Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!news.mathworks.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!world!jcf
From: jcf@world.std.com (Joseph C Fineman)
Subject: Re: Q: [French] Is "vie" [vi@]?
Message-ID: <DMs45n.Bor@world.std.com>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
References: <FURUFURU.96Feb9230002@kongming.ccsr.u-tokyo.ac.jp> <4fpie8$atn@news.NetVision.net.il>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 1996 18:46:35 GMT
Lines: 19

avi_jaco@netvision.net.il (Avi Jacobson) writes:

>One of the hallmarks of lyric diction is that _all_ schwa-e's are
>syllabized.

From stray French songs that I have heard, I get the impression that
modern popular songwriters feel free to avail themselves of the extra
syllable when convenient, without being consistent.  For example, in
"La Vie en Rose", the e is pronounced in "rose" but not in "vie"
(perhaps because the latter is followed by a vowel?) or "voie".  Later
on, to make "ca me fait quelque chose" scan, some suppress the e in
"quelque", and some the one in "me"!

Maybe in old songs too?  "Et le quatre les plus grands ivrognes"
needs the extra syllable in "ivrognes" but not in "quatre".
-- 
        Joe Fineman             jcf@world.std.com
        239 Clinton Road        (617) 731-9190
        Brookline, MA 02146
