Oh crap. Can I get a consensus on how to pronounce "Vallejo"??

[Lorien]

I'm trying to avoid an awful "Seinfeld" moment in the next day or two. I'm going out of state and visiting a couple of artist friends. I've known them for a while and they are very well known in the fantasy art community-but I've never known how to pronounce the husband's last name-and I just remembered that have to introduce him to someone soon! I've asked our mutual friends and they've given me about three variations. I don't want to ask him or his wife at this point-just too embarrassing. He generally just signs his first name "Boris" on his work so I might be able to get by just using that...but better safe than have a "Mulva" moment. So: "Vallejo"; what's the definitive pronunciation? (He's from Peru, if that helps).

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Well, the city in NorCal is pronounced

vah-LAY-ho, but that's no guarantee that the name is pronounced that way.

[Eurobabe]

21. I've also heard it pronounced that way too. n/t

[LeftyMom]

2. If it's like the city it's Va-lay-ho

You're going to visit them? How exciting!

[Lorien]

24. That's how Green Meanie's site pronounced it too

I've never been to the city so I didn't know that there was a common American pronunciation-so I figure that'll be pretty safe...meaning that I'll have hardly have been the first to mispronounce it if I'm wrong. ;-)

I hope Allentown has a little color already. It's been a while since I've been up North in the Fall! Should be fun.

:hi:

[EFerrari]

3. It's probably va - ye - ho.

But ask. Give them a giggle. :)

[billyoc]

4. va-JAY-ho

[XemaSab]

5. Vuh-lay-yo

:P

[bluesbassman]

6. Agreed.

I've lived in the bay area all my life, and I've only heard it pronounced XemaSab's way or Vuh-lay-ho.

Except of course the people who say "Valley Joe". Then again, they're the same ones that say "Frisco".:rofl:

[ferrferr]

7. viejo = vee - eh -ho , vallejo = vah - lay - ho

I think that's right ... I suck a phonetic spelling on demand (when it's not an accidental spelling error). :p

[EFerrari]

8. Close. The double "ll" = "y" in Spanish.

So, if Lorien's friend is using the English pronunciation like the town, va / lay / ho

but, if he's using the Spanish pronunciation, va / ye / ho

[ferrferr]

12. I failed Spanish in middle school, being close is good for me. *embarrassed*

[EFerrari]

15. Oh, don't be, please. Spanish is my first language

and I completely forgot about "v" sounding more like a soft "b". :)

[struggle4progress]

16. And what if Vallejo is Chilean? Might the pronunciation be vah-ZHAY-ho?

[EFerrari]

18. Maybe we should stick with Boris.

:P

[struggle4progress]

19. I think your vah-yeh-ho seems easy and safe

[Lorien]

25. Lol! Maybe that'll make him feel like Madonna

Well heck, in certain circles he kinda is. ;-)

[EFerrari]

52. Or like Bjork! Or, Jesus, or Carson!

lol

[Lorien]

14. Ack! Variations again!

I'm guessing it's the Spanish. Is that "Vah-yee-ho" or "Vay-yee-ho"?

Thanks so much!

:hi:

[EFerrari]

17. The 1st syllable is "Vah". The second syllable has a short "e" sound.

Like the "e" in "egg". It also is the accented syllable. :hi:

[Lorien]

22. Thanks sfexpat2000!

I really hope that I can remember it.

:hi:

[EFerrari]

23. I hope you have a good time!

:hi:

[Gonzo Gardener]

9. Valley Ho!!!

:D

Seriously, it's 'bahy-ey-hoh'. The 'B' is pronounced very softly. Almost a mix somewhere between 'B' and 'V'. The 'LL' sounds like "Y" and the 'J' sounds like an 'H', as in hot.

Listen here ---> http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Vallejo

Enjoy your visit!


:hi:

[Lorien]

20. Thanks for that site!

Our mutual friends use variations that are closest to the first one. I just put on my iPhone, but damn, I'm probably still going to mangle it. :blush:

I'm truly hopeless at foreign languages. Too damn visually oriented; my auditory memory is pathetic!

[Shiver]

10. ...........

.....you're meeting Boris Vallejo? And Julie Bell? And you're being so damn casual about it?!

....

:banghead:

[Lorien]

13. Julie is a friend of mine. I'm also an illustrator

She and Boris taught me a lot about oils this past year. I never was gutsy enough to use them before, but Boris is a great teacher (he taught her) so I'm actually using them now. I'm not much of one for barbarians and monsters though, lol! They're a wonderful couple; two of those rare people who have a truly enviable marriage and are fortunate enough to be doing something they really love every day. But anyway, I'm just going up to their home this weekend with a non-artist friend, so introductions are going to need to be made! :blush:

[Shiver]

26. My head hurts from the envy...

And I'm even more pissed at my ex for aiding to what got me kicked out of art school...

[Lorien]

34. there's still time to learn!

