Moleskine

[bardharlock]

Sorry you find it racist. I was referring specifically to Chairman Mao, not making a generalization.

[AmA]

But about Nikon, well, I've heard Knee-Con in comon people and Nigh-Con in people that think they're cool and know it all about photography.

 

And here was me always pronouncing it Nick-on

[Aristarco]

And here was me always pronouncing it Nick-on

 

You find this happening here in México when people think they are cool and know all about something. It's so funny. Like those pronouncing Apple as A-Paul, or (as I hear them) Hey Paul! :roflmho: Lots of examples are funny and some are just embarrasing (like the "Hey Paul"), but I find all those people feel comfortable and happy so... why should one care? Mole-skin, Mola-Skina, Moro-Skinu, Molskin, Salsaskine, Guacamoleskine, who cares?? They suck at Fountain Pen handling! Some of them bleed, some of them feather, some of them spider. The others are a combination of the three!! Use a ball-pen? Then why a guacamoleskine? Buy an El-Cheapo notebook with a name that's easier to pronounce.

 

PS: Seriously! Hey Paul! "I've just bought an Apple iPod" sound so funny! "I've just bought an... Hey Paul!" :roflmho: Cracks me every time!

[all my hues]

Sorry you find it racist. I was referring specifically to Chairman Mao, not making a generalization.

 

 

I found it funny.....not racist. But, that's just me...

[fcw]

Lots of non-English product names get strange pronunciations when they appear in English-speaking markets, and I tend to be guided by what the marketing of those companies says to the English audiences.

 

So, I say maw-less-KEEN-uh and NICK-awn, but also eye-KEE-ah, MITCH-ell-in, mehr-SAY-deez, DAYM-lur or SEW-nay, rather than ee-KAY-ah, MEESH-lah, mehr-SEH-dess, DYE-mler or SAW-nee (for Ikea, Michelin, Mercedes, Daimler and Sony).

 

(Mercedes is a weird case anyway, being a Spanish girl's name used by a German company.)

 

As long as your pronunciation isn't so incomprehensible that no-one understands you, then I think both Anglicized and original are fine, since you can make a case for either.

 

And just to take this boldly off-topic: how do you pronounce the names of these historical figures? Mercator, Fresnel, Euler?

 

(I say: MER-sat-or, fren-ELL, OY-ler.)

[AmA]

And just to take this boldly off-topic: how do you pronounce the names of these historical figures? Mercator, Fresnel, Euler?

 

(I say: MER-sat-or, fren-ELL, OY-ler.)

 

Mer-KAY-tor, FrayNELL (but FREZnel for the lens for some reason) and either OILer or Ula (to rhyme with EULA) if I'm being daft at work.

[jpr]

Good one. Pronounce it like the manufacturer says it should be pronounced- Mo-lah-skeen-ah.

 

 

Then I'll have to insist that people stop calling the phenomenon known as carry-okie and start saying kah-RAH o-keh.

 

Or Knee-cone instead of Nigh-con.

 

For example.

 

 

Don't insist, suggest. At any rate, kah-rah-o-keh, and knee-con are both correct anyway so suggesting them wouldn't be half bad.

[AndyHayes]

Let's just be thankful that they don't pronounce it Mola-skeen-a-la-la-la :blink:

 

I will be sticking to moleskin

[Aristarco]

Lots of non-English product names get strange pronunciations when they appear in English-speaking markets, and I tend to be guided by what the marketing of those companies says to the English audiences.

 

So, I say maw-less-KEEN-uh and NICK-awn, but also eye-KEE-ah, MITCH-ell-in, mehr-SAY-deez, DAYM-lur or SEW-nay, rather than ee-KAY-ah, MEESH-lah, mehr-SEH-dess, DYE-mler or SAW-nee (for Ikea, Michelin, Mercedes, Daimler and Sony).

 

(Mercedes is a weird case anyway, being a Spanish girl's name used by a German company.)

 

As long as your pronunciation isn't so incomprehensible that no-one understands you, then I think both Anglicized and original are fine, since you can make a case for either.

 

And just to take this boldly off-topic: how do you pronounce the names of these historical figures? Mercator, Fresnel, Euler?

 

(I say: MER-sat-or, fren-ELL, OY-ler.)

 

You really should heard the pronunciations of english names in non-english countries! So funny. As for the words you mentioned, really? Sew-nay? That's a first. I've always heard Sony pronounced as Sonny, like in Sonny and Cher. Michelin as Mee-Chell (or Shell)-Inn, Mer-Seh-Dess (this one's spanish so I think I have it right).

 

About Mercator, Fresnel and Euler: Mer Cat Or would be three english words equivalent to the pronunciation; Fress-Nell (didn't know the S was mute); Oil-Er(like in SpidER).

 

I think I'll sotp calling it Moleskine and start saying "The much hyped notebook that's awful for fountain pens" :roflmho:

 

Cheers!

[markj]

As I understand it Mol-e-skin-e is the Italianized pronunication of the French Moleskine which is the French version of the original English Moleskin. So for English speakers the pronunciation Moleskin is both natural and correct.

 

Mark Jones

[Aristarco]

After all this pronounciation issues I've just wondered... what is moleskin? Really? The skin of a mole? Was the first notebook bound in the leather made from a mole skin? Did they peeled a mole skin off and used it to bind a notebook? Wow... if that's the origin of the name then I think this notebook is NOT for the PETA guys...

