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Where I grew up the Name is pronounced Vandiver. The main emphasis is on the Van, di is pronounced with a short i, and the secondary emphasis is placed on the ver with a short e. The name is pronounced with a smooth flow and soft acctents. Of course you will find it pronounced differently in many parts of the country. It is said to be a debased form of Van de Veer. You may find H.L. Mencken's "The American Language" a usefull tool. Chaper 10 is entitled Proper Names in America and gives information on the origin and Americanization of many surnames as well as a bit of rather interesting history.
I hope this is helpfull to you.
MissouriLady
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Help needed for a translator
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