Degas

[Garzo]

Dismissing the English word for the removal of gas and focusing on the name of the French painter, what is the correct pronunciation of his name? Now, American and British pronunciation of French loanwords is very different. We Brits would stress the first syllable and not pronounce the s: saying something like day-gah. I would imagine that those of you who are American would stress the final syllable and not pronounce the s: saying something like duh-gah. However, there is something off the top of my head that suggests that the s is pronounced. Any thoughts?

-- Garzo.

[KatyBr]

I remember when we were learning about painters in my art classes, we were taught the name as if it were French de gas, as you said day-gah. He was a gas anyway, he was the pedaphile of his times I suppose sigh, but his figures of dainty dancers are lovely.

Kt

[gailr]

We learned about him as DAY-ga, painter of dancers and race horses (long-legged fillies all), as well as homely topics.
This one always makes me smile.
gailr

[Brazilian dude]

Since French words are always accented on the last syllable and most s's are not pronounced, the pronunciation, at least in French, is duhGA (the uh represents a shwa), because it doesn't bear an accent mark, which would make it deGA, with a clearly pronounce Eh.

Brazilian dude

[KatyBr]

BD, french as in De gas, the gas, lol

Kt

[Stargzer]

My BHD (Big Honkin' Dictionary--The Random House Dictionary of the English Language) gives the pronunciation as də gä', where the "d" should be followed by a schwa.

I've been fiddling with fonts trying, to no avail, to find one that will display a schwa.

[sluggo]

Dismissing the English word for the removal of gas and focusing on the name of the French painter, what is the correct pronunciation of his name? Now, American and British pronunciation of French loanwords is very different. We Brits would stress the first syllable and not pronounce the s: saying something like day-gah. I would imagine that those of you who are American would stress the final syllable and not pronounce the s: saying something like duh-gah. However, there is something off the top of my head that suggests that the s is pronounced. Any thoughts?

-- Garzo.

In New Orléans, the capital of mispronunciation, Café Degas is nevertheless articulated as day-GAH.

Pretty close, though I think Stargzer's analysis is closest to French. It's got a certain.. je ne sais schwa....

[Brazilian dude]

It's got a certain.. je ne sais schwa....

Precious.

Brazilian dude

[melissa]

Gailr, that green painting smacks of absinthe more than anything lautrec slapped on canvas. hmmm I prefer "to lose" to "too loose" but that's another plate of snails.
I always thought French was pretty much accent-free so English speakers tend to say dayGAH to compensate, but never heard it rhyme with Vegas.
Now I have a vision of Degas painting Vegas showgirls.