[deauville]

After all this pronounciation issues I've just wondered... what is moleskin? Really? The skin of a mole? Was the first notebook bound in the leather made from a mole skin? Did they peeled a mole skin off and used it to bind a notebook? Wow... if that's the origin of the name then I think this notebook is NOT for the PETA guys...

 

 

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

 

moleskin /mlskn/ n. & a. M17. [f. MOLE n.2 + SKIN n.] A n. 1 The skin of the mole used as fur. Also, another skin sheared so as to resemble this. M17. 2 A strong soft fine-piled cotton fustian the surface of which is shaved before dyeing. E19. b In pl. Outer garments, esp. trousers, made of this. M19.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rogerb]

I have never read so much fuss about so little

 

Do we pronounce Paris "ParEE", because the French do?

 

Every country has pronunciations which seem odd to others...... to me the (apparently commonly-used) American ways of saying, for example, BUOY, OREGANO, BASIL, FILLET(steak), ROUTE (etc) just sound 'wrong'.

 

Many 'minority pronunciations' are, IMO, simply pretentious (or ignorant...in its true sense)

 

Mole-skin! (I have just one small notebook, but have never tried to write in it, with my mostly wet pens!)

[ethernautrix]

I have never read so much fuss about so little

 

Do we pronounce Paris "ParEE", because the French do?

 

Every country has pronunciations which seem odd to others...... to me the (apparently commonly-used) American ways of saying, for example, BUOY, OREGANO, BASIL, FILLET(steak), ROUTE (etc) just sound 'wrong'.

 

Ha ha ha! Roger, you reminded me of when my friends from England (a Scottish-English couple) were visiting, and I was cooking and said something-something 'erbs, and my Scottish friend cracked up.

 

"She said ''erbs, darling,'" he said to his wife who was giggling.

"What?" I said, perplexed.

"It's true! Americans say ''erb.' It's herb." He was still chuckling.

"'Herb?' That's a man's name!" I said. "These are 'erbs, 'erbs, 'erbs, 'erbs, 'erbs."

 

They chuckled Britishly.

 

'Erbs.

[I am not a number]

Moleskin.

 

Like my trousers and shooting jacket.

[rogerb]

Ah, yes, I'd forgotten the erbs! .... (like Ba-zzil and Ore-GAR-no! )

 

 

Richard answered this very question a year ago...no-one apparently dared to contradict him

(Or perhaps didn't really care )

 

(My father's second name was Herbert.....I don't think anyone would've dared call him Herb!!)

Edited May 10, 2009 by rogerb

[Chris H]

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

 

moleskin /mlskn/ n. & a. M17. [f. MOLE n.2 + SKIN n.] A n. 1 The skin of the mole used as fur. Also, another skin sheared so as to resemble this. M17. 2 A strong soft fine-piled cotton fustian the surface of which is shaved before dyeing. E19. b In pl. Outer garments, esp. trousers, made of this. M19.

 

But the name isn't Moleskin, it is Moleskine. The "e" on the end would make the preceeding "i" long according to English phonics. Therefore the word, phonetically in English, should not be pronounced "Mole Skin", but Mole Skyn -- that is, with a long "i" sound.

 

But this is really that rose by another name issue, methinks.

 

Chris

[jpr]

IMO, it would be more 'ignorant', in its true sense, to mistake correctness

and accuracy for pretentiousness.

It is a product with a specific name and specific pronunciation given by

the manufacturer.

 

Chevrolet=Chevroley

 

Hyundai= Ha-yun-die (not Hun-day)

 

Implying that, because of its less than universal acceptance, it would be pretentious to say a products name as the manufacturer says it should be

pronounced is quite askew.

Edited May 11, 2009 by jpr

[Aristarco]

I still think we should all buy a notebook with a simpler pronounciation. How about making a notebook named "No" or "Bah"? (I've heard those words pronounced the same in most languages, unless there's a country that pronounce them Nwaou and Bueauay). A notebook with a 100% FP compatible paper, whose binding doesn't rip, ribbon doesn't come off and elastic band doesn't loose with the slightest use. And let's call it a simple name. It, No, Bah, Mh, Ok, whatever is easy to pronounce in every language.

 

As of Moleskine, it's the most horrible, badly manufactured notebook I've ever seen. Chatwin wouldn't write in it. VanGogh wouldn't paint in it. Still... I think I'll buy another hundred, just in case they disappear again! :roflmho: What can I say? I totally hate them and love them! It's a strange world...

[bardharlock]

I still think we should all buy a notebook with a simpler pronounciation. How about making a notebook named "No" or "Bah"? (I've heard those words pronounced the same in most languages, unless there's a country that pronounce them Nwaou and Bueauay). A notebook with a 100% FP compatible paper, whose binding doesn't rip, ribbon doesn't come off and elastic band doesn't loose with the slightest use. And let's call it a simple name. It, No, Bah, Mh, Ok, whatever is easy to pronounce in every language.

 

As of Moleskine, it's the most horrible, badly manufactured notebook I've ever seen. Chatwin wouldn't write in it. VanGogh wouldn't paint in it. Still... I think I'll buy another hundred, just in case they disappear again! :roflmho: What can I say? I totally hate them and love them! It's a strange world...

Ever since the best competitor introduced the 3.5" x 5.5" graph notebooks at half the price I started pronouncing mine PICK-uh-DIL-ee.