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  3. Multiliguists of Lemmy - When speaking Language A and using a word from Language B how do you decide which pronunciation to use?

Multiliguists of Lemmy - When speaking Language A and using a word from Language B how do you decide which pronunciation to use?

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  • C This user is from outside of this forum
    C This user is from outside of this forum
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    wrote last edited by [email protected]
    #1

    The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

    • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
    • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

    I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
    • You primary language or ethnicity
    • What sort of restaurant
    • Who you’re dining with
    • Who you’re ordering from
    • and probably a lot more…

    N J bdonvr@thelemmy.clubB witchfire@lemmy.worldW capuccino@lemmy.worldC 27 Replies Last reply
    27
    • C [email protected]

      The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

      • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
      • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

      I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
      • You primary language or ethnicity
      • What sort of restaurant
      • Who you’re dining with
      • Who you’re ordering from
      • and probably a lot more…

      N This user is from outside of this forum
      N This user is from outside of this forum
      [email protected]
      wrote last edited by
      #2

      It depends.

      Let's say I'm trying to ask an acquaintance their phone number so I can add them on WhatsApp or Signal. Honestly it's kind of ridiculous to use the proper pronunciation of Whatsapp im Brazil, so I use the popular way (it's something like "oah-tchi-zap").

      Unless I'm actually speaking with someone in their mother language I just default to the Brazilian version of the name. Otherwise I will try and match their pronunciation - it's nice to train and also I think it's polite.

      1 Reply Last reply
      4
      • C [email protected]

        The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

        • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
        • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

        I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
        • You primary language or ethnicity
        • What sort of restaurant
        • Who you’re dining with
        • Who you’re ordering from
        • and probably a lot more…

        J This user is from outside of this forum
        J This user is from outside of this forum
        [email protected]
        wrote last edited by
        #3

        I use the language that I think my interlocutor would prefer. If I don't know, then I default to the language of the social context, unless I specifically want to practise a language at that moment. If I want to practise, then I ask first.

        1 Reply Last reply
        8
        • C [email protected]

          The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

          • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
          • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

          I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
          • You primary language or ethnicity
          • What sort of restaurant
          • Who you’re dining with
          • Who you’re ordering from
          • and probably a lot more…

          bdonvr@thelemmy.clubB This user is from outside of this forum
          bdonvr@thelemmy.clubB This user is from outside of this forum
          [email protected]
          wrote last edited by [email protected]
          #4

          It depends. "Burrito" is commonly used in English so it would be a bit silly to trill the 'rr'. For words that aren't as common in English it's more likely to be the Spanish pronunciation. Place names generally too.

          1 Reply Last reply
          2
          • C [email protected]

            The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

            • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
            • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

            I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
            • You primary language or ethnicity
            • What sort of restaurant
            • Who you’re dining with
            • Who you’re ordering from
            • and probably a lot more…

            witchfire@lemmy.worldW This user is from outside of this forum
            witchfire@lemmy.worldW This user is from outside of this forum
            [email protected]
            wrote last edited by
            #5

            Trilingual. I generally use the accent of the language I'm speaking, or I purposefully pronounce it as horribly as I can because idgaf

            1 Reply Last reply
            1
            • C [email protected]

              The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

              • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
              • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

              I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
              • You primary language or ethnicity
              • What sort of restaurant
              • Who you’re dining with
              • Who you’re ordering from
              • and probably a lot more…

              capuccino@lemmy.worldC This user is from outside of this forum
              capuccino@lemmy.worldC This user is from outside of this forum
              [email protected]
              wrote last edited by
              #6

              If I'm talking english and I have to say a word in spanish, I say it as it is.

              bu-rri-to

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • C [email protected]

                The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                • You primary language or ethnicity
                • What sort of restaurant
                • Who you’re dining with
                • Who you’re ordering from
                • and probably a lot more…

                P This user is from outside of this forum
                P This user is from outside of this forum
                [email protected]
                wrote last edited by
                #7

                If pronunciation i would pronounce in the original language the word come from, in the accent of the language i most fluent with.

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • C [email protected]

                  The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                  • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                  • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                  I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                  • You primary language or ethnicity
                  • What sort of restaurant
                  • Who you’re dining with
                  • Who you’re ordering from
                  • and probably a lot more…

                  mugita_sokiovt@discuss.onlineM This user is from outside of this forum
                  mugita_sokiovt@discuss.onlineM This user is from outside of this forum
                  [email protected]
                  wrote last edited by
                  #8

                  Not a multilinguist, but I happened to attempt to use the native pronunciation for some words, but otherwise, I don't tend to use the native pronunciation.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  1
                  • C [email protected]

                    The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                    • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                    • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                    I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                    • You primary language or ethnicity
                    • What sort of restaurant
                    • Who you’re dining with
                    • Who you’re ordering from
                    • and probably a lot more…

                    user224@lemmy.sdf.orgU This user is from outside of this forum
                    user224@lemmy.sdf.orgU This user is from outside of this forum
                    [email protected]
                    wrote last edited by [email protected]
                    #9

                    Of the language I am using. Trying to fit in correct pronunciation sounds weird.

