Pronunciations

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Whether it is right or wrong, I have always pronounced the surname Trot-vil and will continue to do so.

Me too, John!

Viv

[Boatbuilder]

In the Audible version on 'The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage' Fatty, on introducing himself to the others pronounces his name 'Trott-ville'.

[221b]

In the Audible version on 'The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage' Fatty, on introducing himself to the others pronounces his name 'Trott-ville'.

Yes, I know. And I still think it's wrong.

As an audiobook reader of some 20+ years myself, I know how things have changed radically in recent years in terms of how they're produced. I think Thomas's reading of the whole series is very good actually. Previously, there would have been a producer/director and technician when recording an audiobook - now you're often on your own...

As a voice actor, you're often expected to do all of this yourself in a home studio, at a third of the fee of 15 years ago, with audible laughing all the way to the bank. Thomas will almost certainly have done most - if not all - of this solo and there certainly won't have been a pronunciation unit or checker like there used to be.

Anyhoo, back to the name...

It behaves in the same way as Hugh Bonneville's name - and no-one calls him "Bonn-ville"

See also Vaudeville, Stoke Mandeville etc...

Sounds are weird things - once we've heard something in our heads a certain way - right or wrong - it's really hard to hear it said a different way.

[Barnard]

If Fatty’s surname should be pronounced Trotter-ville it would remind me of Only Fools And Horses. I have always thought it was pronounced as two syllables. SwatIsaid!

[Boodi 2]

I always assumed that Fatty's surname was pronounced either "Trotteville" or "Trotterville"! What joke did Eunice make about it in "Missing Man" when Fatty called her "Belling" instead of "Tolling"? I cannot check myself because due to the renovation of my office/workroom/library all my books are packed away in boxes in the basement.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I think Eunice threatens to call him 'Canterville' instead of 'Trotteville'.

I've always pronounced Fatty's surname with three syllables. Like Helen (221b), I'm influenced by 'vaudeville', 'Stoke Mandeville', etc.

[Perce]

These are interesting comments on the pronunciation of Fatty's surname. I've always thought of it as 'Trot-vil', and Eunice's comment fits in well with this.

[Barnard]

You are quite right Perce. A horse will move at a canter or a trot, but not at a trotter.

[Courtenay]

I've always pronounced it with three syllables. However, in Invisible Thief — which I didn't read when I was little — I was intrigued by the scene where the culprit leaves a threatening note suggesting where the next break-in will be: TROTVILS NEXT.

The thief couldn't spell very well, but he obviously thought of Fatty's surname as having two syllables, so maybe that's Enid's way of signalling to us all that she definitely thought of it as pronounced "Trot-vil", not "Trot-uh-vil"...

(On the same note, I occasionally get people making the same mistake with my given name. It's pronounced Court-ney, the same way as the other spelling. If anyone calls me "Cour-te-nay" in my hearing, it makes me instantly want to bite them. )

[Hannah]

I've always pronounced the name as Trot-vil too. I guess that before I learned French (but after the first English lesson) I might have thought of "Trott-ee-vill" or something similar - . I only read the English books as an adult, though. In my German translation Fatty's surname is Kronstein which sounds very German so I had no reason to wonder about the pronunciation.

I also read the French words in German pronunciation for quite a long time - I only started to learn French when I was 15.

Some people wrote around 2009/2010 that Mademoiselle was abandoned in France. I was in France exactly at that time and was called Mle or Mlle on most documents but there was one institution that wrote Madame. I can't say much about other contacts as I was almost always called by my Christian name by everyone else (or not addressed by name at all).

When I read the books about Cherry tree/Willow farm I wondered how to pronounce Tammylan? Are both a's pronounced like in land?

[Katharine]

Apologies if I bring anyone out in a rash, but I've always pronounced it 'Trot ville'. I can't say I'd ever really noticed the 'e' in the middle.

I agree about Hugh Bonn e ville, but then I'd heard his name before I ever saw it written down, so can't be 100% sure how I'd have pronounced it, but probably with a silent e.

[Fiona1986]

(On the same note, I occasionally get people making the same mistake with my given name. It's pronounced Court-ney, the same way as the other spelling. If anyone calls me "Cour-te-nay" in my hearing, it makes me instantly want to bite them. )

That's how I say it in my head but I'm not sure what would come out of my mouth if I had tried it out loud. But I read a lot of things in my head differently to how I pronounce them. Their they're and there all sound different in my head but the same when I say them

As for Fatty I'd pronounce it Trott-eh-ville or somewhere close to that.

[Boodi 2]

I've always pronounced it with three syllables. However, in Invisible Thief — which I didn't read when I was little — I was intrigued by the scene where the culprit leaves a threatening note suggesting where the next break-in will be: TROTVILS NEXT.

The thief couldn't spell very well, but he obviously thought of Fatty's surname as having two syllables, so maybe that's Enid's way of signalling to us all that she definitely thought of it as pronounced "Trot-vil", not "Trot-uh-vil"...

(On the same note, I occasionally get people making the same mistake with my given name. It's pronounced Court-ney, the same way as the other spelling. If anyone calls me "Cour-te-nay" in my hearing, it makes me instantly want to bite them. )

Excellent point Courtenay...that pronunciation would explain why Twit wrote "Trotvils" on the note...he was merely transcribing what he had heard.

On your other comment, I always assumed that your name was pronounced as "Courtnee", so I am glad that I was correct!!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I've always pronounced it [Trotteville] with three syllables. However, in Invisible Thief — which I didn't read when I was little — I was intrigued by the scene where the culprit leaves a threatening note suggesting where the next break-in will be: TROTVILS NEXT.

I always interpreted that as a deliberate touch of comedy, with the incorrect spelling reflecting the incorrect pronunciation of the name by the thief.

I think Eunice threatens to call him 'Canterville' instead of 'Trotteville'.

I've always thought of it as 'Trot-vil', and Eunice's comment fits in well with this.

That depends whether Eunice is concerned mainly with replicating the sound and flow of the original name (if we assume Trotteville is pronounced with three syllables) or mainly with using the same form of the verb ('trot' and 'canter' - if we assume Trotteville is pronounced with two syllables). To me, it makes more sense for her to be echoing the rhythm of the original name - i.e. Trott-uh-ville. After all, if we return to 'Belling' and 'Tolling' we have two names of the same length and rhythm but 'bell' doesn't equate to 'toll'.

[Courtenay]

That depends whether Eunice is concerned mainly with replicating the sound and flow of the original name (if we assume Trotteville is pronounced with three syllables) or mainly with using the same form of the verb ('trot' and 'canter' - if we assume Trotteville is pronounced with two syllables). To me, it makes more sense for her to be echoing the rhythm of the original name - i.e. Trott-uh-ville.

That's what I'd assume too, although the play on words works either way.

After all, if we return to 'Belling' and 'Tolling' we have two names of the same length and rhythm but 'bell' doesn't equate to 'toll'.

But they're related words — "tolling" a bell is the old word for ringing one, usually a church bell or a clock — so I assume that's what made the connection between "Tolling" and "Belling" in Fatty's mind!