OK, before this gets ridiculous, let me set the pronunciation straight. The first two comments to the previous post (including my own mother's!) were incorrect; the third was much closer to correct.
"Boncimino" is a purely Italian name. It originated in Italy, and reflects the Italian heritage. (I've often joked that the only reason Cheryl married me was to get the Italian last name back!) To be remotely correct, "Boncimino" should be pronounced as it would sound in Italian. To do otherwise would be like saying "Ill-ih-noyS" for the state of Illinois (The "s" is supposed to be silent - duh!).
So, taking you through the syllables:
"b" as in boy
"on" as in tone
"ci" as in cheap (This is vital!!)
"mi" as in meat
"no" as in note
The stresses should be placed on the first and third syllables, "bon" and "mi".
This leaves us with the following CORRECT way to pronounce "Boncimino":
BONE-chee-MEE-noh
Now that I've annoyed just about everyone in my family, go ahead and leave your comments.
BUT JUST REMEMBER...
If you accept the Americanized "bahn-sih-meen-o", you no longer have a right to scowl or glibly correct those who mispronounce Illinois by adding that spoken "s". It's the same exact mistake.
greg
(Italian Pronunciation Reference)
7 comments:
I'm glad you went to grad school to learn how to pronounce your name.
Hi Greg, You probably don't remember us, but...I must tell you that when our daughter Shayna was about 3, she used to jump on her bed and say, "Bounci - Bounci - Bouncimio! And, I remember your mom saying she wished some of the kids's teachers got even that close to pronouncing it.
Just to note, the above comment was supposed to say Alice Herzig. Oh, and "kids'", not "kids's"! Guess I should read the Preview next time!
Ah, but can't you just feel the Illinoise? :P
All this makes me laugh. However we say it, we all know who we are...a family that loves each other. To add another dimension, I was told "Boncimino" meant "good road". Does anyone know the real derivation?
Love,
Mom (Boncimino) Barb Kovacevich (another name I don't know how to pronounce)
Ah, Barb gave us a nice challenge here: correctly pronounce Kovacevich. I'd say Kovacevich is a Yugoslavian (or Serbian) name and should be pronounced like this: KO (Co) VA (like Va Va Voom) CHE (like chase) VICH (like witch but with a v sound instead, kinda like Dracula speaking). Kovacevich! Similar to "Milosevic", but I digress. :)
I will continue to say Bon-si-meeno AND laugh at those who say "Illinoise".
You can't stop me!
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