Hm. I suspect it's something in between.
[]
[]
Bullshit, sir, BULLSHIT!!!
Calm down, dear, it's only a newsgroup! [Paraphrasing a UK TV commercial.]
If you want to hear how Afghanistan is pronounced by Afghanis and []
The examples you gave are of westernized pronunciation of Afghanistan.
Younger Afghani or Pakistani reporters are guilty of pronouncing
Afghanistan the way they think will sound OK to western ears.
I don't think "guilty" is a good word to use here.
[]
Go to the roots if you want to find out how things are supposed to be
Context is important here. There are times when correct local
pronunciation would actually not be understood by the audience in
question (or a proportion of them) - or, at least, would cause them
significant pause, during which they'd miss the next few words being
said. (Conversely, I share with you irritation at _grossly_ wrong such
pronunciations such that if _those_ are used I miss the next few words.
So you can't win!) There is also the question of where the line is to be
drawn between there being just an (say) English _pronunciation_ of a
word (especially placename), and there being an English _version_
(translation, if you like) of it. For example, I think few English
people - even those who know it is the local translation - would
pronounce the Russian capital as Moskva (except perhaps in special
contexts); there is an English name for it. Whether Paree or Bear-leen
in their English pronunciations are "wrong" is harder to say. (Applies
in other languages too of course - Londres and Douvres, Edinbourg, Aix ...)
pronounced. And don't rely on even BBC correspondents and reporters
for they are useless when pronouncing foreign words, and names, even
European ones let alone the names of persons and places in exotic
parts of the world.
They vary considerably. For example, one of the worst - because he makes
it abundantly clear that he doesn't think it important - is Jeremy
Paxman (makes me cringe when he's actually addressing a foreigner, and
thus in effect representing our country - and it affects his validity on
University Challenge [a quiz programme] when he pronounces, for example,
Adlertag [which should be ardlertarg] as a`ldertagg [yes he did
transpose the letters]); the chap who now does Mastermind (John Simpson
is it?) apologises beforehand (though is generally better anyway!).
There _is_ a "BBC pronunciation unit" to advise on pronunciation, but
some years (decades?) ago, it became an (internally) chargeable service,
so is much less used than before that.
I once listened to a so-called expert talking about ancient Greek and
let me assure you that no Greek would ever understand what she was
saying in Greek; so bad was her pronunciation.
Are you talking about a modern or an ancient Greek (-:?
Sorry but I must also add that English speaking peoples are hopeless
in pronouncing foreign words and names. The exceptions prove the rule!!!
This is very true.
[]
following it. Why, the majority of British presenters of classical
music cannot pronounce the name even of J.S. Bach who becomes Back!
Ridiculous.
Or Bark, since most of them are southern. It's the attitude that it
doesn't _matter_ which is the most infuriating. (That sound occurs in
Scottish English, too - in the word loch, for example - and they get
that wrong too. [For anyone who genuinely doesn't know, it's _not_
pronounced lock.])
The number of times I got mad at Classic FM presenters mis-pronouncing
the names of even well known classical composers...
Mind you, I think a circular was sent round informing them that they
would get the sack if they mispronounced the name of the composer
Kuntz! My info is second hand I admit. I heard it from one of the
Classic FM radio presenters!!!
In fact there isn't one but several Kuntz. Here is one Kunt!!!
Sorry did I forget to press the Z key hard enough? My left little
finger hurts a bit today!!!
(-: - No, that's KuRtz. (Interesting piece!)
