Terry Posted 6 November , 2003 Share Posted 6 November , 2003 All Pals forgive my ignorance, but what is the official, correct pronunciation of Ypres? I have heard the word pronounced Eee-pray; eep-er; Wipers (the old BEF favourite); Eee-prez, and so on. Which is best? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 6 November , 2003 Share Posted 6 November , 2003 I'll probably be corrected by some of our Flemish Pals, but I once asked this question to a Ieper bus driver. His answer was "Eep- er" but with a "rolled " R. (His explaination of the pronunciation of "de Klijte" caused me (with my (then) youthful mind) much amusement for years to come! ) Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 6 November , 2003 Author Share Posted 6 November , 2003 I just remembered that I have also heard the variation "Eeps". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 6 November , 2003 Share Posted 6 November , 2003 I'll probably be corrected by some of our Flemish Pals, but I once asked this question to a Ieper bus driver. His answer was "Eep- er" but with a "rolled " R. Dave, You certainly know how to pick out your bus drivers ! For ... he was correct ! "Eep-er". With rolling -r-. As a matter of fact I would like to learn what the 'best' English pronunciation of "Ypres" might be. And whether some ways to pronounce the name have some stylistic or other connotation. Modern ? Old-fashioned ? And "Wipers" is ironic I suppose ? Pronunciation of De Klijte ? - In our (Flemish) dialect : with a short , like in your "it". - In Dutch : diphthong more or less like in your "wait". Also this (but it is spelling) : I'm amused when once in a while I receive letters from the UK spelling Ieper as ... Leper. (Capital I interpreted as an L ?) Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 6 November , 2003 Share Posted 6 November , 2003 Dave, You certainly know how to pick out your bus drivers !..... ....Pronunciation of De Klijte ? - In our (Flemish) dialect : with a short , like in your "it". I certainly do, Aurel. Buses on the De Klijte run seem rather scarce these days with the onset of the "Bell bus" scheme He pronounced "De Klijte" with the Flemish dialect, which is what caused me and a friend (after a trawl round many of the pubs in Ieper) much hilarity. (You either understand this or you don't, I'm not going into any explainations, apart from the fact that if you don't find things like "The Young Ones", "Bottom" and such programmes funny, then you probably won't see the joke!!! ) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 6 November , 2003 Share Posted 6 November , 2003 Now you know why Thomas Atkins, Esquire settled for "Wipers". Terry Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 6 November , 2003 Share Posted 6 November , 2003 As a matter of fact I would like to learn what the 'best' English pronunciation of "Ypres" might be. And whether some ways to pronounce the name have some stylistic or other connotation. Modern ? Old-fashioned ? And "Wipers" is ironic I suppose ? The pronunciation that seems to be most popular (especially on TV) seems to be "Eep-r" (which sounds just like "Eep"). "Wipers" is very similar to the name that I called it as a child. Going off the (French and British) spelling, I used to pronounce it "Why-prez". Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleur Posted 7 November , 2003 Share Posted 7 November , 2003 You either understand this or you don't, I'm not going into any explainations, apart from the fact that if you don't find things like "The Young Ones", "Bottom" and such programmes funny, then you probably won't see the joke!!! : *snigger* huh huh huuh! I get it! Fleur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevew Posted 7 November , 2003 Share Posted 7 November , 2003 I'm pleased to say I always go for the eep-er pronounciation, but, how about this one. I've lived a fair chunk of my life in Sittingbourne in Kent which is twined with Ieper, there is a pub there called the Ypres Tavern, which everyone I know calls it yeeps tavern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleur Posted 7 November , 2003 Share Posted 7 November , 2003 I prefer to say EEEEEp! said in a high pitched voice, afer a few extra large Cyper Cafe beers I can be heard wobbling my way around the Grote Market squeeking 'EEEEEp!' Sad ... but true! *ashamed* Fleur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_McGarry Posted 7 November , 2003 Share Posted 7 November , 2003 I'm pleased to say I always go for the eep-er pronounciation, but, how about this one. I've lived a fair chunk of my life in Sittingbourne in Kent