3 ms·
Dvořák's name is another good example for my point. What's the use of parading around the ‘ř’ in English texts if the sound can be pronounced only by speakers o
by aasasd 7y ago
Dvořák's name is another good example for my point. What's the use of parading around the ‘ř’ in English texts if the sound can be pronounced only by speakers of Czech, a few nearby dialects and Kobon speakers in Papua New Guinea? Well guess what, every language has a spelling in its own alphabet, for the pronunciation that the speakers adopt for ‘Dvořák’—including English, in this case.
At least even with ‘ř’ it's not as bad as ‘Čapek’, since ‘ř’ is likely just replaced with more-or-less-hard ‘r’ when speaking, and not an unrelated sound.
- david927 7y agoBefore I learned Czech, I pronounced it like most English-speakers: da-vor (rhymes with door) zhak (rhymes with shack). Now that I speak pretty decent Czech and can throw down a respectable 'ř'(which is one my great life accomplishments :), I feel that the English pronunciation is absolutely fine, and it requires no change. You write can write Čapek in any way you want. But, personally, I'm proud that it's spelled that way. People know his great works, they (across all languages) commonly use a word he coined, and they literally make people learn a tiny bit more about the Czech language when they say, "Ah! So in Czech the Č is a CH!"