Why do the Swiss say Humer (who mer) instead of Homer? - Page 7

cannut · #**121** 21.02.2011, 14:58

	Quote:	Wollishofener
	Correct you are, sure, but are you astonished ? Astonished about media-folks who use what they regard as "English pronounciation" for a perfectly Swiss name ? Astonished about media-folks who describe Prime Minister Berlusconi as "Staats-Chef" ? I don't know who started this nonsense, whether it was he himself, his father, a media-person or a marketing-person. Nonsense it is. Here in Switzerland they ought to say Roschée in the usual way. Similar to the media (mis-) use of Standing Ovation which in German simply is Stehender Applaus. I mean there are expressions which have a completely different meaning in German/English like aktuell/actually, but in this case, it really is the same.

Alles schoen KULL Ich GO WAKEN

rrs · #**122** 21.02.2011, 14:59

	Quote:	grumpygit
	So what is North America then?

The North part of the continent of the Americas.
Plural Americas means the continent, singular America refers to the United States of America.

grumpygit · #**123** 21.02.2011, 15:04

s funny i never heard anybody referring to the south americas or the the canadian americas. a little arrogant maybe?

Carlos R · #**124** 21.02.2011, 15:14

	Quote:	grumpygit
	s funny i never heard anybody referring to the south americas or the the canadian americas. a little arrogant maybe?

No, not arrogant. If you prefer, USA = United States of (Northern) America = Americans. Canada and Mexico are not part of the United States, although technically you could call them "American" as in residing in Northern America, it would generally engender confusion.

Look it up in a dictionary if you don't believe us:

	Quote:	American
	Pronunciation:/əˈmɛrɪk(ə)n/ adjective relating to or characteristic of the United States or its inhabitants:the election of a new American president relating to the continents of America:the American continent south of the tropic of Cancer noun 1 a native or citizen of the United States. 2 [mass noun] the English language as it is used in the United States; American English.

If you still have an issue, contact the Oxford dictionary here.

HTH

cannut · #**125** 21.02.2011, 15:15

	Quote:	hoppy
	It depends on whether you want to share ideas or not. Those who wish to conserve and protect what they have- like colonialists, may form barriers, However those not afraid to share ideas- like Americans and recently UK are often a lot more flexible. I do believe that people should learn and model correct pronunciations of words, but they should be so pedantic about other people's usage; it is rude,condescending and in any case you pronunciation may be contestable. Apart from that, there tends to be a hierarchy; some expect the Swiss to be able to say Nike correctly, but do they expect Americans to pronounce Boehner correctly? The hierarchy gets even more pronounced when it comes to ' exotic' words for example Arabic or Chinese. For instance: Abu Dhabi, is not probounced Abu dabby as they pronounce in F1 or Flintstones Aby dabby du. And Dubai is not 'do by'. Whenever I hear once person correct another. I wait for an opportunity to correct them in return, just as a reminder. p.s. *usually the Americans are so careful* to ask how they pronounce your name- and all that I have met have been remarkably good at getting it. All, except Boehner ( Speaker of the House)- I guess he just told people to pronounce it that way.

And that brings us to "Nuclear"or is it "Nucular"BTW my name is Werner not Vernen.But what the hell I am talking about

grumpygit · #**126** 21.02.2011, 15:19

	Quote:	Carlos R
	No, not arrogant. If you prefer, USA = United States of (Northern) America = Americans. Canada and Mexico are not part of the United States, although technically you could call them "American" as in residing in Northern America, it would generally engender confusion. Look it up in a dictionary if you don't believe us: If you still have an issue, contact the Oxford dictionary here. HTH

Well excuse me for existing, but I presumed the United States of America referred to those States of the Americas that got together, punished the native American Indians, fought with the Mexican Americans and so called their land the united states because the other states werent united. Or am I missing something here

grumpygit · #**127** 21.02.2011, 15:24

Whcih brings me to another question. Do Americans speak English?

cannut · #**128** 21.02.2011, 15:24

	Quote:	grumpygit
	So what is North America then?