                    Fun fact, just this week I realized that "hemendex" is literally "ham and eggs" together when I've seen it written on a menu as "hamandeggs". I am fucking dumb.

                    But hey, there's also jomaha, jomaso (You're my heart, You're my soul): https://youtu.be/snm_GTD9-Q8?t=25

                    The slavic lossy compression of English.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    4
                    • C [email protected]

                      The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                      • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                      • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                      I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                      • You primary language or ethnicity
                      • What sort of restaurant
                      • Who you’re dining with
                      • Who you’re ordering from
                      • and probably a lot more…

                      reverendender@sh.itjust.worksR This user is from outside of this forum
                      reverendender@sh.itjust.worksR This user is from outside of this forum
                      [email protected]
                      wrote last edited by
                      #10

                      You pronounce the word correctly for whatever language the word is from. That’s the objectively correct way. Is this a serious question?

                      C B S S alecsargent@lemmy.zipA 5 Replies Last reply
                      0
                      • C [email protected]

                        The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                        • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                        • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                        I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                        • You primary language or ethnicity
                        • What sort of restaurant
                        • Who you’re dining with
                        • Who you’re ordering from
                        • and probably a lot more…

                        I This user is from outside of this forum
                        I This user is from outside of this forum
                        [email protected]
                        wrote last edited by
                        #11

                        Depends who I am talking with. I use the pronunciation of my interlocutors language even if it sounds wrong in it's original language. Mainly because it's fun to speak like a weird movie accent.

                        So if I am with a Mexican I will say "Burrito."

                        And if I am with an English speaker I will say "Beau- rhee -toe!"

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • C [email protected]

                          The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                          • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                          • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                          I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                          • You primary language or ethnicity
                          • What sort of restaurant
                          • Who you’re dining with
                          • Who you’re ordering from
                          • and probably a lot more…

                          N This user is from outside of this forum
                          N This user is from outside of this forum
                          [email protected]
                          wrote last edited by
                          #12

                          I say burrito the American-English way because it's also a word in English. But if I say "arepa" I say it the way it's pronounced in Spanish.

                          This trend of pronouncing it the way I first heard extends to dialects, too: Words that I first learned in an Argentine context I tend to pronounce in the Argentine way (eg. the letter elle makes a "zh" or "ĵ" sound) versus the rest of my Spanish which is more (central) Mexican.

                          I have often irritated or confused acquaintances when using famous quotations or phrases from Latin, which I pronounce in a Classical, rather than Italianate manner (eg. hard Cs and soft Vs).

                          It's kind hard to write clearly in print about how we pronounce things, huh?

                          N R 2 Replies Last reply
                          3
                          • C [email protected]

                            The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                            • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                            • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                            I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                            • You primary language or ethnicity
                            • What sort of restaurant
                            • Who you’re dining with
                            • Who you’re ordering from
                            • and probably a lot more…

                            deathbybigsad@sh.itjust.worksD This user is from outside of this forum
                            deathbybigsad@sh.itjust.worksD This user is from outside of this forum
                            [email protected]
                            wrote last edited by
                            #13

                            I'm Chinese-American. Primary language is English, I don't speak Cantonese very well, and I don't really speak Mandarin (but both are based on the same language system so its not that hard to convert from Cantonese). If I were to go to a Chinese restaurant, I'm gonna speak, in this order: Cantonese, then its Mandarin, then English, but most of the staff probably speaks Cantonese. I'm not gonna be like "I want a 燒賣, thank you", like... that sounds so out of place lmfao, just speak the whole thing in the same language.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • N [email protected]

                              I say burrito the American-English way because it's also a word in English. But if I say "arepa" I say it the way it's pronounced in Spanish.

                              This trend of pronouncing it the way I first heard extends to dialects, too: Words that I first learned in an Argentine context I tend to pronounce in the Argentine way (eg. the letter elle makes a "zh" or "ĵ" sound) versus the rest of my Spanish which is more (central) Mexican.

                              I have often irritated or confused acquaintances when using famous quotations or phrases from Latin, which I pronounce in a Classical, rather than Italianate manner (eg. hard Cs and soft Vs).

                              It's kind hard to write clearly in print about how we pronounce things, huh?

                              N This user is from outside of this forum
                              N This user is from outside of this forum
                              [email protected]
                              wrote last edited by
                              #14

                              As a funny aside I was serving a restaurant patron the other day who was Spanish-only. The restaurant I wait tables at is Mediterranean cuisine, and I stumbled because I couldn't remember how to say "falafel" in Spanish.

