Hi my friends,
this post is a bit embarassing as there are some problems of keyboard and of computer systems standards. I asked myself what was the correct spelling of the company name of the main pre-war French aircraft engine maker: I usually write Gnome-et-Rône. I don't know how you'll read this word on the post but I means the name is written with the circumflex accent only above the second 'o', but I found the ad I enclose with two circumflexes. I checked the very good book 'L'Aviation Française de Bombardement et de Reinsegnement' by Raymond Danel and Jean Cuny and in the chapter "Les moteurs d'aviation français" we can read the name with the two accents. Elsewhere we can find every combinations: two accents, no accent at all, only on the firt 'O' and only on the second.
When I learned French language at the high school, my teacher said the ^ was a memory of an ancient 's' (or 't'?). Now, no problem for Rhône: it's the former le Rhône and means the Rhône River. But why Gnôme?
I think that name means... gnome, the little people (same in French and British) and I don't see any need for an accent above the 'O'.
Anybody of you French-speaking bloggers could explain this little mystery? When I studied journalism my teacher insisted: you must call anything with its proper name!
Nico
P.S. the ad regards sewing machines but the producer is the same that done also the engines, and bycycles and motorcycles.
this post is a bit embarassing as there are some problems of keyboard and of computer systems standards. I asked myself what was the correct spelling of the company name of the main pre-war French aircraft engine maker: I usually write Gnome-et-Rône. I don't know how you'll read this word on the post but I means the name is written with the circumflex accent only above the second 'o', but I found the ad I enclose with two circumflexes. I checked the very good book 'L'Aviation Française de Bombardement et de Reinsegnement' by Raymond Danel and Jean Cuny and in the chapter "Les moteurs d'aviation français" we can read the name with the two accents. Elsewhere we can find every combinations: two accents, no accent at all, only on the firt 'O' and only on the second.
When I learned French language at the high school, my teacher said the ^ was a memory of an ancient 's' (or 't'?). Now, no problem for Rhône: it's the former le Rhône and means the Rhône River. But why Gnôme?
I think that name means... gnome, the little people (same in French and British) and I don't see any need for an accent above the 'O'.
Anybody of you French-speaking bloggers could explain this little mystery? When I studied journalism my teacher insisted: you must call anything with its proper name!
Nico
P.S. the ad regards sewing machines but the producer is the same that done also the engines, and bycycles and motorcycles.