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Lestrade pronounciation


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I'm not certain if this is the right place to put this, but I'm a little confused with this character's name. In the Jeremy Brett version, he pronounces the name as "Les-tray-d". The current version says "Les-trah-d". (Sorry about the phonetic bit as it's the only way I can put it).

 

Apologies - it's been bugging me for ages.

 

Anyone got an idea?

 

 

:smile:

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I was just wondering the same earlier! I usually find myself useing both pronunciations, depending on what I've watched last :D

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"The name Lestrade probably is of French origin, though I have never attempted to trace my ancestry back beyond my grandfather who was a Thames waterman, while my father worked as a stevedore in the East India Docks. They always gave the name the Cockney pronunciation 'Lest-raid' rather than 'Le-strahd' as people educated in French tend to read it."

 

  The quote above was taken from an website and discussion thread. They included a link to the original document it was taken from, but the link is no longer working.

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Thanks, Fox.  Is that quote from the Conan Doyle character?  Or from a real-life person with the same surname?  (Or -- ?)

 

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Well, then, that seems definitive.  Which story is it from?

 

I guess a lot of adaptations simply prefer the French pronunciation.

 

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Oh, wait a minute, I misunderstood -- I see now that Lestrade's pronunciation guide is actually from a pastiche, "The Memoirs of Inspector Lestrade," by G. P. Jelliss.

 

So I guess it's plausible but not definitive.

 

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You're all so awesome! :wub::wub::wub:

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I don't think it would much matter, canon or pastiche. The pronunciation would have the same questions attached to it. One would have to listen to every single movie, TV show and such and then go with the consensus, I suppose.

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That's the actual situation, true.  But if the quote had been (as I thought at first) an excerpt from a Conan Doyle story, then there would be no need for a fan consensus.  We would have the correct pronunciation from the Inspector himself.

 

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Ahhh.....I get your meaning.....if we were able to hear it in Conan Doyle's own voice...so to speak?   I wonder....did he ever do any readings?  I know Tolkien did...but never Sir Arthur?

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As far as I know, there's only the one recording of him, that filmed interview.  Can't think whether he mentioned Lestrade or not.  Maybe one of you folks with a decent internet connection could watch it and see if he does.

 

Added:  Though of course Lestrade himself may not have pronounced his name the same way Sir Arthur did.

 

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Added:  Though of course Lestrade himself may not have pronounced his name the same way Sir Arthur did.

 

 

  Good point given regional dialects and all that. Maybe when we hit London next year we can do a street poll?  See how many native Londoners pronounce it?

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Well, there are Londoners and then there are Londoners.  Does the canon have any info whatsoever about Lestrade's background or family?  G.P. Jelliss's analysis (from your quote and my link above) seems quite plausible, but then again people can and do pronounce their own names in any way they happen to choose.

 

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I can't remember right off hand if there is any background given for Lestrade and nothing is given in Wikipedia. It does say that the Lestrade that inspired Doyle actually came from Scotland...so...that would put a whole other spin on the pronunciation....maybe.

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That certainly does complicate matters.  But even if the canon Lestrade is (as seems likely) a working-class Cockney, his family could nevertheless choose to pronounce their name in the French manner -- though I suppose Victorian society might view that as being uppity!

 

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though I suppose Victorian society might view that as being uppity!

 

 

  Yes, and one of the articles I was reading said that at that time there was a strong anti-French sentiment at the time.

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Interesting -- that could help explain the "le-strayed" pronunciation (in addition to the general tendency to Anglicize foreign words).

 

I'm starting to think that the Granada production probably had it right, at least for the Victorian era.  But that doesn't necessarily mean that the BBC / Hartswood production has it wrong for the modern era.

 

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I came across one message board on this subject and someone noted in at least one movie Holmes used both pronunciations interchangeably.

 

Maybe he pronounced it the wrong way when he was peeved with the Inspector, just to annoy him.

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Oh that is too too funny!  Then there is this: "Rubbish, his first name is Inspector."   "Detective Inspector"

 

  Above quotes found on reddit.

 

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  • 1 month later...

I think it's like the pronounciation of the town 'Shrewsbury' ............. some people say 'Shrowsbury' and others 'Shroosbury' ............doesn't really matter!!!

 

You say 'potarto' I say 'potayto'...........etc etc etc!!!!!!!!!!  :rofl:

 

 

 

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Speaking of alternative pronunciations, how about the name of Marylebone Road, where John and Mary were having their (attempted) engagement dinner?  The Holmes brothers pronounce it differently.  I'm trying to recall exactly how, but I believe Mycroft says something like "Mah-ry-le-bone" and Sherlock says "Meh-ry-le-bone."  Or however one might transcribe that in British.  I was already under the impression that there IS no correct pronunciation for that name, so maybe I was right!

 

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