Non-English Names

[pooberbee@lemmy.ml]

I disagree. X is a useless letter in English; it's always copying other letters or combinations of letters. Meanwhile, there's a special rule where putting an 's' and an 'h' together makes a different sound. Why not have a single letter for that?

[loaexmachina@sh.itjust.works]

Well, in IPA, the "sh" sound is spelt "ʃ". But "x" isn't pronounced like in English either (and it's not like it's that consistent in English, it like "ks" in "experience" but like "gz" in "exam"). Instead, "x" in IPA is like "j" in Spanish.

[pimento64@sopuli.xyz]

Skill issue, get good

[gladaed@feddit.org]

Because a diphthong is fine. Taking a already used character and assigning a new sound to it is going to make things hard.

Also I need you to argue not just from the English point of view, but all Latin alphabet using languages, in particular those with strict rules of pronunciation like German.

[wilzax@lemmy.world]

Bad take. You don't shame people for being unable to make sounds that aren't in their native language. If someone spoke Mandarin all their life and learned English, but had to approximate the "L" sound with "R", you wouldn't have this reaction claiming that allowing that approximation is turning everything into English.

[odium@programming.dev]

quote context: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1RKkRCiU90

[lumidaub@feddit.org]

"Eichhörnchenschwanz" is spelt exactly like it's pronounced. Does this help you pronounce it?

[sxan@midwest.social]

I have always tried to pronounce names correctly, and I have a decent ear. However, with some languages, I apparently can't hear some distinctions; there have been times when I was certain I was mimicking the sounds correctly, but the person repeatedly corrected me. It's not (necessarily) that I can't make the sounds, it's that I can't hear the difference between what's right and what I'm saying. Chinese is one of those; I can't get the romanized X and Z right.

[odium@programming.dev]

Why is there a correct way? What's the correct way of pronouncing j? German, English, and Spanish have three different ways to pronounce it.

pinyin is way more consistent than English.

[jutty@blendit.bsd.cafe]

I think you really miss the point. It's as if your suggestion that romanization methods have imperfections dismisses the actual reasons why people will refuse to make the effort to learn how to pronounce a name from a language other than their own, which go far beyond whether or not the spelling "makes sense".

The comic gives a very concrete example of that. It wouldn't matter if the letters exactly mapped to a perfect pronunciation, the mere fact it does not roll of the tongue, i.e. "sounds foreign", coupled with the underlying xenophobia+racism combo is what's at work there.

[samus12345@lemm.ee]

Like a Japanese person trying to differentiate between l and r.

[samus12345@lemm.ee]

Yes, but only because I'm familiar with German. And I'd still mess it up when trying to pronounce it.

[feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world]

It doesn't really sound like "sh" though, it is a different phoneme. You place the tip of your tongue in the centre of the gum ridge behind your bottom teeth, rather than the top one. They have that noise as well, and - unsurprisingly I suppose - it is written "sh".

[lightfire228@pawb.social]

".... Do you have an English name?"

Also, Bridge 4

[odium@programming.dev]

Bridge 4!

Also, I know you're quoting the video, but I do not and it has resulted in many similar situations.

[soup@lemmy.world]

I’m gunna imagine this was you asking to get it perfect instead of close enough? ‘Cause then I can see them trying to help and the sound being a little tricky.

From my experience it seems like people, in general, would just rather a barely approximate attempt. The guy in the comic isn’t even trying to get it right and if they are then I’m sorry but they are profoundly stupid. It’s english words smashed together, we have the sounds and not even getting close is honestly pathetic.

[lanik2000@lemmy.world]

Aye, it's curious how one's upbringing affects their hearing. The Americans I interacted with can't tell the Czech P and B apart. Which I find fucking weird as mixing them up in Czech results in absolute gibberish. Probably similar to how TH and F sound the same to me.

[ayyy@sh.itjust.works]

I always appreciate when people try, even if they suck. All you can ask of someone is that they try, it’s a good philosophy for life as well. Otherwise you’ll just be angry all the time.

[neatobuilds@mander.xyz]

Sometimes it do be like that, humans will human

[belastend@slrpnk.net]

strict pronounciation rules
german

Nah, this aint it. Finnish has strict pronounciation rules but German is pretty loose.