Indian phonetics in English - Page 2

Palace_Hero · 08-05-2005, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by starsgoblue
I'm not Indian and don't have any blood ties in my family. But my father was/is very involved in Hindi spirituality--he actually has lived over there for the past five years.

So yea, I've got a Hindi middle name as a result.

You are the coolest cat around.

Zoots · 08-06-2005, 06:35 PM

I guess there's no one else of Indian origin here or nobody knows what I'm talking about.

Oh well.

unosdostres14 · 08-06-2005, 06:44 PM

Haha....you bumped this thread to tell everyone that no one knows what you're talking about.

Zoots · 08-06-2005, 06:47 PM

well... of course I hoped this would get the attention of other indians!

D'oh!, where the hell are you?

edit: of course I mean the person who posts with the screen name, D'oh! who I believe is from India.

bono_gal · 08-06-2005, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VertigoGal
hmmI have a few Indian friends, but none of them have W's in their names. I'll consult them on the matter when I start school a week from monday.

high school!

high school!
high school

high school

I'm a bit concerned I miss high school lol!

I left two months ago and know, its all gone, strange.

I just never want to grow up

College...
Next month

Exam results...
18 days

But I need them to get in there
Its all so confusing

Sorry for going off-topic

It is a bit strange the way words are spelt with a "w" when they should be spelt with a "v"

Luckily I took French in High School....

martha · 08-06-2005, 09:33 PM

My Indian art history professor was from Norway, and my Sanskirt professor was Australian.

I have no idea how to pronounce many of the Indian words I had to learn.

melon · 08-06-2005, 10:19 PM

So do the Hindi words incorrectly spelled with "w" make "w" sounds or "v" sounds like English would pronounce it?

I hope my question makes sense...lol.

Melon

beli · 08-06-2005, 10:26 PM

AcrobatSteve is Indian too.

There are many people from India here in Perth but I'm not one of them.

Zoots · 08-06-2005, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by melon
So do the Hindi words incorrectly spelled with "w" make "w" sounds or "v" sounds like English would pronounce it?

I hope my question makes sense...lol.

Melon

Well... they really make 'v' sounds... they HAVE to cos there's no rounded 'w' sound in hindi. That's why it puzzles me as to why most people use w's instead!

But I have a feeling now that it's a case of where the letter 'v' is in a word. Because words like Devdas and Devi seem to be spelt correctly. Same with proper nouns/names like Raghav and Madhav. In these words the 'v' sound is much more prominent than in words where a vowel such as 'a' follows the 'v'. like Aishvarya or Svades. These are written in hindi with the 'v' alphabet but still get w's when written in English. Maybe cos the 'v' sound is not that prominent.

Sorry if you can't understand head or tail of what I'm talking about!

foray · 08-06-2005, 11:45 PM

So....... Diwali (festival of lights) is actually Divali?

Are you talking about just one Indo language or do all of them not have "w"?

lmjhitman · 08-06-2005, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zootlesque

I guess there's no one else of Indian origin here or nobody knows what I'm talking about.

Oh well.

i'm of indian descent, but born in germany, raised in

canada

sorry, i can't help with the phonetics thing. i'm the biggest coconut around.

Zoots · 08-06-2005, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by foray
So....... Diwali (festival of lights) is actually Divali?

Are you talking about just one Indo language or do all of them not have "w"?

Yes!!! I have always wondered why Diwali is spelt so.. cos it's pronounced as Divali. The actual full form is Deepavali but it's commonly referred to as Diwali.

umm... I know Hindi and... Tamil which is my mother/native tongue. Neither have the equivalent of a 'w', just 'v'. But since most of those languages were derived from Sanskrit anyway, I'm assuming that none of them have a 'w'.

**yolland** · 08-07-2005, 04:54 PM

I'm not of Indian origin, but have been there (primarily Chennai) several times to do research.

I don't really know for sure the reason for writing "v" as "w," but I've always assumed it's to reflect this sound as British and American listeners hear it. Indians, north and south, seem to form most of their consonants by curling the tongue way back and pressing it against the roof of the mouth, whereas we form most of ours by striking the tip of the tongue against the area just behind the front teeth. (This based on my ultra-scientific method of clutching my tongue while attempting to imitate an Indian accent at the same time

). With some consonants, the resulting sounds are so different that we tend to hear, for example, Indian "v" as an almost "w"/"b" cross, and Indian "t" as a soft, clipped "d."

Zoots · 08-07-2005, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lmjhitman

sorry, i can't help with the phonetics thing. i'm the biggest coconut around.

