Learning new words

epigene · 22 Apr 2010

For all of us in Japan who depend mostly on the written word (news articles, reports, etc.), new words present serious problems in learning how to pronounce them.

I'm still not confident how to pronounce the last name of Carolos Ghosn (Renault/Nissan CEO). (It's "go-on" in Japanese.)

And here comes the latest! (I will never learn to spell this, let alone pronounce it! )

Elizabeth · 22 Apr 2010

LOL, the Eyjafjallajokull eruption!?!?

Actually it is possible. According to the NY Times, it's "EY-ya-fyat-lah-YO-kut." (I took the one that was phonetic !).

Ghosan is either "Ghon (ghost) - and rhyming with loan - with a silent s) or "Goin' (like a Southerner says going without the final 'g'). I've heard it both ways. Why do you need to say it in English, though ?

Now, some fun for our Japanese readers. How do you transliterate the Al Capp cartoon character, the human jinx (from Iceland ??) who always had a raincloud over his head and brought woe and misery with him everywhere he went ?? --

AKA Joe Bfstplk

http://pipl.com/directory/people/Joe/Bfstplk

Ashikaga · 22 Apr 2010

Elizabeth said:
How do you transliterate the Al Capp cartoon character, the human jinx (from Iceland ??) who always had a raincloud over his head and brought woe and misery with him everywhere he went ?? --

AKA Joe Bfstplk

If it's from Iceland and seems to have too many consonants in it, I just pronounce it ﾆ池ﾆ塚?ーﾆ誰.

About the volcano in Iceland, there was an article on AOL this morning, saying that many of the veteran news people were having a hard time pronouncing its name. One exception, according to them, was NBC's Today Show's weather person, Al Roker, who had nailed it during the show's coverage of the eruption. GO, ROKER!

epigene · 22 Apr 2010

Elizabeth said:
LOL, the Eyjafjallajokull eruption!?!?

Actually it is possible. According to the NY Times, it's "EY-ya-fyat-lah-YO-kut." (I took the one that was phonetic !).

Ghosan is either "Ghon (ghost) - and rhyming with loan - with a silent s) or "Goin' (like a Southerner says going without the final 'g'). I've heard it both ways. Why do you need to say it in English, though ?

Thanks, Elizabeth! I can finally answer my inquisitive other half, who barrages me with so many questions every instance he gets.

I just checked an NBC report on the volcano on Youtube. The reporter in the video wasn't pronouncing it the way you spelled it out here...
Oh, but the problem will probably pass (at least pronunciation-wise) since the geophysicists are now concerned about the larger volcano in the neighborhood that is likely to blow up next---and the name is KATLA!!

ASHIKAGA said:
If it's from Iceland and seems to have too many consonants in it, I just pronounce it ﾆ池ﾆ塚?ーﾆ誰.

Great idea! And I can spell it, too!

Glenn · 23 Apr 2010

Eyjafjallajokull is pronounced [ˈeiːjafjatlajœːkʏtl̥] according to the Wikipedia entry: Eyjafjallajokull. It's helpful if you can read IPA. I'm pretty sure that's the Icelandic pronunciation, though, as there are some sounds in there that I don't believe exist in English. Perpaps more helpful, you can hear it on the Eyjafjallajokull sound file page. 窶堋ｲﾅｽQﾂ考窶堙懌?堙??堙可。

I'm pretty sure that word intimidated everyone who saw it for the first time.

epigene · 23 Apr 2010

Glenn said:
Eyjafjallajokull is pronounced [ˈeiːjafjatlajœːkʏtl̥] according to the Wikipedia entry: Eyjafjallajokull. It's helpful if you can read IPA. I'm pretty sure that's the Icelandic pronunciation, though, as there are some sounds in there that I don't believe exist in English. Perpaps more helpful, you can hear it on the Eyjafjallajokull sound file page. ご参考までに。
I'm pretty sure that word intimidated everyone who saw it for the first time.

Having a better understanding of the meaning of the name certainly gives you clues to pronouncing it! Thanks, Glenn!!

I've listened to the pronunciation enough to become reasonably confident to pronounce the name myself!

IPA: My significant other claims to be an expert on this, so I'll test him with the pronunciation key you posted.

Elizabeth · 23 Apr 2010

ASHIKAGA said:
If it's from Iceland and seems to have too many consonants in it, I just pronounce it ﾆ池ﾆ塚?ーﾆ誰.

