CARILLON

Evening Star, Issue 21093, 4 May 1932, Page 6

CARILLON

CORRECT PRONUNCIATION Several correspondents have written to the Wellington ‘ Post ’ asking for the correct pronunciation of the word “ carillon.” Carillon is a French word derived from tho Low-Latin quadrilio, a variant of the classical Latin quatuor, which means four. The old-time carillon was literally a “tourer,” because only four bells were used. The French pronunciation of carillon is approximately “ car-ee-yon,” but in tho Anglicised pronunciations tho “y ” sound is made distinctly. The Wellington War Memorial Carillon Society, following the example of the Sydney University, adopted “ car-rill-yon,” which rhymes with “pavilion,” and with accentuation on the second syllable as tbo proper pronunciation of the word. When the Wellington bells were first played in Hyde Park, London, and were so successfully broadcast to millions of listeners-in throughout the British Isles, a spirited controversy arose over the proper pronunciation of the word, the recognised English pronunciation of the word, “ car-il-lon ” with accent on the first syllable being strongly obected to. The Advisory Committee on Spoken English of the British Broadcasting Corporation settled the matter by adopting the “ carrillyon ” pronunciation, which has now been generally accepted, thus confirming, though quite independently, the Sydney and Wellington pronunciations. In support of this -it is interesting to note that tho Advisory Committee on Spoken English of the British Broadcasting Corporation includes such authorities as the Poet J,aureate (Robert Bridges), the editor of the ‘ Oxford Dictionary ' (Mr C. T. Onions), Sir Johnstone Forbos-Robertson, Mr George Bernard Shaw, Mr A. Lloyd James, Professor Daniel Jones, and Mr Logan Pearsall Smith. Professor Ernest Baker, ol London University, in his edition ol ‘ Cassell’s New English Dictionary, confirms this pronunciation. Similarly for the French words “ carillonneur ” and “ carilloniiciisc,’' representing tho player on the bells, the Wellington Society has followed the example of Sydney University by adopting the term carillonist and pronouncing it “ cnrrillynnist,” the accentuation being on the first, second, and last syllables.

Campanile is an Italian word derived from the Low-Lathi campana (a bell). The term campanile in Italy has been applied specially to detached buildings erected for the purpose of containing bells. The usual pronunciation of campanile in English-speaking countries is approximately “ cam-pa-noe-le/’ witli the accent on the “nee.” This is the pronunciation adopted by the Wellington Society, but there is another recognised version, which has less dignity—“ Cam-pa-mle,” with the accent on the “camp ’ and the “ uile,” sounded as a rhyme to ‘ smile.”