# bruxelles



## Elisabeth

How exactly is this pronounced? Thank you


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## Thomas1

> Brux•elles
> 
> _Pronunciation: _( _Fr._ bry-sel', bryk-), [key]
> —_n._
> Brussels.
> 
> 
> 
> _Random House Unabridged Dictionary,_ Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease


 
Regards,
Thomas


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## LV4-26

I say [bry*k*-sel] but I know some people say [bry-sel]. As mentionned in the key the phonetic sign [y] is to be pronounced like the german "ü"


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## semiller

Does the region (of France or Belgium) have something to do with which pronounciation one uses?  I would imagine it's kind of like preferring to pronounce Missouri (Missour*ee* ) rather than Missour*ah*.  Although are exceptions people outside of the state of Missouri tend to use the first pronounciation while people who are from the state tend to use the second.  Again, this is a general rule, with room for exceptions of course.


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## Elisabeth

I'm not very good with phonetics so is it bree or broo sound at the beginning? thanks


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## Benjy

broo. but not really as its a short u. like the u in tu


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## EstherV

I know people living there,they are _wallons_ which means they speak french, and they say _brussel_, but very often French say _bruxelle_
Estherv


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## mnzrob

semiller said:
			
		

> Does the region (of France or Belgium) have something to do with which pronounciation one uses? I would imagine it's kind of like preferring to pronounce Missouri (Missour*ee* ) rather than Missour*ah*. Although are exceptions people outside of the state of Missouri tend to use the first pronounciation while people who are from the state tend to use the second. Again, this is a general rule, with room for exceptions of course.


 
When I studied in Strasbourg, France, the family I lived with pronounced the x, both in Bruxelles and Chamonix (pronounced shamoniks, instead of shamoni - yeah i know, my phonetics are not accurate). It does differ by region, but I can't remember if the Alsace region pronounces the X, or if it was the region where the family was originally from. But yes, it does depend on the region.

Rob


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## LV4-26

The way it's pronounced is fairly difficult to predict, I think.

Anyway those who pronounce it one way are aware that it can be pronounced the other. So if you say "bry-ksel' where say "bry-sel" I don't think they will laugh at you or think you're coming from planet Mars. I don't think they'll even be surprised.
This is for France. I'm not sure for Belgium.


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## Jabote

The same goes for the French town of "Auxerres" (cant' remember if there is an "s" at the end, by the way !), it can be pronounced both "Ausserre" or "Auxerre" and I have been told by an "Ausserroise" that it should be proncounced "Ausserre". Apparently only people who do not live there pronounce it "Auxerre". Can't guarantee the accuracy of this statement though !


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## Didier_S

In old-French, X was often like S. But people who don't know the places pronunce often KS like in common words. The most correct pronunciation for Bruxelles, Auxerre and several other towns is S. I know a borough, "Buxerolle", in the suburbs of Poitiers, whose name should be pronunced "Busserol", but fast nobody more knows that...


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## Outsider

That explains why the Flemish name is spelled Brussel!


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## LV4-26

_C'était au temps où Bru*x*elles chantait
C'était au temps du cinéma muet
C'était au temps où Bru*x*elles rêvait
C'était au temps où Bru*x*elles bru*ss*elait 
_(Jacques Brel)


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## Agnès E.

Je n'ai pas osé, Jean-Michel l'a fait !
Merci, c'était tout de même un des meilleurs !


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## Auryn

Jabote said:
			
		

> The same goes for the French town of "Auxerres" (cant' remember if there is an "s" at the end, by the way !), it can be pronounced both "Ausserre" or "Auxerre" and I have been told by an "Ausserroise" that it should be proncounced "Ausserre". Apparently only people who do not live there pronounce it "Auxerre". Can't guarantee the accuracy of this statement though !



There's also Metz, which is pronounced 'Mess' by locals and 'Metz' by everyone else.


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## Benjy

Auryn said:
			
		

> There's also Metz, which is pronounced 'Mess' by locals and 'Metz' by everyone else.



other french people call it "metz" aswell?


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## Auryn

Benjy said:
			
		

> other french people call it "metz" aswell?