                              I just stopped in the middle of a sentence for what felt like a minute but was probably only a handful of seconds before I realized the word I wanted was "falafel": It's not an English word originally and I didn't need to translate it at all.

                              I 1 Reply Last reply
                              4
                              • C [email protected]

                                The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                                • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                                • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                                I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                                • You primary language or ethnicity
                                • What sort of restaurant
                                • Who you’re dining with
                                • Who you’re ordering from
                                • and probably a lot more…

                                P This user is from outside of this forum
                                P This user is from outside of this forum
                                [email protected]
                                wrote last edited by [email protected]
                                #15

                                I'm not very bilingual but I grew up with English and have spent a few months in Latin America.

                                I noticed that in English I now say Mexico the Spanish way when I'm with local people, but the English way when I'm visiting friends in the US. I always say it the Spanish way in Spanish, and don't think I use any regional accents.

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                1
                                • reverendender@sh.itjust.worksR [email protected]

                                  You pronounce the word correctly for whatever language the word is from. That’s the objectively correct way. Is this a serious question?

                                  C This user is from outside of this forum
                                  C This user is from outside of this forum
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                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #16

                                  Definitely serious. Loanwords fall all across the spectrum regarding how much they’re integrated from their source language into the “local” language and most folks don’t know or care about word etymologies enough to even consider it. If you’re not native there’s a good chance you’re mispronouncing loanwords even when you’re trying to use their native pronunciation.

                                  reverendender@sh.itjust.worksR 1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • reverendender@sh.itjust.worksR [email protected]

                                    You pronounce the word correctly for whatever language the word is from. That’s the objectively correct way. Is this a serious question?

                                    B This user is from outside of this forum
                                    B This user is from outside of this forum
                                    [email protected]
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #17

                                    It's not objectively correct.

                                    If you do this between English and Japanese, Japanese people will not understand the way you pronounced the English word.

                                    If you ask a Japanese person if they own a "computer" they will not understand. You have to call it a "con-puuu-ta" or even "pa-so-con" which is personal computer.

                                    McDonald's... Nope. "ma ku do nal do" or even just "makku" depending on the region.

                                    C 1 Reply Last reply
                                    2
                                    • reverendender@sh.itjust.worksR [email protected]

                                      You pronounce the word correctly for whatever language the word is from. That’s the objectively correct way. Is this a serious question?

                                      S This user is from outside of this forum
                                      S This user is from outside of this forum
                                      [email protected]
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #18

                                      Do you speak multiple languages?

                                      reverendender@sh.itjust.worksR 1 Reply Last reply
                                      2
                                      • C [email protected]

                                        The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                                        • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                                        • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                                        I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                                        • You primary language or ethnicity
                                        • What sort of restaurant
                                        • Who you’re dining with
                                        • Who you’re ordering from
                                        • and probably a lot more…

                                        joekrogan@lemmy.worldJ This user is from outside of this forum
                                        joekrogan@lemmy.worldJ This user is from outside of this forum
                                        [email protected]
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #19

                                        Depends , if I'm speaking with my wife we interchange and speak whatever comes in the moment and understand each other. In other countries we use the native language if we know it.

                                        With friends it depends if everyone in the group can speak the language or not.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • C [email protected]

                                          The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

                                          • You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
                                          • You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

                                          I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
                                          • You primary language or ethnicity
                                          • What sort of restaurant
                                          • Who you’re dining with
                                          • Who you’re ordering from
                                          • and probably a lot more…

                                          R This user is from outside of this forum
                                          R This user is from outside of this forum
                                          [email protected]
                                          wrote last edited by [email protected]
                                          #20

                                          Depends on how good I actually am at pronouncing the original version, how different the original version is from the current language and if I assume that my conversation partner is going to understand it. Also, I tend to have trouble with switching accents quickly. On the other hand, figuring out how to correctly butcher a pronounciation isn't that easy if you're not a native speaker of the butchering language.

                                          I'm a native German living in Germany, English is generally fine, i.e. most Germans know English well enough that they aren't going to be confused by a correct English pronounciation and my pronounciation isn't that bad by German standards. Other languages can get dicey, though. TBH I tend to avoid pronouncing words that are neither German nor English and are hard to understand if you don't know much about the language - e.g. "burrito" isn't so different that Germans wouldn't understand the Spanish pronounciation, but many French words are not very obvious if you don't know French well, plus my pronounciation could be bad enough that it would even throw off native French speakers.

                                          If I was in an anglophone country ordering German food, I'd probably pick the German pronounciation, because I'm not that good at guessing how anglophones in a specific area pronounce German words, and who knows how that would even come out if I try that with my German-accented English. But I'd expect that most of the servers don't know any German and have trouble understanding me. I'd probably just say the numbers if it's a numbered menu.

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