Are we talking about mangy mutts here?

[tsukikage]

I'm listening to a new podcast as I'm working on my CSci lab, and I have two major thoughts:
1) Otaku need to learn how to pronounce "manga", at least. For bonus points, they can learn the basics of Japanese pronounciation so that they won't murder character names and show titles either.
2) Stop using the word "scanlation" for novels. I mean, I suppose you could make a novel scanlation, but it would be really silly.

Comments

[carve037.livejournal.com]

I can certainly forgive the pronunciation of "ng" as the English eng+g, as the alternative is really not an English sound sequence, and I know I struggle with n+g even in careful speech. However, the vowel is something people should be able to handle.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Actually, it is "ng"+"g". *fails at remembering any linguistics terms to explain beyond this* But yeah, the n changes its sound before various consonants, so it isn't always a strict "n".

Them Linguistic Word-things

[akaneko.livejournal.com]

It is indeed a velar nasal followed by a voiced velar stop. Pronouncing a syllabic final nasal as a coronal nasal before a velar stop is terribly unnatural in Japanese.

Re: Them Linguistic Word-things

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Velar! My German rolled r is velar!

Re: Them Linguistic Word-things

[akaneko.livejournal.com]

I find that exceedingly difficult to believe; the IPA folk don't accept that a velar trill is even physically possible. If you have a trill in the very back of your mouth, it's probably a uvular trill. (I'm not certain exactly why, but for some reason, I found uvular trills and fricatives a lot easier to acquire as a teenager than the coronal trill...)

Re: Them Linguistic Word-things

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Well, as I said, my "trill" may not so much be a trill as gargling spit between my tongue and velum. ^_^;

Re: Them Linguistic Word-things

[akaneko.livejournal.com]

Is your German 'r' similar to or distinct from the back-of-the-mouth/top-of-the-throat motion used in gargling water?

Re: Them Linguistic Word-things

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

*thinks* *gargles some tea* I don't actually make any motion when gargling water, actually. I just hold the liquid over my throat and breathe out. I dunno, maybe I should have more faith in my German phonetic development and assume it's a standard uvular trill...

[zuisa.livejournal.com]

I have a friend who is a huuuge anime/manga geek and constantly pronouncing people's names wrong, and when I correct her, she's all "I read manga. You don't." And then I'm all... well... I've read some, and I watched some manga, and for real, basic Japanese pronunciation is not hard. It's not like we're asking you to sound out Hungarian or Polish or something. At least just get the vowel sounds right, in my opinion. They are not hard! Especially if one has studied Spanish in high school. Yeah.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Exactly. ><;