The Corner

The Other “300”

A reader:    “(Quoting me)  ‘The correct pronunciation of Euler’s name can be deduced from the following tribute…’  Only a eejit would not know how to pronounce Oiler. I thought you would tell the hoi polloi how to pronounce Leonhard.  Hard ‘d’ or soft? Lee-o or Ley-o?”   [Me]  Funny, no-one ever asked me that before.  I have always heard, and said, “LAY-on-hart,” but I will take correction from any Swiss-German readers of The Corner.  And btw I was always told that “the hoi polloi” is a pleonasm, as “hoi” means “the.”  But I’ll take correction on that, too, since I know no Greek. 

John Derbyshire — Mr. Derbyshire is a former contributing editor of National Review.
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