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Translation of Names

by Caledaravel, March 20, 2007

Messages: 42

Language: English

Caledaravel (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 1:36:45 AM

Let's say my name has an unvoiced "th" sound in it. How would that be pronounced in Esperanto? Or would it change to a different letter or combination thereof?

I hope this isn't a stupid question. shoko.gif

~Caledaravel

Islander (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 2:30:34 PM

Unless your name is "The Masked Marvel", I can't see what names would have such a sound. Names Like Thomas or Catherine have a mute H and would translate into Tomaso and Katarina (I think).

erinja (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 2:49:05 PM

Usually an unvoiced th is written as a simple t.

So "Ethan" might be "Etano".

"Jonathan" might be "Jonatano"

(both of those names, interestingly, have their Esperanto versions close to Hebrew versions - "Eitan" and "Yonatan")

Not sure what would be done with a voiced th though, maybe a Z? Some Welsh names have that sound but I don't know what they are in Esperanto.

(Btw, Islander - the h in Catherine is not mute in English, the th is pronounced like the th in "math")

Islander (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 3:02:59 PM

(Btw, Islander - the h in Catherine is not mute in English, the th is pronounce like the th in "math")
That's probably because I'm a french speaker, but I don't pronouced the H in math either! rido.gif I have to admit the TH is a complete non-sense for french speaker and a nightmare trying to do it. I still remember grade school were the teacher had us practicing this for days.. No, no... from the tip of your tongue like this: Zzzza... No, more like Dhha, Zlea, vloa, no, no... Aaargh!
Not sure what would be done with a voiced th though, maybe a Z?
As with the provided examples and as it appears to do in Romance based laguages, I beleive it would simply become mute and therefore non-existent in Esperanto.

erinja (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 8:18:59 PM

Islander: I have to admit the TH is a complete non-sense for french speaker and a nightmare trying to do it. I still remember grade school were the teacher had us practicing this for days.. No, no... from the tip of your tongue like this: Zzzza... No, more like Dhha, Zlea, vloa, no, no... Aaargh!
Have you got it now? The best "trick" I ever heard is that you have to put your tongue *between* your teeth, lightly close your teeth around your tongue and blow. Without sticking your tongue between your teeth you will almost certainly not get it.

Islander (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 8:43:31 PM

Have you got it now?
Not really and I'm not really trying much anyway. It ends up just being an accent and most people find it cute (unless the word "third" needs to be used... lots of fun on that one...)

Alex Stephen (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 8:48:26 PM

I don't understand...why is it so hard to pronounce...although i have problems pronouncing the "c" in esperanto. demando.gif

Islander (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 9:01:31 PM

I don't understand...why is it so hard to pronounce...
As a toddler grows and practice a specific language, it's throat, mouth and tongue adapt to ease the sounds used in that language. Once you reach pre-teens, that gets set and it becomes harder and harder to do certain sounds your not used to, and as there is no comparable sounds in french, that's hard for us. Just as much as certain German or Arabic sounds may be for english speakers.

I'm sure you have seen some movies with french people speaking english: "Ziss iss haw zey speek" (and that's not an holywood cliché).

Alex Stephen (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 9:12:48 PM

Islander:
I'm sure you have seen some movies with french people speaking english: "Ziss iss haw zey speek" (and that's not an holywood cliché).
I see now. rideto.gif
Only thing i'm mad about is having to roll my "r"s...is this required? cause i certainly cannot do that. malgajo.gif

Novico Dektri (User's profile) March 20, 2007, 9:38:40 PM

Unfortunately, Alex, rolling your r's is something msot people will expect you to be able to do in Esperanto. As I began making my own languages early on in life (many which required the same sounds as Esperanto), I have no problems pronouncing it (although I am certain it is still obvious that I speak English as my first language. I do not proffess to be anywhere near perfect). However, Esperantists are generally very tolerant of regional differences. I notice that some french speakers pronounce the r from the back of their throat- although this is not the expectation, it does not impede communication and they are instantly understood. The same can be said of your case. No one's accent is perfect and there is no 'official' accent to compare it with. Everyone must try to speak as close to the ideal as possible.

Some people have suggested (although I don't reccomend it), that in some situations you can fake rolling an r by using 'd' instead. This perhaps will go unnoticed in some cases, but cannot be used with dipthongs like the 'pr' in 'prava'. I believe that you should simply prononce your r's the best you can, and no one will car eone way or another.

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