Ghost of a flea: Mr. Poutine

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September 03, 2008

Mr. Poutine

Le Point offers a remarkably sensible summary of Russian foreign policy since the collapse of the Soviet system;-brutal, self-serving in its hypocrisy regarding Kosovo and indifferent to international opinion (hat tip to Will). But it is the transliteration of Vladimir Putin's last name that struck me. Fortunately, William Safire had noticed the same thing and offers a handy guide to the diplomatic briar bush that is the pronunciation of foreign names.

Now we come to the reason that French is known as the language of diplomacy. In France's official documents, as well as uniformly in the French press, Vladimir Putin's last name is spelled Poutine. As a natural result, it is pronounced poo-TEEN, rhyming with our ''routine.'' The French undoubtedly know that is not the way he or his compatriots, or even President Bush looking into his soul, pronounce Putin's name.

As Safire goes on to observe, in Canada, poutine has a rather different connotation.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at September 3, 2008 06:54 AM

Comments

...but I thought his name was Vladimir Poontang?

Posted by: agent bedhead at September 3, 2008 11:36 AM