Comments on: Random Rant: Karaoke ≠ Carry-okie

By: Philip

Philip — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:12:13 +0000

oh damn Joz! u can shoot me now cuz I've been calling it carry-okie for the longest time! My family actually pronounces it, I guess more similar to the Japanese way.

But I'm sorta used to hearing Americans, including myself, butcher other words that come from other languages. I think it's a mixture of what people have previously commented, that some people are just either lazy to pronounce or some people aren't just used to the sounds. I mean I think there's a reason why the British also laugh at the way Americans (USA) speak English as well

I mean just take Kobe Bryant for example. Majority of Americans, including him, just say “Ko-BEE” and not Ko-Beh

Maybe people should start correcting others more, just like how Russell Peters says Latinos immediately correct people who don't pronounce Spanish words correctly.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vi...

We can start with last names, especially Cantonese and Vietnamese =)

By: equinoxa

equinoxa — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:39:40 +0000

Most of it annoys me when it is something easy to say for an English-only speaker.
I have been doing research into feelings about this and it is overwhelmingly "Who cares". I've been becoming obsessed with this topic lately and I am feeling so alone. I want to say why this saddens me, so please deal with my frantic tone, I want to be helpful. English American speakers in particular appear cocky to the world and the way we say things might help a little. Some Japanese doesn't sound natural in English, kala-oh-kay for example seems a mouthful but sa-kay? ki-mo-no, tem-pura. That is easy. They hear it said right and almost don't seem to hear because they don't care or they don't want to. People who don't care seem to be mostly the people who say it wrong. It's stubbornness. When I say things right people question, I politely explain, and then sometimes they seem almost defensive. They keep saying saki, kamono, tempora (where did the o come from?) Almost as if it's un-American to even try. I wonder if it has to do with our relationship with Japan. We still view the Japanese as weird, almost the most foreign of foreign. But French? We, to my knowledge all attempt hors d'oeuvres, Ménage à trois. We can deal with the silent letters, THEIR e sounds. Because French is a part of our language? And until recently it was a part of a well bred person's education? I'm just a housewife, but that is my understanding. I do realize the Japanese take everyone else's words and butcher them. Here is my defense. Firstly, they have a more limited set of sounds. Some things they have to butcher, my first and last name included. Then some they butcher further, things are chopped and glued together, maybe not understanding the full meaning of the word and maybe to make it more palatable to their ears? They want our words, but they are Japanese and some insiders even consider the country very xenophobic. Ok, it is their business if they want to look like that. Americans, some of us are very xenophobic, but most natives I know well are fairly open-minded to other cultures blending in. It is why our country as it is, from the beginning of the US as it is it was imported. Some people say proudly, "This is America" and get scared of new things. But I want to say with acceptance of our past imports and future ones "This is America!" And language helps to shape things. Language changes, especially when people don't have easy access to knowledge? But we aren't living in a century without access for everyone to research. When I am on a computer, it takes me less time to research a word in an online dictionary than one in book form. But I was troubled to see that a few trusted online dictionaries don't give good pronunciation. I really lost trust in them. Common newly adopted foreign words are said wrong, and the right pronunciation is alternative, if it is listed at all! I can tolerate sake sounding as saki, but don't shove the correct pronunciation and spelling aside. It looks terrible. It also makes trouble for people learning a language. When they think something is right, it becomes a habit, and when they are speaking in Spanish, guacamoli is what they say because of habit. My own friends who studied Japanese still say saki, main-ga because it is such a habit! I'm scared I will go to a restaurant, order sake from a menu that says saki and the waitress will correct my pronunciation because she read the "correct" pronunciation from dictionary.com. I want us to look a little better if it is easy.

By: Bertie

Bertie — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:50:24 +0000

I have, in fact, told a second generation Brit-American to go back to England for insisting I pronounce “been” as “bean.”

However, I was also in elementary school.

By: Ratrace

Ratrace — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:42:40 +0000

darkmoon, read much? I was quoting someone else. Try to keep up.

By: Ratrace

Ratrace — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:41:48 +0000

Akrypti, when I was a kid, and I’m sure I’m not the only one here, white kids would taunt me with chants of “go home”. I remember the old “America, love it or leave it” Bumper stickers, ones you rarely see these days. The idea behind both being that A’murca is for A’murcans and furreners ain’t welcome. Do you subscribe to this idea? Are you so white washed that you would tell a Japanese to go back to Japan, what about second or more generation Asians?
Your ignorance blares in your comment:
“If Japanese people in the States have such a big bone to pick about how Americans pronounce Japanese words, then they really should move back to Japan where people will pronounce it correctly.”
Would you say the same thing to someone of German heritage who insists on people saying angst and not “ang”st? Or how about telling someone who insists it’s Monsieur and not Mon sewer to go back to France? I bet the idea wouldn’t cross your colonialized little mind. But when it comes to A’murca, it’s only for white folks and those who appease them for you, right?

By: Bertie

Bertie — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:13:43 +0000

People not familiar with NYC pronounce the “Houston” in “Houston Street” as “Hew-ston” when it’s actually “How-ston.”

By: darkmoon

darkmoon — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:01:07 +0000

Heh. Amusingly, what Ratrace had to say doesn’t quite work when it comes to Americans in certain places. For example….

There is a a town around here spelled “Pfafftown”.

I’d say the majority of west coast, and north eastern … well heck, most people would say it:

“Faff-town”

Wrong. Here they call it:

“Poff-town”

Ooooookay. So where should these people move to? lol. They live here, and can’t say it correctly.

By: Akrypti

Akrypti — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 06:56:12 +0000

Ratrace,
You’re the one intolerant of dissenting viewpoints. Who’s ignorant now?

And I thought I challenged you to write an 8Asians post. You’re punking out?

By: Ratrace

Ratrace — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:08:17 +0000

akrypti wrote:

If Japanese people in the States have such a big bone to pick about how Americans pronounce Japanese words, then they really should move back to Japan where people will pronounce it correctly.

Christ, you’re ignorant.

By: akrypti

akrypti — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:40:06 +0000

hahaha.

Well some of the comments above strongly suggested that at least certain Japanese people in the States have a bone to pick about Japanese words.