I entered some bouts for an Yvon Laffineur, taken from the 1926 Australian Boxing Record (by Jack Read). Looking through my old newspaper bouts (from the New York Times) I have found a bout for an Ivan Laffineur (of France) and on entering it found several others on the site for him. They (Yvon and Ivan) fought at the same time and were of the same weight division (welterweight / middleweight) and I feel certain they are the same fighter, and that the name is probably Yvon (as in Yvon Durelle, Yvon Petra) not Ivan.
Can anyone verify?
Colion
French help needed
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worrypascanada
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 52
- Joined: 29 Dec 2001, 20:00
Re: French help needed
Hello,
I am replying to an old message. The first name Yvon and Ivan in the French language can be a problem when imported in the English language. Yes, Yvon Durelle is a good example in this context, as with my father: both individuals mother tongue is French. It can also be a problem in the French language.
As for Yvon Durelle and my father, the English speaker will most often pronounce their first name as Yvonne (sounds like «evon»). In the case of Yvon Durelle, I have seen many instances where his first name was spelled or pronounced Yvonne. In the French language, Yvonne is the female gender of Yvon: Yvon is the counterpart of Yvonne and vice versa. In addition, the «Y» in Yvon and the «I» in Ivan sounds the same (homonym) in the French language; so, to choose the «Y» or the «I» would be up to the parents decision at birth when choosing a first name or sometimes it would be a result of misspelling by the priest or during registration of births by the government or others. Illiteracy does not help in this context, thus it relies on sounds. As for the «on» in Yvon or «an» in Ivan, it is also a choice, or possible errors in the spelling, and it does not sound the same in the French language. Ivan first name does exist in other cultures such as in Russia.
So, this might explain a possible confusion in the spelling of Yvon or Ivan Laffineur. What are the odds of finding two fighters with the same family name in the same weight division and the same era? I would suspect a possible spelling error by the authors, one from Australia and the other from the United States. I would turn to France other countries newspapers or boxing magazines to find Laffineur articles to help solve this mystery.
Robert Richard
http://www.yvondurelle.com
I am replying to an old message. The first name Yvon and Ivan in the French language can be a problem when imported in the English language. Yes, Yvon Durelle is a good example in this context, as with my father: both individuals mother tongue is French. It can also be a problem in the French language.
As for Yvon Durelle and my father, the English speaker will most often pronounce their first name as Yvonne (sounds like «evon»). In the case of Yvon Durelle, I have seen many instances where his first name was spelled or pronounced Yvonne. In the French language, Yvonne is the female gender of Yvon: Yvon is the counterpart of Yvonne and vice versa. In addition, the «Y» in Yvon and the «I» in Ivan sounds the same (homonym) in the French language; so, to choose the «Y» or the «I» would be up to the parents decision at birth when choosing a first name or sometimes it would be a result of misspelling by the priest or during registration of births by the government or others. Illiteracy does not help in this context, thus it relies on sounds. As for the «on» in Yvon or «an» in Ivan, it is also a choice, or possible errors in the spelling, and it does not sound the same in the French language. Ivan first name does exist in other cultures such as in Russia.
So, this might explain a possible confusion in the spelling of Yvon or Ivan Laffineur. What are the odds of finding two fighters with the same family name in the same weight division and the same era? I would suspect a possible spelling error by the authors, one from Australia and the other from the United States. I would turn to France other countries newspapers or boxing magazines to find Laffineur articles to help solve this mystery.
Robert Richard
http://www.yvondurelle.com