which is twined with Ieper, there is a pub there called the Ypres Tavern, which everyone I know calls it yeeps tavern The world gets Smaller by the day... Steve... my Father-in-law ... Ken, was the land lord of the "Yeeps" Tavern for many years in the 1980's... Its still there and its still called the "Yeeps" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 7 November , 2003 Share Posted 7 November , 2003 Spent a frantic time at Brussels station trying to buy a train ticket to Ypres on my very first trip to the battlefields. Poor chap seemed completely dumb founded at my very bad pronunciation. Typical Englishman abroad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevew Posted 8 November , 2003 Share Posted 8 November , 2003 I'm pleased to say I always go for the eep-er pronounciation, but, how about this one. I've lived a fair chunk of my life in Sittingbourne in Kent which is twined with Ieper, there is a pub there called the Ypres Tavern, which everyone I know calls it yeeps tavern The world gets Smaller by the day... Steve... my Father-in-law ... Ken, was the land lord of the "Yeeps" Tavern for many years in the 1980's... Its still there and its still called the "Yeeps" Small World in deed, I don't actually live in Kent anymore, my mum does and I was there last weekend. We past the tavern, b4 setting off for a booze cruise and a flying visit to Ieper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 8 November , 2003 Share Posted 8 November , 2003 In one of his voluminous explanatory notes to 'In Parenthesis' David Jones claims that the 'Wipers' pronunciation was associated with the early part of the war and its use was the mark of a true veteran-he suggests it was only properly used by a man out before the end of 1915 or even , according to some purists, someone who had fought in the First Battle of Ypres. He describes a new arrival who uses 'Wipers' as being reproved 'What do you know about Wipers? Eeps if you don't mind!' 'In Parenthesis' Note 35 to Part 3. A dear aunt of my wife's, who loves the town and is a frequent visitor, refers to it as 'Yeeps'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 8 November , 2003 Share Posted 8 November , 2003 I always use the French pronunciation but when I first starting visiting the Western Front my late mother said. "Thanks for the postcard from Wipers" - as a daughter of an Old Contemptible, that pronunciation was subconsciously ingrained. Echoes of the past take a long time to fade away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom Brearley Posted 8 November , 2003 Share Posted 8 November , 2003 Is the French pronounciation Eep-r then? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham-McAdam Posted 9 November , 2003 Share Posted 9 November , 2003 Oui! - as long as you do the -r in your throat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 9 November , 2003 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2003 Now I don't feel so dumb! It appears that I wasn't alone in wondering just how this famous word should be pronounced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSeptember1918 Posted 9 November , 2003 Share Posted 9 November , 2003 Now all I have to do is learn how to do an rrrr in my throat ?????..Not an easy thing for a bush aussie Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FriedrichhJolly Posted 14 November , 2003 Share Posted 14 November , 2003 Hello, have not being here for a while... But just to add that I've always pronounced it as if it was in French (eepr); I am always very kinky about pronunciation matters, but with Ducth and Flemish... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve "Taffy" K Posted 18 October , 2016 Share Posted 18 October , 2016 (edited) My Grandad was in A Company, 2nd Battalion Welsh Regiment from the start of the war until he was shot and injured around 21/08/16 near Bazentin Le Petit. He fought at the 1st Battle of Ypres and subsequently after the war named his 3rd son Ypres. His name was always pronounced by the family as "Eee-prez". Consequently I have always used "Eee-prez" to describe the town/battle. We always wondered why it was not pronounced "Eep-r" (rolling "r") as seems to be the norm in the UK, and presumed it was a South Walian interpretation! Until, that is, I saw a documentary recently where an old lady described being a child in the midst of the battle (speaking Flemish with English subtitles), and clearly referred to the town as "Eee-prez". Mystery solved! Edited 18 October , 2016 by Steve "Taffy" K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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