The spelling of the word "furnivall" may seem unusual or even incorrect at first glance. However, it is actually a legitimate surname derived from the Old English words "fyrn" meaning "ancient" and "folc" meaning "people." The pronunciation is typically "FUR-nuh-vahl" with emphasis on the second syllable. In IPA phonetic transcription, it would be written as /ˈfɜr.nə.væl/ with the "r" sound being slightly rolled and the "a" in the second syllable pronounced like the "u" in "cup."