Despite what the nation’s xenophobes may claim, immigrants to this lovely nation of ours often make a fair few concessions. In fact, there’s every likelihood you’re mates with someone who chose to adopt a different version of their birth name – or picked a new one entirely – with the goal of not intimidating punters with supposedly difficult pronunciations.
Karl Stefanovic’s family is among that number, and the man himself has now revealed that essentially the entire nation has been using an amended pronunciation of his family moniker.
Taking to Nova’s Kate, Tim & Marty yesterday arvo, Karlos (note: that one is actually a nickname) discussed how we came to know it as “Stef-an-OH-vick,” when it’s traditionally been sounded out as “Ste-FAN-oh-vich.”
When asked if there was a “Serbian version” of the surname and whether it was “tidied up for the Anglo world we live in,” Stefanovic dropped the alternate pronunciation and said “it sounds more credible, doesn’t it?”
He admitted that he was singled out for the decidedly European name during school, which is why he adopted an overblown ocker accent to say “Dad changed it to Stef-an-oh-vick.”
“It sounded more Australian.”
Mirroring the opening scenes of a million Aussie films, Stefanovic also copped to being singled out during his school years for bringing salami and cheese sticks for lunch.
Of course, most of us can recognise such fare is absolutely baller, but his statements provide a pretty decent opportunity to reflect on how ‘Straya can still ‘other’ newcomers, even if they’re as quintessentially true blue as Karl Stefanovic.
How true blue? He admitted he also has a Southern Cross tatt in the full chat, which you can catch up on right HERE.
Source: Nova’s Kate, Tim & Marty.
Photo: Scott Barbour / Getty.
