Contamination: I'll keep hearing 'Fuck You Shima'

[denem]

every time the Fukushima incident is discussed, as it will be, for the rest of my life.

Shiitake.

[Bonobo]

1. Say after me: "Foo-Koo-She-Ma". nt

[denem]

2. Yeah. I know I've got it wrong. I read it a while before I heard it spoken,

and the early pronunciations were not that good.

[sakabatou]

3. We need better Japanese speakers in the news.

[Bonobo]

7. Seems to me Japanese is VERY easy to pronounce. It is 100% regular.

For example, I cannot understand how English speakers turned "karaoke" into "carry okee"

It is "Ka-ra-o-kay"

[sakabatou]

8. Wagateruyo (I know)

Americanization of words sometimes sucks.

[Bonobo]

9. wakkate iru yo.

Interesting that you made the k/g error.

It is commonly seen in Korean, along with the lack of differentiation of b/p. Are you Korean or did you learn your Japanese from a Korean?

Just interesting to me, no offense. ;)

[sakabatou]

10. Neither

It's from what I hear. It sounds so similar.

[sakabatou]

12. It's hard to distinguish between the k and g sometimes in Japanese

[kristopher]

13. Voice vs no voice

See 'Phonemic distinctions or allophones' here if you aren't familiar with it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonology

[sakabatou]

14. That goes way over my head

>.<

[kristopher]

16. It just says

Looking at the way we physically produce sound for language tells us that each sound we make has a set of characteristics that define it. For example you make the /t/ sound by putting your tongue behind your front teeth and briefly blocking the flow of air. The first half of the sound produced when you read the single letter /t/ does not require you to use your vocal cords. The second half of the sound is a vowel since reading the letter /t/ is like saying the word /tea/.

In linguistics the first part is considered a distinct unit. Its characteristics would include a "plosive" which describes the release of air after blocking it with your tongue behind your teeth. If you do that without using your vocal cords it is a /t/. If you shape your mouth and throat in exactly the same way and make exactly the same forces work BUT also use your vocal cords, you will produce a /d/.

In Japanese this specific characteristic is explicitly built into the writing system. When you write n hiragana or katakana and you use the colon to change a /ha/ to a /ba/ you are adding voice - that is what the chon chon means - add voice.

Introduction to linguistics was one of the most enjoyable courses I've ever taken. Hope the lecture didn't bore you.

[sakabatou]

18. Thing is, if you say wakateiruyo quickly

Doesn't it sound "wa-GA-teruyo?"

[Scuba]

4. Yep, and it's ....

Toe - yo - ta, not Toy-o-ta. And nu-klee-er, not nu-cue-lar.

But what can you expect? Remember the old joke?

What do you call someone who speaks three or more languages? Answer: Multi-lingual.

What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Answer: Bi-lingual.

What do you call someone who speaks only one language?



wait for it....






Answer: American

[denem]

5. I speak American and English

and am fluent in Gibberish.

:evilgrin:

[Scuba]

6. We like both kinds of music - Country and Western from The Blues Brothers n/t

[Dappleganger]

11. Maybe the OP is Scottish.

:shrug:

[denem]

15. Skittish.

Hero Shima...

Kept hearing THAT far too long in school.

Enola Gay Heroes?
Yea Right,

[Jamastiene]

17. Well, it does help me remember how to spell it.

Of course, now that I can remember how to spell it, I wish I knew how to pronounce it. I haven't watched much video/audio news. So, I'm still not sure how to pronounce it yet. :shrug:

[Name removed]

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