Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2013 April 25

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April 25

word game on internet based on french game show

Is there a website that gives different letter and vowels to make up a word just like that French Game show des chiffres et des lettres? but I want in English.--Donmust90 (talk) 03:54, 25 April 2013 (UTC)Donmust90

Yes. Try http://www.purely-games.com/countdown.html. For more options, try searching Google for 'Countdown flash games' - Countdown is the UK, English speaking, version of Des Chiffres et des Lettres. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 06:36, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Magazine followers

What do you call the group of people that are followers of a particular type magazine (i.e. Field and Stream, Home Improvements, Exotic Vacations)?--Christie the puppy lover (talk) 11:54, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

If you're talking about a particular magazine, then "regular readers". --Viennese Waltz 11:57, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Or even subscribers. Often the magazine is cheaper to obtain this way than the regular store price. 196.214.78.114 (talk) 12:02, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Agree with both answers. Some magazines are only available by subscription, but in general terms, I would go with "readers". See KIM JONG UN VOTED PERSON OF THE YEAR BY TIME READERS. Alansplodge (talk) 12:16, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Pronunciation of "Buddhist" and "Muslim"

Is the correct pronunciation of Buddhist, /"bUdIst/ or /"bu:dIst/ ? Is the correct pronunciation of Muslim, /"mVzlIm/ or /"mUzlim/ ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.67.20.3 (talk) 12:24, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

In which variety of English? KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 12:36, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Yeah, that, but using my variety of English, it sounds more correct as /"bu:dIst/ and /"mVzlIm/. Cheers, ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 12:45, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

I would tend to personally use [buːdɨst] and [mʊslɨm]. AnonMoos (talk) 13:47, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

I would pronounce both with the vowel of "book" rather than "boot". The "s" in "Muslim" really ought to be unvoiced - that seems to be how Muslims tend to pronounce it, in my experience - although most English speakers seem to pronounce it as a "z". --Nicknack009 (talk) 19:00, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

The problem with describing pronuniciations in terms of other words is that people may pronounce the other words differently too. For example, in some dialects the vowel sounds for "boot" and "book" are the same. AJCham 20:18, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

That's because "Muzlim" would mean something else in Arabic, as would "Izlam" (actually they don't seem to be real words, but otherwise words made from that room, z-l-m, have something to do with arrows or the shape of arrows). Adam Bishop (talk) 10:13, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

I don't believe there is a "correct" way to pronounce these words. The pronunciation will depend on the history and location of the speaker, and the context of the usage. You really need to ask someone at a well known university in England! Richard Avery (talk) 14:13, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Brilliant... And since there's no "correct" way, I shall now pronounce "Muslim" as PEE-tsuh. That do? ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 14:25, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

That takes crust. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:38, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

No, because no one you are speaking to would understand that. The specific language community you are conversing with on a regular basis will spontaneously develop standards that an outside observer could develop a set of rules about, but the rules don't determine those standards. How one language community pronounces the word written "Muslim" will differ from how another would, and neither is correct or wrong in relation to the other. They would only be "correct" within their own language community, but so long as others from other communities still understood them, it wouldn't be "wrong" there. The error in thinking here is trying to assign external values to language; that is there is some standard which can be imposed from the outside which determines rightness and wrongness. There isn't. --Jayron32 15:03, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Fɞ̯rr... pr-nns-shn cĩcen montʊ̯nea bõr-GER! (Yes I agree... Oh, no wonder the people I talk to seem like they don't understand what I'm saying!) ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 15:17, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

The following online dictionaries contain pronunciation with audio files:

dictionary	"Buddhist"	"Muslim"
Merriam-Webster	[1]	[2]
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary	[3]	[4]
Oxford Advanced American Dictionary	[5]	[6]
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary	[7]	[8]

Hope that helps! Gabbe (talk) 13:21, 26 April 2013 (UTC)