Meta: Facebook's new name ridiculed by Hebrew speakers

[Wicked Blue]

BBCNews

Facebook's announcement that it is changing its name to Meta has caused quite the stir in Israel where the word sounds like that for "dead".

To be precise, Meta is pronounced like the feminine form of the Hebrew word.

A number of people have taken to Twitter to share their take on the name under the hashtag #FacebookDead.

The emergency rescue volunteers Zaka even got involved, telling their followers on Twitter: "Don't worry, we're on it".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59090067

[Cracklin Charlie]

1. Oh, that's pretty bad.

Shouldn’t they have known that?

[bluedigger]

2. Still not as bad as the Chevy Nova in Latin America.

[John1956PA]

6. That tale has been around for decades, but Snopes reports that it is not true.

From Snopes at https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/chevrolet-nova-name-spanish/ :

CLAIM: The Chevrolet Nova sold poorly in Spanish-speaking countries because its name translates as "doesn't go" in Spanish.

RATING: False

First of all, the phrase “no va” (literally “doesn’t go”) and the word “nova” are distinct entities with different pronunciations in Spanish: the former is two words and is pronounced with the accent on the second word; the latter is one word with the accent on the first syllable. Assuming that Spanish speakers would naturally see the word “nova” as equivalent to the phrase “no va” and think “Hey, this car doesn’t go!” is akin to assuming that English speakers would spurn a dinette set sold under the name Notable because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn’t include a table.

Although “no va” can be literally translated as “no go,” it would be a curious locution for a speaker of Spanish to use in reference to a car. Just as an English speaker would describe a broken-down car by saying that it “doesn’t run” rather than it “doesn’t go,” so a Spanish speaker would refer to a malfunctioning automobile by saying “no marcha” or “no funciona” or “no camina” rather than “no va.”

[LastDemocratInSC]

7. That's an oldie but a goodie.

[HAB911]

3. It requires a little research to avoid this problem but it's more difficult than you might think

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/49rx9gg/

Have you ever tried to come up with a name for a car? It may seem easy, but car brands actually spend quite some time looking for exciting, cool and stylish names to match their vehicles. And usually, they double-check if a name might have a different meaning in another language. Here are 18 hilarious examples of when they forgot to do that.

[CentralMass]

4. Thanks for the list.

[PoliticAverse]

5. "Deadbook" it is! n/t