Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
Forum rules
- This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
- Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
- Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
- Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
- sanjuanmtneer
- Posts: 166
- Joined: 7/5/2006
- 14ers: 58
- 13ers: 664
- Trip Reports (2)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
It cracks me up when people say Rio Grand (not Grand'ae') because they're mixing two languages, Spanish and English in the name of a geographical feature.
Wouldn't it be either Grand River or Rio Grande?
Would it make sense to say Grande River? Also a mixture of two languages?
When you order a big taco is it a Taco Grand or a Taco Grande?
Colorado was Spanish territory much longer than it has been U.S.
Wouldn't it be either Grand River or Rio Grande?
Would it make sense to say Grande River? Also a mixture of two languages?
When you order a big taco is it a Taco Grand or a Taco Grande?
Colorado was Spanish territory much longer than it has been U.S.
And my mind was made up,
To climb all the mountains,
Now my body's laid up,
And the night advances.
And time is dear.
(With deference to John Dillon)
To climb all the mountains,
Now my body's laid up,
And the night advances.
And time is dear.
(With deference to John Dillon)
-
- Posts: 532
- Joined: 3/7/2009
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
Then there's the people who talk about the Rio Grande Riversanjuanmtneer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:29 pm It cracks me up when people say Rio Grand (not Grand'ae') because they're mixing two languages, Spanish and English in the name of a geographical feature.
Wouldn't it be either Grand River or Rio Grande?
Would it make sense to say Grande River? Also a mixture of two languages?
When you order a big taco is it a Taco Grand or a Taco Grande?
Colorado was Spanish territory much longer than it has been U.S.
Every village has at least one idiot. Successful villages choose someone else to be their leader.
-
- Posts: 164
- Joined: 9/13/2015
- 14ers: 58
- 13ers: 38
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
I grew up in Northern New Mexico. This is just a suggestion. From my experience, at least in New Mexico, don’t correct the natives on how they pronounce things and if they correct you, just go ahead and oblige.DaveLanders wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:59 pmThen there's the people who talk about the Rio Grande Riversanjuanmtneer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:29 pm It cracks me up when people say Rio Grand (not Grand'ae') because they're mixing two languages, Spanish and English in the name of a geographical feature.
Wouldn't it be either Grand River or Rio Grande?
Would it make sense to say Grande River? Also a mixture of two languages?
When you order a big taco is it a Taco Grand or a Taco Grande?
Colorado was Spanish territory much longer than it has been U.S.
- greenonion
- Posts: 1898
- Joined: 10/3/2012
- 14ers: 50 1
- 13ers: 2
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
Bingo. You get stuff, obviously.RETEP 1 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 4:20 pmI grew up in Northern New Mexico. This is just a suggestion. From my experience, at least in New Mexico, don’t correct the natives on how they pronounce things and if they correct you, just go ahead and oblige.DaveLanders wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:59 pmThen there's the people who talk about the Rio Grande Riversanjuanmtneer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:29 pm It cracks me up when people say Rio Grand (not Grand'ae') because they're mixing two languages, Spanish and English in the name of a geographical feature.
Wouldn't it be either Grand River or Rio Grande?
Would it make sense to say Grande River? Also a mixture of two languages?
When you order a big taco is it a Taco Grand or a Taco Grande?
Colorado was Spanish territory much longer than it has been U.S.
- nyker
- Posts: 3235
- Joined: 12/5/2007
- 14ers: 58
- 13ers: 25
- Trip Reports (69)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
I usually try and pronounce things in local language if possible, but not always possible without butchering a word. Scandinavian and Asian languages/countries make it a little tougher...
-
- Posts: 777
- Joined: 11/19/2017
- 14ers: 3
- 13ers: 1
- Trip Reports (2)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
i just ask myself, "how would Alex Trebek say it?"
"The decay and disintegration of this culture is astonishingly amusing if you're emotionally detached from it." - George Carlin
- mtree
- Posts: 1479
- Joined: 6/16/2010
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
And then there's Table Mesa...
