever have a question, and easy way for me to remember is to think of the words “ciao” and Chianti".

#8

Melissa, there is a difference between Italian Italian and American Italian – some of my students corrected me when I said their names “right” using the Italian pronunciation. For example “Torricelli” should be “chelly” but is often pronounced “selly”

And like you I have heard very many people who ought to know better say “Brushetta.” I’ve stopped trying to teach, let them say what they want.

#9

There’s a radio traffic reporter here who signs off as “Beverly Gagg-liano” and it drives me CRAZY!!!

#10

There is a wine brokerage co. out here called Ciatti. I always say “Chiatti”, and people look at me funny.

#11

Frank,

I feel exactly the same way when I hear “New York Eye-talians” butcher the language with “Muzzarell”, “Gabigool”, “Proshute”, etc.

#12

Names are an exception to any language rule, don’t you think? People can call themselves whatever they want. Michael Alberty pronounces his last name “Smith”.

#13

Oh yeah. Don’t forget Mani-got!

#14

Yeah, one would think you would pronounce Fruchtman as frookt-mon, but someone I know pronounces it frooch-mun. [foilhat.gif]

#15

Dialect. [wink.gif]

#16

You say Ee-gore, I say Eye-gore, let’s call the whole thing off.

#17

Those are more of a dialect issue. Most Italian-American, esp. around NYC, come (like my grandfather) from the Naples area. Dropping the vowel at the end and slurring the end is pretty much the way they say it in Campania. Of course, that’s not the “King’s Italian”.

Perhaps the most famous one is “pasta e fagioli” pronounced “pasta fazool”. The first time I saw “pasta e fagioli” on an Italian menu, I had no idea what it was!

#18

And “Guh-gutts”. Those are garbanzo beans for the uninitiated, and “pasta fazool”. Damn, Ken sneaked that in while I was typing.

#19

My friend Chenin Carlton (nee Cilurzo) pronounces her maiden name as “Sill-urzo”. I never knew until recently and I found it odd since her dad has always gone by Vincenzo, not Vince. I’ve been saying “Chill-urzo” for more than 30 years.

#20

I speak Italian and it’s really annoying to be “corrected” as often as I am by servers in restaurants.

And don’t get me started on New Jersey’s gross bastardization of the language. My wife is from south Jersey and every time we visit I get infuriated when I hear such atrocities as “gabba gool” and “manigott”.
headbang [suicide.gif]