Yes, and I usually correct them (I used to live nearby).


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## Matteo49

sorry to bring up an old topic, but i was curious about this:

so with this x being pronounced s rule as in Bruxelles and Chamonix....why does this not apply to Aix-en-Provence...or does it?


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## Agnès E.

Probably because Bruxelles and Chamonix are not the same origin than Aix-en-Provence (Northen French and Southern French, to make a long story short ).


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## Matteo49

Bruxelles-Nord....c'est sur
Aix-Sud....tout à fait
Chamonix-Nord....???


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## Agnès E.

Au plan linguistique, oui.


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## Didier_S

In "La Chanson de Rolland" (epic songs of the 12th century), "Aix" has been spelled "Ais" (about "Aix-la-Chapelle"). But I never heard anybody who pronunces "ès" currently, even in the South. 

During following centuries, "x" has been generalized because, then, "s" was written with a letter which looked like "i"/"j" and "f". "Y" and even "ph", too, for the same reason.


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## Outsider

Étymologie de "Bruxelles" (en anglais).



> In French-speaking areas of the former Empire the word _aquas_ was turned into _aix_, hence Aix-en-Provence is an old Roman spa in Provence.
> 
> "Aix-la-Chapelle"


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## Matteo49

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> Au plan linguistique, oui.


 
est-ce qu'il y a un vrai plan linguistique de la France? J'aimerais bien voir une carte de la France qui décrit les différences linguistiques...


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## Agnès E.

Haha !    C'est pas un peu fini de se moquer, hein, dis !!

Disons, pour simplifier, que le Sud prononce les lettres dites "muettes" au Nord... 

Par exemple : il y a en région parisienne un village qui se nomme "Linas", et l'on prononce "lina". Au sud d'une ligne Bordeaux-Valence, on dirait "Linasse".
Il y a, presque à la frontière de l'Espagne, un village méditerranéen qui s'appelle "Argeles" et l'on prononce "Argeulesse". Au nord de la fameuse ligne, on dirait "argèle".


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## Gil

Matteo49 said:
			
		

> est-ce qu'il y a un vrai plan linguistique de la France? J'aimerais bien voir une carte de la France qui décrit les différences linguistiques...



try that:
http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/europe/France-Parkvall-map.htm


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## anangelaway

Gil said:
			
		

> try that:
> http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/europe/France-Parkvall-map.htm


 
WOW!   Gil, this is brilliant, only you could come out with something like this! Bravo!


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## timpeac

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> Haha !  C'est pas un peu fini de se moquer, hein, dis !!
> 
> Disons, pour simplifier, que le Sud prononce les lettres dites "muettes" au Nord...
> 
> Par exemple : il y a en région parisienne un village qui se nomme "Linas", et l'on prononce "lina". Au sud d'une ligne Bordeaux-Valence, on dirait "Linasse".
> Il y a, presque à la frontière de l'Espagne, un village méditerranéen qui s'appelle "Argeles" et l'on prononce "Argeulesse". Au nord de la fameuse ligne, on dirait "argèle".


 
C'est laquelle la fameuse ligne? Aussi, en suivant le fil ci-dessus, je ne suis pas sûr comment on devrait prononcer Chamonix selon ses autochtones. C'est "chamoni" "chamoniks" ou "chamonisse"?


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## anangelaway

timpeac said:
			
		

> C'est quelle la fameuse ligne? Aussi, en suivant le fil ci-dessus, je ne suis pas sûr comment on devrait prononcer Chamonix selon ses autochtones. C'est "chamoni" "chamoniks" ou "chamonisse"?


 
Ils disent Chamoni. 

Personellement, je dis Chamoni*x*, comme Asteri*x *& Obeli*x*! And Vercingetori*x*! Mais je ne suis pas autochtone, seulement du Sud-ouest...


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## Didier_S

"Chamoni" est plus correct. "Chamouni" est un vieux nom de cette ville.


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## Flox

Hi guys,

Being from Bruxelles, I can confirm that the correct pronunciation should be [bru-sel], without doubt. 

Hope it help,
Cheers


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