Literary circles in India have started a debate over William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B) Du Bois pronunciation controversy. Du Bois was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist.
As per details, University of Columbia professor Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak has stopped, corrected and even rebuked a man during question answer session after delivering lecture at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
“Du Bois (pronounced Do Boys). Will you please learn his name? If you are going to talk about the man who is perhaps the best historian sociologist of the last century and this is supposed to be an elite university, then please take the trouble to learn how to pronounce his name,” she stopped Anshul Kumar from audience in the middle of the question. Kumar introduced himself as Founding Professor and Chairperson of the Centre for Brahmin Studies in his bio on X.
He again started his question after the moderator’s tried to calm the situation and again Prof Spival stopped him and tried to correct the pronunciation. It created a major controversy when the video of the heated exchange over WEB Du Bois name pronunciation goes viral. Many are expressing their views in favour and against Spivak attitude.
“Owing to the poor quality video and polarised views (in defense or against Spivak), the ongoing Spivak pronunciation controversy is beyond my understanding and interest. The context of the incident and the question is important but which remains inaccessible.
But would like to make a case for “mispronunciarion”. As a pedagogue in social sciences, I warn my students beforehand that owing to my linguistic background, I tend to Hindi-urduise pronunciation of names so if anyone knows the correct pronunciation, she is more than welcome to share the wisdom. I do try to find out the correct pronunciation with google and youtube videos but thats also more than often, not exact. It is, thus, not out of disrespect or casual attitude that I may “mispronounce” names/nouns.
Also, languages are organic. Pronunciations have changed over time as well. It may not be a simple case of cultural appropriation. Rather, an embracing of two linguistic worlds?,” wrote Devika Mittal , assistant professor at Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, on Facebook.
