Anglicization

[Paul Frank]

On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 2:08 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

> The Spanish soccer sportscasters pronounce English names the English
> way, which is reasonable.

I don't know about Latin America, because I don't get Latin American
channels in this neck of the woods and I grew up without television,
but in Spain (I get several Spanish channels), everyone pronounces all
foreign names in a very Spanish way. More power to them.


> P.P.S. Â I completely sympathize with speakers of whatever language
> transforming names (or adopted foreign words) into phonetics that
> are, um, sympathetic to their own language. Â Paul's example of "The
> Chinese sinicize (or sinify, if you prefer) foreign names, which is
> reasonable" works the reverse way too -- it is I assume too difficult
> for the general English speaker to replicate the tones.

That's the point I was trying to make. Or, to borrow someone else's lyrics:

"Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
Norwegians learn Norwegian,
the Greeks are taught their Greek.
In France every Frenchman knows his language from 'A' to 'Zed'

The French never care what they do, actually, as long as they
pronounce it properly.

Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning,
The Hebrews learn it backwards,
which is absolutely frightening.
But use proper English [when pronouncing foreign names] and you're
regarded as a freak."

Paul

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