Pronunciation of Russian names

[Alan Shank]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Just wondering.. do foreign language natives have difficulty pronouncing English/American names?.. Smith, Jones, Black, White , Brown.

The sound of "th" is a bitch to pronounce. The others you listed are easy.

And, there are two different ones, voiced and unvoiced, as in "this" vs. "Beth". In a voiced consonant, you can feel your vocal chords vibrate. Such fun!

Each national association should be required, before any global championship, to issue a pronunciation guide for its entire team. >:-)
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

[Pego]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

So, that is why the Germans spell it Schmidt? Isn't the ch a problem.?

LOL

[lonewolf]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

So, that is why the Germans spell it Schmidt? Isn't the ch a problem.?

[Pego]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Just wondering.. do foreign language natives have difficulty pronouncing English/American names?.. Smith, Jones, Black, White , Brown.

The sound of "th" is a bitch to pronounce. The others you listed are easy.

[lonewolf]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Just wondering.. do foreign language natives have difficulty pronouncing English/American names?.. Smith, Jones, Black, White , Brown.

[Alan Shank]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Additionally, from "Maris" on Multitran:

ka-pa-CHIN-ska-ya (variants are possible)
chu-ra-KO-va
ka-NIS-ki-na (possibly KA-nis-ki-na, but unlikely)
kir-DYAP-ki-na
a-ba-KUM-a-va

Next, Ethiopian names. >:-)

Kalkidan Gezehegne
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

[Alan Shank]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Failing to receive a reply from RusAthletics.com, I visited a Website called "Multitran" and posted a message in the forum there, asking about a bunch of surnames of Russian women athletes. I got these replies:

SA-vin-a-va (this one surprised me)
chir-NO-va
ru-SAN-a-va
i-sin-BA-yi-va
kos-TET-ska-ya
za-RIP-a-va
za-dor-OZH-na-ya
gri-CHI-shnik-a-va
dyik-tyir-YO-va (umlaut over the 'e', the letter "yo")
FI-ra-va
lit-VI-na-va
SHKOL-i-na
fe-o-FAN-a-va
KLI-shi-na
ku-ra-PAT-ki-na
pi-SHCHAL-ni-ka-va

One guy had this to say:
"Regarding stress, the names in this list are rather simple, but even among them there may be exceptions. For example, in the surname ?????? the stress normally falls on the last syllable, but are also ?-???-?-??. In the surname Chicherova, the stress can fall on any of the first three syllables, and only the woman in question knows for sure."

I'm going with CHI-chi-ra-va in this case, because I think it's unlikely that host would have this star on his show without knowing how she pronounces her name.
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

[3]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Of course, when you're listening to an "X" announcer on TV, don't trust them beyond their own language.

In this particular case, the Russian announcer pronounced the Russian surname (Chicherova) the Russian way, a recording which provides perfect assistance to others who may --- by repeating after him --- pronounce both Anna and Chicherova the more correct Russian way.

[Alan Shank]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

I'll assume I was waaay off on Valery Bort-soff?

va - LYER - y bar - ZOF

In Russian, final consonants are always "unvoiced", i.e. d becomes t, v becomes f, z becomes s.

Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

[Pego]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

or you can cross the two and get a vagina dentata.

:wink:

[uakari]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

or you can cross the two and get a vagina dentata.

[Pego]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Respectfully disagree, TOE.
I don't know how Chinese characters distinguish between English alphabet letters but if his name, Xian Zhang, is pronounced John Chang, it make sense to me. I posit that Xian Zhang written in Chinese characters is undecipherable to all but the most cosmopolitan of Jacksonvillians.
At least they did non spell in Jon or Jahn or Sean.
Just mho.

Here's my analogy. You go to some exotic land and they change your name to from Lone Wolf to Loony Vulva because they're to lazy to learn your name and Loony Vulva is easier for them to say. :shock:

Hey! Bad analogy. Wrong gender.
Waaal, some languages tend to pronounce the W as V so you may be on the right track. :?

I am sure, both of you will agree than a chance encounter with loony vulva offers a lot better outcome than one with a lone wolf.

[lonewolf]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Respectfully disagree, TOE.
I don't know how Chinese characters distinguish between English alphabet letters but if his name, Xian Zhang, is pronounced John Chang, it make sense to me. I posit that Xian Zhang written in Chinese characters is undecipherable to all but the most cosmopolitan of Jacksonvillians.
At least they did non spell in Jon or Jahn or Sean.
Just mho.

Here's my analogy. You go to some exotic land and they change your name to from Lone Wolf to Loony Vulva because they're to lazy to learn your name and Loony Vulva is easier for them to say. :shock:

Hey! Bad analogy. Wrong gender.
Waaal, some languages tend to pronounce the W as V so you may be on the right track. :?

[Marlow]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Lazy is harsh. I just can't get my tongue around some sounds. I guess some find pronunciation easier than others.

One blind spot I have notice for Americans is the pronunciation of 'Edinburgh'. I used to try and correct people but I now realise that most people can't even hear the difference between the British pronunciation and the American version. I suspect there is more to it than just getting it wrong.

Here ya go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN9E3WsaHWw

soft r, then schwa.

[Daisy]

Re: Pronunciation of Russian names

Lazy is harsh. I just can't get my tongue around some sounds. I guess some find pronunciation easier than others.

Is that not your problem? (not meant in a criticizing way, just the way it is)

Definitely my problem, but it's not just lazyness. For some, me , these pronunciations are really difficult. The Z in pinyin is a good example of one I find very hard to get just right.

Similarly Japanese have a big problem with the L sound. I've heard that if you're not exposed to the full range of sounds as a young child then it's much harder as an adult make those sounds. I'm not sure I understand the basis for this though.

One blind spot I have notice for Americans is the pronunciation of 'Edinburgh'. I used to try and correct people but I now realise that most people can't even hear the difference between the British pronunciation and the American version. I suspect there is more to it than just getting it wrong.