In a dead-tree book from the 1940s, I came across a girl's name, spelled Lisle. Thinking about using it as a character's name in a WIP. Is it pronounced le-sul? Or lyle? Liss-le? Something else?
In a dead-tree book from the 1940s, I came across a girl's name, spelled Lisle. Thinking about using it as a character's name in a WIP. Is it pronounced le-sul? Or lyle? Liss-le? Something else?
I think it's origin is German. If so you would pronounce it something like 'Liesel' with a 'long' ie. Helmut M can probably give a more exact pronouncement.
I think it's origin is German.
My dictionary claims Lisle is a former name for Lille, in France.
It also gives a pronunciation which to me seems impossible: L, the 'u' as in 'run', the 'i' as in 'sit', L.
Not that it's a word I use a lot, I've always pronounced it 'lyle' (British English). But when used as a name, it could well be different.
AJ
My dictionary claims Lisle is a former name for Lille, in France.
Very possible too. Either way the pronouncement is dependent on the origin, if French than most likely 'Lille', if German than most likely 'Li(e)sel'. Either origin could also translate to 'Lilly'.
if German than most likely 'Li(e)sel'.
I wouldn't be surprised if the name, rather than the fabric, was often pronounced to rhyme with 'weasel'.
AJ
I've always pronounced it 'lyle' (British English)
--and I (also BE) pronounce it like the contraction of 'Lee will', Lee'll. There's maybe a hint of a sibilant forming where the apostrophe is, but just a hint as the tongue moves between 'ee' and 'll'
By coincidence, I know a couple of people who live in Lille, and was there last year. They (French and Belgian) pronounce it Leel, more or less.
If I follow your pronunciation, I get 'Louie'-l which is at least pronouncable.
I would have guessed Liesel. Lisle, Illinois is pronounced Lyle, though. But US place names are hardly either consistent or helpful in figuring out European pronunciation.
In my high school and college days in San Antonio, TX, the number one morning radio team, "Lisle and Hahn," was on the local rock station. I was a big supporter of those guys and listened every morning.
I particularly enjoyed his weekly stress relief called the "Primal Scream." It featured 30-second to a few minutes-long soliloquies about something getting under his skin that week. It always ended in a 30-second-long scream at the top of his lungs and transitioning into AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie."
I know many others gave me questioning glances while I sat in my car and screamed at the tops of my lungs along with the dynamic duo of San Antonio radio.
Thanks for the quick jaunt through memory lane.
He pronounced it "Lyle." So his mama called him "Lyle," Imma call him "Lyle."
I've known two Lisle's in my life (it's been a long life) and both pronounced it the same way. Lie-sul with the accent on the first syllable. One Lisle was from Germany, the other from here in the states. I should have married the first one but my wife got in the way.
"Lyle" back then.
In today's environment of 'speshul namez for speshul kidz' you could spell it that way and pronounce it 'George' and get really irate when somebody does it wrong.
Being Latvian I would read it as if it was written Latvian, giving me, I suppose, something like list-let -- without the either t of course.