"Joker"

[Jonathan Lighter]

The FBI posters spelled it "Dzhokar."

JL


On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 2:30 PM, W Brewer <brewerwa at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       W Brewer <brewerwa at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "Joker"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dzhokhar Anzorovich Tsarnaev
>
> Dumbing down Wikipedia's IPA, <Dzhokhar> reflects a Russian (approximating
> Chechen) pronunciation [joe-KHAR], <KH> being like German ach-laut;
> anglified [joe-HAR].
> Russified <Tsarnaev> [tsahr-NA-yeff] variously anglified: [zar-NA-yev],
> even heard an early [Sarnoff]. The patronymic <Anzorovich> identifies the
> alleged father, <Anzor>. Black hat Tamerlan [tammer-LANN] (no doubt yearned
> to live up to his namesake, Tamerlane 1336-1405, <When I rise from the
> dead, the world shall tremble!>)
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 1:03 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      "Joker"
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Is "Joker" what they're using because an acquaintance from Dzhokhar
> > Tsarnaev's Cambridge schooldays said that was the nickname that had
> > been bestowed on him?
> >
> > The New York Times (April 20) gives the pronunciation "joe-HARR",
> > which I've been hearing more and more.  (And "tsar-NAH-yev"; and for
> > his brother "tam-arr-lawn" --apparently unaccented).  Seems to me
> > "Joeharr" is just as easy for Anglos to pronounce -- but perhaps less
> > humorous or derogatory (or exalted, for a fan of Batman).
> >
> > And I'm wondering about the "joe" sound.  Is that what corresponds to
> > the sound of the (transliterated, I assume) "Dzho"?  Or is it closer
> > to the French "jeux"?
> >
> > Joel
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org