Go to www.illustrationmasterclass.com. You can train with them too!

[Shiver]

35. Thanks

I'm actually focusing more on my writing now, though, and working to get back into school for that. the illustration I do anymore seems to be characters and scenes from my stories. I'll check that site out, though. :)

[struggle4progress]

11. vah-YAY-ho: short 'a' on first syllable, long 'a' on second, long 'o' on third, accent on second

Of course, if you'd rather spare yourself the nuisance of all these social niceties, you can simply splash beer all over your face and hair and shirt just before you arrive, and then repeatedly insist on loudly calling him "Valley Joe" in way that's just a bit too much friendly

[MrScorpio]

28. Bingo!

[BlueCollar]

27. bayeho

The V should be pronounced as a B and the LL is pronounced like a Y in Castillian Spanish which is the predominant dialect in Peru.

[crim son]

31. That's my thought too.

But we have a town up here called "Calais" and it's pronounced "Caliss", so you never know.

[carlyhippy]

29. I would pronounce it Val-yay-ho

If it were me,beforehand I would quietly pull the wife off to the side and ask the proper way to pronounce the last name , I am sure it wouldn't be the first time someone has done so.

[Duende azul]

30. escucha aqui

around 0:55 and 2:38 it´s pronounced in Spanish

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=e1B2usfxrdY&feature=related">Cesar Vallejo - Poeta Peruano, parte 1

[ScreamingMeemie]

32. I guess not, eh?

[TZ]

33. You know Boris Vallejo? I'm jealous

Love love LOVE his work!

[Lorien]

40. he and his wife were instructors of mine

His wife julie and I really hit it off, so we've kept in touch. I've never been a huge fan of their work, but they are great teachers and really wonderful people. Julie has helped me with a few chronic health conditions too; she really knows her stuff when it comes to alternative medicine ( she's a body builder). :-)

[auntAgonist]

36. I'm jealous too. I LOVE Boris Vallejo's work.

Have a great time.

aA

[AlCzervik]

37. Vah-lay-ho.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

38. Vuh-yay-ho.

Double L in Spanish = Y.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

39. If he is from Peru --

I would go with the traditional "Vah-yeh-ho" -- "Val-lay-ho" is an anglo pronunciation.

[Lorien]

42. Thanks so much!

either one would be much better than the phonetic Anglo pronuncation I used years ago, LOL- glad I never tried that.


I'm glad I'm no longer dating a swede- I So suck at foreign languages!!

[Deep13]

41. Well, English speakers don't say "Meh-hee-ko" for Mexico.

Unless you know for a fact how B.V. actually pronounces it, I would go with /vall-AY-hoe/.

[billyskank]

43. No idea at all, but he's one hell of a painter.

[Fire Walk With Me]

44. In an Antonio Banderas voice, of course.

"Vallejo". See? Lovely.

[musette_sf]

45. trust me

it is VUH-LAY-HOE.

no one here does the "LL" like a Y.

(i do live on a street in NorCal that has the "LL". i pronounce it like "Y" which drives the locals nuts. but i do it on purpose.)

[EFerrari]

48. Boris is from Peru, not Hayward, though.

A lot of us that have Spanish names change them or accept the Anglo pronunciation in order to avoid being irritated for the rest of our lives, though. I had a Spanish first name and went to "Elizabeth" at 10 because my teachers couldn't say my name and it was embarrassing.

[BrotherBuzz]

46. My Great-great grandfather served under Commodore Farragut at Mare Island

Our family has always called the city "Vuh-lay-yo"

[Schema Thing]

47. val le jo, mon frere

[Taverner]

49. Val-AY-Hoe

Like saying "Val, A Ho"

[yellowdogintexas]

50. I would agree, based on my daughter's 4th grade teacher, who was named

Vallejo Vah lay ho and that would be a broad a in the first syllable

[lunatica]

53. That's exactly how it's pronounced. I live in the Bay Area near Vallejo n/t

Val-AY-Hoe

[krispos42]

51. va-yey-ho

"ll" in spanish isn't two "l"s, it's a single character composed of two parallel vertical lines. Like the letter "H" without the connecting stroke.

It's pronouced like the letter "y" in English.


For example, the Spanish word for "chicken" is "pollo", pronounced "poyo".




And the letter "j" is pronounced like English "h", as in "Jesus" being pronounced "Hey, Zeus".


:-)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

54. If it's the California city: Va-LAY-oh, if it's a Latino name: Va-YAY-ho

End of controversy. There are regional variations in pronouncing "ll," ("ly," "j," "zh") but Va-YAY-ho is close enough.

[OakCliffDem]

55. Vallejo California

The town known to be half way between San Francico and Sinsemilla
<>

[Dangerously Amused]

56. Just call him "Valley Joe Six-Pack," you betcha! :D

Heh.

And yeah, another one gre-eeeen with envy right here.

Have fun!