LOL ! I do believe this is missing a vowel, but here's the audio file just as a backup....

http://www.wordnik.com/words/joe btfsplk/pronunciations

Glenn · 23 Apr 2010

In case anyone's interested, I also just happened to come across this post at Language Log: Eyjafjallajokull fail. It's a bit more extensive than the Wikipedia article is on the pronunciation (as one would expect), with example of (what I assume are) Americans giving it a shot. I will say that "Iceland Volcano Spews Consonants and Vowels" has got to be one of the best blog post titles I've ever read (it's up there with "Changsha: defenestration central?").

Elizabeth · 23 Apr 2010

Glenn said:
Eyjafjallajokull is pronounced [ˈeiːjafjatlajœːkʏtl̥] according to the Wikipedia entry: Eyjafjallajokull. It's helpful if you can read IPA. I'm pretty sure that's the Icelandic pronunciation, though, as there are some sounds in there that I don't believe exist in English. Perpaps more helpful, you can hear it on the Eyjafjallajokull sound file page. ご参考までに。
I'm pretty sure that word intimidated everyone who saw it for the first time.

It is weird. Isn't Icelandic supposed to be like the ultimate conservator of German and Old Norse ? Which means as a Germanic language English speakers are also supposed to find many words familiar ??

EDIT : It must have originated in a different geographical offshoot of German, though, come to think of it. Because Icelandic doesn't seem recognizable to Old English either.

epigene · 23 Apr 2010

Glenn said:
In case anyone's interested, I also just happened to come across this post at Language Log: Eyjafjallajokull fail. It's a bit more extensive than the Wikipedia article is on the pronunciation (as one would expect), with example of (what I assume are) Americans giving it a shot. I will say that "Iceland Volcano Spews Consonants and Vowels" has got to be one of the best blog post titles I've ever read (it's up there with "Changsha: defenestration central?").

Great post, Glenn. Will read it more closely later. :haihai:

This topic made me realize that the Japanese media is determined to avoid rendering the volcano's name in katakana!
AFAIK, I have never heard the name mentioned in any of the news programs on NHK or other broadcasters. A quick check on the Web turned out only the Sankei describing the name as ﾆ竪ﾆ辰ﾆ停?榿稚ﾆ達ﾆ停?榿暖ﾆ停?ｰﾆ塚?ーﾆ誰ﾆ暖ﾆ停?ｹ
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/europe/100416/erp1004161853008-n1.htm

The Japanese version of National Geographic reported on the eruption of this volcano in March and wrote the name as ﾆ竪ﾆ辰ﾆ停?榿稚ﾆ達ﾆ停?榿鍛ﾆ暖ﾆ停?ｰﾆ塚?ーﾆ誰ﾆ暖ﾆ停?ｹ
http://www.nationalgeographic.co.jp/news/news_article.php?file_id=2010032301

Quite interesting!

Elizabeth · 23 Apr 2010

epigene said:
AFAIK, I have never heard the name mentioned in any of the news programs on NHK or other broadcasters. A quick check on the Web turned out only the Sankei describing the name as エイヤフィヤトラヨークトル

I was also starting to wonder also if this wasn't more than coincidence. From day one, even in a 15-20 minute background segment on NHK - to them it was nothing more than an "Icelandic volcano."

So give announcers everywhere who did props for trying. At least joking through the on-air terror and confusion. But honestly you didn't hear it too often on U.S. broadcast outlets either.

The worst thing about all this news is...pronouncing the Icelandic names.

masaegu · 1 May 2010

Could someone please help this senile Tokyoite remember an English adjective? It should mean something along the lines of "going through what must be the same sentiments as the person in question" or "as if (something) were happening to none other than oneself". It's a rather big word of about 4 syllables that can fill the blank in a sentence like:
"I got this ( ) excitement when I heard your news. It reminded me of the first time I went to America."
Thanks in advance!

Colin Howell · 2 May 2010

masaegu said:
Could someone please help this senile Tokyoite remember an English adjective? It should mean something along the lines of "going through what must be the same sentiments as the person in question" or "as if (something) were happening to none other than oneself". It's a rather big word of about 4 syllables that can fill the blank in a sentence like:
"I got this ( ) excitement when I heard your news. It reminded me of the first time I went to America."

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but my first thought is "sympathetic". While its most common meaning is related to pity or compassion, it also carries the meaning of sharing the feelings of another.

Hmm, just after writing the above, it occurred to me that maybe you're looking for "vicarious", describing something felt as a result of observing another person's experience. That seems a better fit to your situation than "sympathetic".

Learning new words

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Elizabeth

先輩

Ashikaga

もちもちした食感

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Glenn

一切皆苦

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Elizabeth

先輩

Glenn

一切皆苦

Elizabeth

先輩

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Elizabeth

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masaegu

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Colin Howell

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