Roger has a good point. JARviss sounds more Brit, yes, to my ear. Less French. My memories of grad school are dimming even more than usual, but I think that they tended to move the weight to the first syllable--unless they were trying to sound chic, with more prestige, more savoir fair and thought that GerVASE seemed French. Of course they were in the middle of what I try to remember to call the "Great vowel shift" and not, as I often do, the "Great vowel movement."

On Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 6:28 PM, Tom Bishop (ARTS ENG) <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Full of distinctly hot air today, dear Harry, in the toils of midsummer. 

I hope you are both well. Love to the pair of youse.

T

From: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Harry Berger Jr <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, 10 February 2016 at 12:25 PM

To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: pronunciation query

Tom, you’re a port full of air in awkland, but I hope you’re well anyway, and Beth joins me in sending you hello.

On Feb 9, 2016, at 1:38 PM, Tom Bishop (ARTS ENG) <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

"I placed Gervase in Tennessee…."

T

From: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Harry Berger Jr <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, 10 February 2016 at 10:29 AM
To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: pronunciation query

I sure hope it isn’t Jar-vase.

On Feb 9, 2016, at 1:21 PM, Hannibal Hamlin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Dear Sidneians, Spenserians, and fellow travellers,

A medievalist colleague and I are both (separately) talking about early English food in couple of weeks at a colloquium sponsored by our Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. She asked me how to pronounce the first name of Gervase Markham, whether "jer-VASE" or "JAR-viss." I'm also planning to mention him, and while I've had "jer-VASE" in my head, I honestly don't know where I got this. Can any of you confirm or deny or offer suggestions?

Many thanks,

Hannibal

--

Hannibal Hamlin
Professor of English
The Ohio State University

Author of The Bible in Shakespeare, now available through all good bookshops, or direct from Oxford University Press at http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199677610.do

164 West 17th Ave., 421 Denney Hall
Columbus, OH 43210-1340
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