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This reminds me of the story of the town of Versailles, Indiana. It was common knowledge nearby that anyone who came in and pronounced it "ver-sai" was from ou

This reminds me of the story of the town of Versailles, Indiana. It was common knowledge nearby that anyone who came in and pronounced it "ver-sai" was from out of town. Because everyone living there called it "ver-sails". I use this as an example of how if anyone gets to decide how something is pronounced, it's the people who live there. The city is simply called "ver-sails" and that's all there is to it. It is not "wrong", anymore than pronouncing it as you likely say "karate" is not more wrong than "ka-ra-te" (the japanese pronunciation) or that the japanese prounciation of the english word "sweater" being "su-we-ta" is wrong. Borrowed word pronunciation is entirely up to the user.

Radim 5y ago
And also of "Socrates", an American Quake 3 player who insisted on the "soh-crates" pronunciation :-) I also love the double mind-fuck of "karaoke": EN: pronounced "owe-kee" JP: "oh-keh"! EN: but "oke" comes from the English "orchestra" (kara-oke = empty orchestra)… so really should be pronounced "or-keh"? Are we mispronouncing a Japanese mispronounciation of OUR OWN WORD?? (and then of course the Greeks chime in, OG)
- MereInterest 5y ago
  There's a apocryphal story about a translator at an anime convention being asked why he changed a name in the English dub, using an L sound, where the name in Japanese used an R sound. The translator's response was a very flat "Because 'Alucard' is 'Dracula' spelled backwards."
soperj 5y ago
> This reminds me of the story of the town of Versailles, Indiana. Detroit would be the same way if it wasn't such a big city. Easier to see when you add back the accent, Détroit.
- myself248 5y ago
  Oh, DEE-troit is just the beginning. Other notables include the home of Milan Dragway, pronounced MYL-in, or Lake Orion, pronounced OR-ee-yin.
- b3morales 5y ago
  Versailles, France, is much more well-known than Le Détroit, France, though. (In the U.S.)
  - frosted-flakes 5y ago
    I don't know if it's the city that's well-known so much as the Treaty of Versailles.
s3cur3 5y ago
Here in Missouri (or rather in Missourah country), we have a ver-SAILS, MAH-l'n (Milan), New MAD-rid (Madrid), BALL-ah-ver (Bolivar), and La PLATE-ah (La Plata). :)

Radim 5y ago

And also of "Socrates", an American Quake 3 player who insisted on the "soh-crates" pronunciation :-) I also love the double mind-fuck of "karaoke": EN: pronounced "owe-kee" JP: "oh-keh"! EN: but "oke" comes from the English "orchestra" (kara-oke = empty orchestra)… so really should be pronounced "or-keh"? Are we mispronouncing a Japanese mispronounciation of OUR OWN WORD?? (and then of course the Greeks chime in, OG)

MereInterest 5y ago
There's a apocryphal story about a translator at an anime convention being asked why he changed a name in the English dub, using an L sound, where the name in Japanese used an R sound. The translator's response was a very flat "Because 'Alucard' is 'Dracula' spelled backwards."

soperj 5y ago

> This reminds me of the story of the town of Versailles, Indiana. Detroit would be the same way if it wasn't such a big city. Easier to see when you add back the accent, Détroit.

myself248 5y ago
Oh, DEE-troit is just the beginning. Other notables include the home of Milan Dragway, pronounced MYL-in, or Lake Orion, pronounced OR-ee-yin.
b3morales 5y ago
Versailles, France, is much more well-known than Le Détroit, France, though. (In the U.S.)
- frosted-flakes 5y ago
  I don't know if it's the city that's well-known so much as the Treaty of Versailles.

s3cur3 5y ago

Here in Missouri (or rather in Missourah country), we have a ver-SAILS, MAH-l'n (Milan), New MAD-rid (Madrid), BALL-ah-ver (Bolivar), and La PLATE-ah (La Plata). :)