That's okay.

Zoots · 08-07-2005, 05:27 PM

Yolland, you may be on to something there! You don't study linguistics, do you? Languages really fascinate me but I'm not a linguist. Learning german right now. Too bad it's hard to find people in NJ to practive with.

timothius · 08-07-2005, 05:29 PM

I don't have anything constructive to add to this thread except for...

Lund.

Zoots · 08-07-2005, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by timothius

Lund.

timothius · 08-07-2005, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zootlesque

I worked at an Indian Resteraunt 5 nights a week last year. I got on quite well with the chefs and they'd often teach me a few words. They were quite dirty bastards actually come to think of it. One day I asked him how to say a particular word - mind you he only had a 65% grasp on english. He told me what he thought the translation was. I then went and rattled off a sentance to the boss who spoke perfect english. He looked at me puzzled - asking what on earth I was trying to say - I said I'll get back to you. Went back to the chef and asked him what the word he told me meant... he says "This one brother!" pointing to a jar of PEANUT butter!

Great times.

Zoots · 08-07-2005, 05:50 PM

I don't..... get it.

timothius · 08-07-2005, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zootlesque
I don't..... get it.

He misinterpreted that I wanted to know what was the Hindi word for Peanut. Instead I was interested in the Hindi word for a word that sounds a lot like it.

In the process I made a fool of myself.

08-06-2005, 06:35 PM	#22
Zoots Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: the great beyond Posts: 36,802 Local Time: 10:49 PM	I guess there's no one else of Indian origin here or nobody knows what I'm talking about. Oh well. __________________

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08-06-2005, 06:44 PM	#23
unosdostres14 Refugee Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: ogacihC Posts: 1,558 Local Time: 08:49 PM	Haha....you bumped this thread to tell everyone that no one knows what you're talking about.

08-06-2005, 06:47 PM	#24
Zoots Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: the great beyond Posts: 36,802 Local Time: 10:49 PM	well... of course I hoped this would get the attention of other indians! D'oh!, where the hell are you? edit: of course I mean the person who posts with the screen name, D'oh! who I believe is from India.

08-06-2005, 09:33 PM	#26
martha Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Orange County and all over the goddamn place Posts: 42,555 Local Time: 01:49 PM	My Indian art history professor was from Norway, and my Sanskirt professor was Australian. I have no idea how to pronounce many of the Indian words I had to learn.

08-06-2005, 10:19 PM	#27
melon ONE love, blood, life Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 11,782 Local Time: 03:49 PM	So do the Hindi words incorrectly spelled with "w" make "w" sounds or "v" sounds like English would pronounce it? I hope my question makes sense...lol. Melon

08-06-2005, 10:26 PM	#28
beli Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In a frock in Western Australia Posts: 15,464 Local Time: 04:49 AM	AcrobatSteve is Indian too. There are many people from India here in Perth but I'm not one of them.

08-06-2005, 11:45 PM	#30
foray Rock n' Roll Doggie Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: full of sound and fury Posts: 3,386 Local Time: 09:49 AM	So....... Diwali (festival of lights) is actually Divali? Are you talking about just one Indo language or do all of them not have "w"?

08-07-2005, 04:54 PM	#33
yolland Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 7,471 Local Time: 09:49 PM	I'm not of Indian origin, but have been there (primarily Chennai) several times to do research. I don't really know for sure the reason for writing "v" as "w," but I've always assumed it's to reflect this sound as British and American listeners hear it. Indians, north and south, seem to form most of their consonants by curling the tongue way back and pressing it against the roof of the mouth, whereas we form most of ours by striking the tip of the tongue against the area just behind the front teeth. (This based on my ultra-scientific method of clutching my tongue while attempting to imitate an Indian accent at the same time ). With some consonants, the resulting sounds are so different that we tend to hear, for example, Indian "v" as an almost "w"/"b" cross, and Indian "t" as a soft, clipped "d."

08-07-2005, 05:27 PM	#35
Zoots Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: the great beyond Posts: 36,802 Local Time: 10:49 PM	Yolland, you may be on to something there! You don't study linguistics, do you? Languages really fascinate me but I'm not a linguist. Learning german right now. Too bad it's hard to find people in NJ to practive with.

08-07-2005, 05:29 PM	#36
timothius Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In the late 70s, early 80's... Posts: 8,465 Local Time: 07:49 AM	I don't have anything constructive to add to this thread except for... Lund.

08-07-2005, 05:50 PM	#39
Zoots Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: the great beyond Posts: 36,802 Local Time: 10:49 PM	I don't..... get it.