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
-
- Posts: 547
- Joined: 8/30/2016
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
If it's something that was named by the native speakers, then I'll say it in their language and will look down on people who do otherwise bc I can't pass on an opportunity to call someone racist. But if it's Sbux's menu, then hell no, give me a f***ing large cup of coffee. I find native american names the hardest to pronounce. There's a beach in RI called Quonochontaug. Funny, they massacred them but out of respect kept the original names of their lands.
Those who travel to mountain-tops are half in love with themselves and half in love with oblivion
-
- Posts: 777
- Joined: 11/19/2017
- 14ers: 3
- 13ers: 1
- Trip Reports (2)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
there are so many french or french-derived words in mountaineering, since modern mountaineering began in the alps with French and Swiss climbers. then the British came and just imported all those french terms into the english language, but anglicized the pronunciation, because no self-respecting Brit would ever want to sound like the French. now when we Americans use those terms, we have to pronounce them our own way, because no self-respecting 'merican wants to sound like a Brit.
i still don't know what the "correct" pronunciation of crevasse is... kruh-VASS or kruh-VAHS. i've heard it pronounced both ways about an equal number of times. col drives me nuts... i usually hear it said KOLE, but the french pronunciation is closer to KAWL. all i do know is, when Americans try to say words with a French accent, they usually just end up sounding like Cajun Man. especially if you're talking about pitons and crampons.
"The decay and disintegration of this culture is astonishingly amusing if you're emotionally detached from it." - George Carlin
- disentangled
- Posts: 533
- Joined: 6/15/2018
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
lol it doesn't really matter how one says the things one says, after all. the objective of language is to express an idea, and language is lousy at doing that precisely.... pronunciation simply makes it lively.timisimaginary wrote: ↑Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:35 amthere are so many french or french-derived words in mountaineering, since modern mountaineering began in the alps with French and Swiss climbers. then the British came and just imported all those french terms into the english language, but anglicized the pronunciation, because no self-respecting Brit would ever want to sound like the French. now when we Americans use those terms, we have to pronounce them our own way, because no self-respecting 'merican wants to sound like a Brit.
i still don't know what the "correct" pronunciation of crevasse is... kruh-VASS or kruh-VAHS. i've heard it pronounced both ways about an equal number of times. col drives me nuts... i usually hear it said KOLE, but the french pronunciation is closer to KAWL. all i do know is, when Americans try to say words with a French accent, they usually just end up sounding like Cajun Man. especially if you're talking about pitons and crampons.
- greenonion
- Posts: 1898
- Joined: 10/3/2012
- 14ers: 50 1
- 13ers: 2
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
But how does one pronounce lol in French, English, and Merican?shelly+ wrote: ↑Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:42 amlol it doesn't really matter how one says the things one says, after all. the objective of language is to express an idea, and language is lousy at doing that precisely.... pronunciation simply makes it lively.timisimaginary wrote: ↑Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:35 amthere are so many french or french-derived words in mountaineering, since modern mountaineering began in the alps with French and Swiss climbers. then the British came and just imported all those french terms into the english language, but anglicized the pronunciation, because no self-respecting Brit would ever want to sound like the French. now when we Americans use those terms, we have to pronounce them our own way, because no self-respecting 'merican wants to sound like a Brit.
i still don't know what the "correct" pronunciation of crevasse is... kruh-VASS or kruh-VAHS. i've heard it pronounced both ways about an equal number of times. col drives me nuts... i usually hear it said KOLE, but the french pronunciation is closer to KAWL. all i do know is, when Americans try to say words with a French accent, they usually just end up sounding like Cajun Man. especially if you're talking about pitons and crampons.
- mtree
- Posts: 1479
- Joined: 6/16/2010
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Pronunciation, local or 'Merican?
That's an easy one. In 'Merican...timisimaginary wrote: ↑Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:35 am
i still don't know what the "correct" pronunciation of crevasse is... kruh-VASS or kruh-VAHS. i've heard it pronounced both ways about an equal number of times. col drives me nuts...
Butt crack.
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.