Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2009 August 8

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August 8

Pronunciation of Korean?

What is the Korean pronunciation of the word 조선 Chosŏn using a narrow IPA transcription?--Sonjaaa (talk) 02:09, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Pronunciation of Richard Paget?

How was this man's name pronounced? --Sonjaaa (talk) 02:21, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

The usual English pronunciation of the surname is /ˈpædʒɪt/ (rhymes with "gadget"). It's the only pronunciation of the name given in Daniel Jones' dictionary (11th ed. rev. 1958), and in the BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names (2nd ed. 1983).--Cam (talk) 03:57, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

I should note those citations refer to the name "Paget" and not specifically to Richard Paget. --Cam (talk) 04:05, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

My old Webster's lists a contemporary countryman, James Paget, as rhyming with "gadget". Is there any particular reason you're trying to find out about this one guy? Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 11:08, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Debra Paget was a fairly well-known Hollywood starlet of the 1950s and '60s, and her name was always rhymed with gadget. -- JackofOz (talk) 12:49, 10 August 2009 (UTC)

"Word waterfall" in Icelandic

I was just listening to this interview with Daniel Tammet, in which he said that after the Icelandic challenge, people were particularly amazed that he made up words. As an example, he cited the word "word waterfall" (in Icelandic), which he made up on the fly to describe how the language just came to him. How do you write this in Icelandic? Mary Moor (talk) 03:29, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

A quick bit of research on wiktionary suggests it would be 'orðafoss' - from orð (word) + foss (waterfall). I copied the combining form from another masculine word orðaleikur MuDor (talk) 22:32, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

Could "thing" in Isaiah 55:11 have been "object"?

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV) says:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Would "object" in place of "thing" have been an equally or more valid translation? This may have implications for computer science involving the juxtaposition of "return" and "void". NeonMerlin 08:57, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Biblical Hebrew vocabulary tends to be rather concrete, and lacking in the philosophical abstraction beloved of the Greeks, so I would be rather skeptical of any ultra-extended interpretations in realms far-removed from the original Biblical context.

In this case, the original Hebrew phrase והצליח אשר שלחתיו doesn't even contain a Hebrew word which directly approximates in meaning to "thing" at all. Instead, there are two Hebrew verbs separated by asher, which is a relative clause particle (not even really a relative pronoun, such as exist in Indo-European languages). "Thing" was just added in English translation as an aid to comprehension. As a matter of fact, many editions of the KJV italicize words added for such reasons, and in such editions the whole phrase "in the thing" is italicized... AnonMoos (talk) 09:34, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

This sort of question is what Young's Literal Translation is useful for. The end of this verse reads, "And prosperously effected that [for] which I sent it", where even the "for" had to be added to the English translation. +Angr 10:12, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

What's really needed here is an English translation of the English translation. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 11:05, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

If you don't like the KJV, there are plenty of other English translations out there which were completed more recently than 1611. However, the KJV tends to be used for brief Biblical quotes presented as mottos... AnonMoos (talk) 15:42, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Tyw7

I would like to know the correct IPA Prouncation if I was spelling out my user name as T Y W seven. --Tyw7  (Talk • Contributions) 11:51, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

First you need to clarify what you mean by "spell out" eg "tea why doubleyou.." or "te ye wuh.."

Then I'd suggest you try to work the answer out for yourself - you already have the key words "IPA pronunciation", Wikipedia:IPA , International Phonetic Alphabet , IPA chart for English dialects and there is an article on that, and further resources elsewhere.

83.100.250.79 (talk) 14:29, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Preferable American English. And spell out mean like spelling out the individual letters of Tyw. Seven will be seven. --Tyw7  (Talk • Contributions) 17:35, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Is there something stopping you doing it, and reporting back here to check the answer?

This is a reference desk by the way - ["Wikipedia volunteers work to help you find the information you need"] - it doesn't say people will complete any task you set them.. :)

If you want someone else to do your work for you, you should try one of the questions and answers websites.

83.100.250.79 (talk) 17:49, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

I just wanted to know whether the prouncation on my user page is correct or not. --Tyw7  (Talk • Contributions) 18:58, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Why didn't you say!! sorry, I'll copy it across. It seems to say literally (ie read it aloud) "Tea double you seven" is the "y" missing ? I'm not very good at IPA83.100.250.79 (talk) 19:29, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Is this the correct pronounciation for Tyw7 /tɪˈdʌbəljuː ˈsɛv.ən/

I think I forgot the y. If the Y is included what is the prouncation? Is this correct: /'tɪ 'waɪ ˈdʌbəljuː ˈsɛv.ən/)?--Tyw7  (Talk • Contributions) 19:37, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Close: the first word is /ˈtiː/. What you wrote is like tick without the /k/ sound at the end. +Angr 20:37, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Is this correct: /ˈtiː 'waɪ ˈdʌbəljuː ˈsɛv.ən/)? --Tyw7  (Talk • Contributions) 20:41, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

You seem interested in getting things right, Tyw7, so I have to tell you there's no such word as "prouncation". What you're after is the pronunciation of your user name. There's an IPA code for that word, too, but don't ask me what it is. Cheers. -- JackofOz (talk) 02:25, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

To quote Bjarne Stroustrup: "(...) nobody ever accused English pronunciation (not "pronounciation" :-) and spelling of being logical." According to wikt, the IPA is pɹəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən/. decltype (talk) 02:54, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

The name of the letter Y is not pronounced like "why", at least not where I come from. It's like "wise" without the "se". Or "rye" the way Elmer Fudd would say it. Or the first syllable of "WiFi". Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 04:27, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

How to you pronounce "why", then? /hwaɪ/? Algebraist 04:43, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

Normally, yes. When talking in a hurry, it can slip into "wy", just like "what" can slip into "wut". Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 06:04, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

According to wikipedia this is how you pronounce WiFi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/. And this is the Wi of WiFi, /'waɪ/ --Tyw7  (Talk • Contributions) 11:15, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

I can't read the character after the "wa", it looks like a little box on my PC. But I'm guessing they're making it equivalent to "wai" if you were to say that like a Spanish dipthong, for example. In any case, if that's how they do the "Wi" of "WiFi", then that's it, because that "Wi" and the name of "Y" are pronounced exactly alike, at least where I come from. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 14:15, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

portugese profanity

i need one or two examples of portugese profanity, often used in football, like the portugese version of "preferisco la puttana di tua sorella".

I remember hearing "puta" and "filho da puta" but I don't know if they are used in football specifically. (If Catholic high school was good for anything, it was picking up Portuguese and Polish profanity!) Adam Bishop (talk) 15:32, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

I love Wikipedia: Portuguese profanity. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 19:39, 8 August 2009 (UTC)