In a message dated 96-02-21 09:10:54 EST, [log in to unmask] (Larry Boyd)
writes:
 
>
>As one from the south who learned Denys' name, let me butcher it for you;)
>The first name is *not* Dennis or Denise.  It is Da' knee (with a short a).
>The 's' is silent (I guess something to do which that French stuff:).
>
>The last name, as Denys has pointed out, is tough.  I like the Bo Derek
>part 8-).  I always thought of the 'che' more like a soft 'scha', again
>with the short a.  The 'min' is easy (rememer your French, "add any
>letter you like on the end, just *never* pronounce it.").  Remove the
>'n' and pronounce the 'i' as a long 'a':  ma  (not ma, as in "Hey, ma,
>would you get pa and come help me."), but ma (as in May, without the
>'y').  So, in the end you have:
>
>   Da' knee    Bo scha' ma
>
>Larry "butcher of Denys name for years now" Boyd
>
>
>
 
Wow, that was painful.  Larry is very close.  Let me tweak it a bit:
Years ago, when I lived in Montreal (pre-1984), I tuned in to a radio station
called CJFM (I think it was 96 on the FM dial, still is I bet).  Anyways,
there was a DJ on in the evenings (I think) with a name made up of 2 first
names: Marc Denis.  Yup, a French guy as a DJ on an English-language FM radio
station.  His English was flawless, not like my heavily-accented version.
 You know how DJs like to give themselves aliases or variations on their
names, well this guy called himself Marc 'Mais Oui' Denis, or sometimes Marc
De Kneecap De shoulderblade.
 
Anyways, all this to say that Denys (or Denis) is really pronounced De knee
with the De sounding exactly like the one in De Soto.  (Ha, another car
reference, I use it because it is a common denominator.)  So Larry is very
close.
 
For the last name, again Larry is close, but the 2nd syllable is really
closer to Che as in Chevrolet, with a short e.
 
As if anyone cares.  You get to try it at IPROF and win valuable prizes :-),
or you can call me at (800) 323-8863 and whilst ordering a demo of
DBTune/SQL, CSF or HIBACK for your network machines, you can ask for me :->.
 
 
Kind regards,
 
Denys. . .
http://www.hicomp.com/hicomp