NZ Pronunciation please
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NZ Pronunciation please
Greetings all,
My question is:
Is Otago pronounced 'O tar go' or 'O tay go'?
This may seem trivial, but hey, it is just as important as the correct spelling.
Thanks heaps,
Jenny
My question is:
Is Otago pronounced 'O tar go' or 'O tay go'?
This may seem trivial, but hey, it is just as important as the correct spelling.
Thanks heaps,
Jenny
#3
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,922
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Lonely Planet guide to NZ tells me that the vowel sounds are as follows:
a as in 'large'
e as in 'get'
i as in 'marine'
o as in 'pork'
u as the 'oo' in moon
The dipthongs:
ae & ai as the 'y' in sky
ao & au as the 'ow' in how
ea as in 'bear'
ei as in 'vein'
eo as 'eh-oh'
eu as 'eh-oo'
ia as in the name 'Ian'
ie as the 'ye' in 'yet'
io as the 'ye' in 'ye old'
iu as the 'ue' in 'cue
oa as in 'roar'
oe as in 'toe'
oi as in 'toil'
ou as the 'ow' in 'sow'
ua as the 'ewe' in 'fewer'
* I believe that the 'y' in 'ye' wasn't really a 'y' but the Old Norse rune 'thorn', which was pronounced as the 'th' in 'the'. That is, in the old (or olde) days it was just used as shorthand for 'th'.
I could easily be wrong about this, but I remember being told that Maori pronunciation is similar to Hawaiian.
I believe that when Captain (or maybe Lieutenant) James Cook landed in NZ he had with him a Hawaiian, who found that he could understand enough of the local language to interpret for the Englishmen.
a as in 'large'
e as in 'get'
i as in 'marine'
o as in 'pork'
u as the 'oo' in moon
The dipthongs:
ae & ai as the 'y' in sky
ao & au as the 'ow' in how
ea as in 'bear'
ei as in 'vein'
eo as 'eh-oh'
eu as 'eh-oo'
ia as in the name 'Ian'
ie as the 'ye' in 'yet'
io as the 'ye' in 'ye old'
iu as the 'ue' in 'cue
oa as in 'roar'
oe as in 'toe'
oi as in 'toil'
ou as the 'ow' in 'sow'
ua as the 'ewe' in 'fewer'
* I believe that the 'y' in 'ye' wasn't really a 'y' but the Old Norse rune 'thorn', which was pronounced as the 'th' in 'the'. That is, in the old (or olde) days it was just used as shorthand for 'th'.
I could easily be wrong about this, but I remember being told that Maori pronunciation is similar to Hawaiian.
I believe that when Captain (or maybe Lieutenant) James Cook landed in NZ he had with him a Hawaiian, who found that he could understand enough of the local language to interpret for the Englishmen.
#7
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 468
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
just an addition regarding Whakatane. It isn't pronounced exactly to rhyme with uck. More ock. like sock. fock car tar ne.
doen't make the locals laugh. but then I just went to germnay and sniggered at Wankbahn.
doen't make the locals laugh. but then I just went to germnay and sniggered at Wankbahn.
#8
The more common pronunciation of "get" by a Kiwi is "git", as in "pin" for "pen" and "yip" for "yep".
I'm assuming that Lonely planet guide is for Maori.
I'm assuming that Lonely planet guide is for Maori.
#9
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 11,525
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>>just an addition regarding Whakatane. It isn't pronounced exactly to rhyme with uck. More ock. like sock. fock car tar ne.<<
According to Hare, the Maori owner of Lloyds Lodge in Whakatane, it should be pronounced "uck." He mentioned that Americans seemed kind of squeamish about that pronunciation, but we should go ahead and say it correctly.
Lee Ann
According to Hare, the Maori owner of Lloyds Lodge in Whakatane, it should be pronounced "uck." He mentioned that Americans seemed kind of squeamish about that pronunciation, but we should go ahead and say it correctly.
Lee Ann
#10
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 609
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lee Ann's right on the pronounciation of Whakatane. Causes no end of merriment for Aussies in particular. But it is my hometown (though I live in Auckland now). People use the "Fock" pronounciation only really to avoid causing offence.
Steve
Steve
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Melissa5
Australia & the Pacific
14
Feb 5th, 2007 08:04 AM