Toronto

But only to the one which now how to say it correctley "Torano"(I think it comes from Italian),and the rest of the world is known as GTO

lost_inbroad · #**129** 21.02.2011, 15:24

	Quote:	grumpygit
	Whcih brings me to another question. Do Americans speak English?

Yeap, better than most Brits I'd assume.

Ziger · #**130** 21.02.2011, 15:27

	Quote:	grumpygit
	I presumed the United States of America referred to those States of the Americas that got together, punished the native American Indians, fought with the Mexican Americans and so called their land the united states because the other states werent united.

Doh, and god bless us for it too. America the beautiful, land of the free and home(r) of the brave.

Carlos R · #**131** 21.02.2011, 15:29

	Quote:	grumpygit
	Well excuse me for existing, but I presumed the United States of America referred to those States of the Americas that got together, punished the native American Indians, fought with the Mexican Americans and so called their land the united states because the other states werent united. Or am I missing something here

No. Nice summary.

Quote:

lost_inbroad

Quote:

grumpygit

Whcih brings me to another question. Do Americans speak English?

Yeap, better than most Brits I'd assume.

That my dear chap, is a matter of debate... and not a long one at that.

grumpygit · #**132** 21.02.2011, 15:33

	Quote:	lost_inbroad
	Yeap, better than most Brits I'd assume.

That would be yeap as a diminutive of yeah as in the Bonanza yeah or yep as in yes? Im not altogether sure. I would have to ask a septic

lost_inbroad · #**133** 21.02.2011, 15:37

	Quote:	grumpygit
	That would be yeap as a diminutive of yeah as in the Bonanza yeah or yep as in yes? Im not altogether sure. I would have to ask a septic

Yes mate...and I don't mean mate as in 2 animals brought in for breeding.

jacek · #**134** 21.02.2011, 15:37

	Quote:	cannut
	And that brings us to "Nuclear"or is it "Nucular"BTW my name is Werner not Vernen.But what the hell I am talking about

And precisely so... Which brat said that part again

Why do the Swiss say Humer (who mer) instead of Homer?

foliorose · #**135** 21.02.2011, 15:42

	Quote:	grumpygit
	Well excuse me for existing, but I presumed the United States of America referred to those States of the Americas that got together, punished the native American Indians, fought with the Mexican Americans and so called their land the united states because the other states werent united. Or am I missing something here

You're forgetting something here gg, those original Americans who treated the natives so badly and took all their land were BRITISH!

#**136** 21.02.2011, 15:45

	Quote:	foliorose
	You're forgetting something here gg, those original Americans who treated the natives so badly and took all their land were BRITISH!

Except, of course, for the ones who were originally French, Spanish, German, Irish, Dut (That's enough countries. Ed)

grumpygit · #**137** 21.02.2011, 15:46

That would make the USA a member of the British Empire then . I never thought of that

foliorose · #**138** 21.02.2011, 15:48

	Quote:	AbFab
	I know someone who worked for the Zurich travel agents, Globetrotter. They, and apparently the rest of the employees there are convinced their company is pronounced 'Globby-trotter'. Are they wrong? After all, the German electrical appliance manufacturer Braun has advertised themselves on UK TV as 'Brawn', when we all know of course that this pronounced 'Brown'. Who's right? More important, who cares??

This really is an excellent point! After I spent a semester abroad in France, I found it so irritating that some of the other students from my program continued to pronounce croissant "cwahsan" after we were back in the US. I mean, I get it, they want to say it the "right" way, but when we (or Swiss people) incorporate words from another language into our own, it's only natural to pronounce them in our own accent so that it blends naturally with our speech rhythm and patterning.

foliorose · #**139** 21.02.2011, 15:50

	Quote:	grumpygit
	That would make the USA a member of the British Empire then . I never thought of that

And it was....until July 4, 1776.

grynch · #**140** 21.02.2011, 15:51

	Quote:	grumpygit
	That would make the USA a member of the British Empire then . I never thought of that

I think a certain General Washington might take issue with that.