Joan BENWAH Samuelson - Really, NBC?

Wait isn’t that how you pronounce it though? Someone else I know with that last name pronounces it “Ben-wah”.

OP goes home devastated

Ciro wrote:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AWxg0EbO64c

OP goes home devastated

First rule of journalism when it comes to pronouncing someone's name -- ask them. Joanie pronounces her name Be-Noyt

Samuelson, Joan Benoit (1957—)

Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Research Inc.

Samuelson, Joan Benoit (1957—)

American runner and gold-medal winner in the first Olympic marathon for women. Name variations: Joan Benoit. Pronunciation: BAH-noit. Born Joan Benoit on May 16, 1957, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine; daughter of Nancy Benoit and Andre Benoit (a clothing retailer); Bowdoin College, B.A. in history and environmental studies, 1979; married Scott Samuelson, in 1984; children: Abigail (b. 1987); Anders (b. 1990).

Fair enough gents.

Before my time, so I'll go with your explanations.

Luckily I was already at home when the devastation kicked in. Have a good one.

I wasn't familiar with that name until her 1984 marathon. I assumed everyone pronounced it like Joan did.

But apparently Joan's version is the oddity. Every subsequent example I've come across has used Ben-wah. There was even a Big Break golfer named Benoit Beisser who originally was named Benjamin but then he heard someone mispronounce his name as Ben-wah at at early age. He loved it so much he had his named legally changed to Benoit and pronounces it the same way Al Roker did.

It SHOULD be pronounced Ben-wah, but in Maine, French names tend to have English pronunciations. On a local news station in Maine, the town of Calais, which in France is pronounced Cal-lay , was pronounced "Callous."

What The wrote:

It SHOULD be pronounced Ben-wah, but in Maine, French names tend to have English pronunciations. On a local news station in Maine, the town of Calais, which in France is pronounced Cal-lay , was pronounced "Callous."

Pronounced Be-nouah

It's actually pretty easy.

If pronounced in French, it would be Ben WAH.

Somehow along the lines of translation and being in the USA they came upon pronouncing it Be NOIT.

That's how Joan pronounces it so that's how it is.

Now if she ever finds herself in the Dr's office in a French speaking country, rest assured they will say, "Ben WAH, the Dr will see you now".

Yeah, cuz we all pronounce Detroit as Deh-twah right? Get over it OP, she's Ben-oyt and that town is Dee-troyt.

In the NBA there was David Benoit- pronounced Ben-Wah.

But also Benoit Benjamin- pronounced Ben-Noit.

It ain't pronounced Ben -oyt if you ask me.

Can't Trust The News These Days wrote:

On Tuesday morning's Today show, there was a piece on the Boston Marathon with a few quick stories. One was about Joan Benoit Samuelson's finish within 40 minutes of her time in 1979. However, Al Roker pronounced her name "Benwah." Of course, this isn't Al's fault, as I assume whoever contributed the story got the pronunciation wrong. Really? Is it that hard to Google?

https://www.nbc.com/today/video/today-third-hour-apr-16-2019/3938034

It IS Al's fault, for being a so-called journalist who had apparently never even heard of such a prominent athlete as Joan Benoit. Like nearly every other host or anchorperson on mainstream television, he's a clueless emptyhead who does no research on his own and just reads whatever he's handed.

As for the varying pronunciations of Joan's surname, the late Chris Benoit, infamous pro wrestler and murderer who was born in Quebec, went with "Benwah."

In the official results, there is a 2 second difference.

Valdez AK

Los Angeles

Notre Dame University

Saint Louis

I once worked with a guy who said his name mar-tuh-NEZZ instead of mar-TEE-nes. I think someone in the family wanted to distance themselves from immigrants (he spoke no Espanol)

Yes Ben-oyt is a dumb Americanism like Noder Dayme BUT I can see why she prefers it. Joan Be-noir sounds really pretentious in the US.

It's an East Coaster thing to butcher the French language In Nova Scotia the name Veinot has actually morphed to Whynot and that's actually how they spell it.

F the french language and it's pronunciation. It's her name and she pronounces it the way she likes it. I know a guy whose last name is Velez, he pronounces it Vuhlez. Good enough for me.

balls