French words and name can be tricky to pronounce for non-native speakers.
The famous naturalist Pierre-Joseph Redouté is a good example because there is an accent on the last e. If the accent isn't written, the pronunciation is different and, of course, so is the meaning as redoute is a French word in its own right, with several different meanings.
This little vidéo will show you how both Redouté and Redoute are pronounced.
- Redouté: written with a capital R, it is a family surname, most famously worn by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, an 18th century painter celebrated for his botanical paintings.
- redouté: written with no capital R, it is the past participle of the verb redouter, which means to dread.
- redoute: written without an accent on the last e, it is either a form of the verb redouter or a noun which translates to redoubt in English
Isn't French wonderful?
Now that you know how to pronounce his name properly, click on the image below to check out the Pierre-Joseph Redouté botanical prints available at French Vintage Prints.
