Strange but true

( You can tell I am tired... )

In French an oboe is hautbois, pronounced o-bwa, meaning high wood(wind instrument). They're called that because they are so loud - I mean historically they played with the loud instruments like trumpets for outdoors ceremonial occasions. (As opposed to the trombones, of course, which played indoors with the soft intruments like the flutes, recorders, etc.)

An oboist (that is, an oboe player) is called an hautboiste.
This should be pronounced o-bwast, but sadly isn't.
Instead you stick a : over the i to make hautboïste o-bo-eest.

Stunning, no ?

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