Page 2 of 3

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:50 pm
by Ranger
Lesh for leash? Geesh. Now as for Eye-talyan, it took me awhile to learn the soft "i" on that one, but I'm still trying to run from "I-rack" and "I-ran".

Ranger

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 6:39 pm
by Bailey
I have an aquaintance who says I-rack and I-ran, my opinions on that were also not especially welcomed.
I'm not much for the Bible but I'm wondering how well it went for this Soloman fella. I suspect there were those who resented his knowledge and sharing thereof.

mark

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:25 pm
by gailr
"I-rack" and "I-ran".
I think we should take Iraq and Iran and combine them into one country and call it Irate. All the angered off people live in one place and get it over with. -- Denis Leary
This joke made me smile. I also wondered if Denis privately reflected on how very small his US audience might be if his suggestion were ever implemented.
-gailr

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:20 pm
by Brazilian dude

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:33 pm
by Stargzer
Lesh for leash? Geesh. Now as for Eye-talyan, it took me awhile to learn the soft "i" on that one, but I'm still trying to run from "I-rack" and "I-ran".

Ranger
Just remember that during the war between those two countries, Iran was caught between Iraq and a hard place. 8)

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:43 pm
by tcward
Smile. Tim, you say
I could never bring myself to pronounce this word "SOW-na" as in the second audio sample on the m-w.com link.
as if you'd be trespassing some sort of internal regional boundary. I find that charming.
Well, I hope that's a good thing. However, I think what you envisioned in your mind isn't what I was talking about at all.
The first pronunciation, however, in the ears of those Up North would easily peg you as hailing from somewhere south of Duluth/Superior.
Who said I was going by the first pronunciation? I don't use that one either. It sounds closer to sonnet than sauna... as pronounced in these parts. ;)

-Tim

Re: How do YOU say "sauna"?

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:04 pm
by sluggo
How many of you true Finns out there wince when you hear people mispronounce "sauna"?
Just for the record, Ranger, I too put all 3 syllables in sauna, not being a Finn but having studied Finnish, and following the rule that a foreign word carries its native pronunciation. And your original query did address "you true Finns" so that should kibósh condescension claims.

Fwiw I also wince when I hear "eye-raq" and "eye-ran", on the basis that the dipthong we use in English to say I is foreign to most if not all other languages that use the same letter. Cheers...

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:21 pm
by Davekent
Only a runkalainen doesn't know how to pronounce "sauna." It's SOUUU-na. Heavy AC-cent on the first SYL-lable. . .Almost like sHOUU-na.

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:28 pm
by Ranger
Kiitos for the sweet fragment, Sluggo!

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:22 pm
by Brazilian dude
Just for the record, Ranger, I too put all 3 syllables in sauna, not being a Finn but having studied Finnish, and following the rule that a foreign word carries its native pronunciation.
Well, all of us have been mispronouncing English words all along then.

Brazilian dude

Goodie

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:53 pm
by mamawsandy
Ranger, I applaud your statements. I have found this site to be obstinately obstinate about their views. This hauteur, in my opinion, smacks of those who are afraid of being wrong. I think we must agree that there is the correct way according to whatever language one is trying to learn, and there are the other words that we may use, mainly in speaking that are just acceptable.

And believe me, this is the place for sensible people, so don't leave.

and by the way--

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:56 pm
by mamawsandy
If someone wants to have a giant saw-na party, I'm on the invitation list.
Just southern, pals, just southern

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:22 pm
by Ranger
Mawmawsandy, you open your mouth in wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on your tongue. Thank you.

Now if you would, please pass the linguistic biscuits and explain to me the origins of the seductive and multi-flavored Southern Drawl. Someone once told me it began with the original British colonists who simply relaxed their jaws and slowed their speech in the oppressive heat and humidity. Maybe it was Pecos Bill.

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:56 pm
by sluggo
Just for the record, Ranger, I too put all 3 syllables in sauna, not being a Finn but having studied Finnish, and following the rule that a foreign word carries its native pronunciation.
Well, all of us have been mispronouncing English words all along then.

Brazilian dude
--true, which recalls Frank's point about words like message. Foreign is the operative word, and how to define that... aye, there's the rub. I believe the official ruling is that the imported word has to reside in its new linguistic lair for 563 years, seven months and 15 seconds before it gets to forget its chequered past.

As for Iraq + Iran = Irate, it reminds me of the plan to combine Dallas and Fort Worth into a single urban entity; what would they call it? "Worthless!" :wink: [duck]

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:05 am
by Stargzer
. . .
As for Iraq + Iran = Irate, it reminds me of the plan to combine Dallas and Fort Worth into a single urban entity; what would they call it? "Worthless!" :wink: [duck]
I like that one, although spelling it Worthlas would be an even better audio-visual pun. I'll have to remember that one the next time I have to take a Texan down a notch or two. :wink: