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From: andersa@kuling.UUCP (Anders Andersson)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Harbors and harbours
Message-ID: <901@kuling.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Feb-86 13:09:28 EST
Article-I.D.: kuling.901
Posted: Tue Feb 25 13:09:28 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 02:06:59 EST
References: <1180@utai.UUCP> <1045@lsuc.UUCP> <2788@sunybcs.UUCP> <395@snow.warwick.UUCP> <883@kuling.UUCP> <1047@terak.UUCP>
Reply-To: andersa@kuling.UUCP (Anders Andersson)
Organization: Uppsala University, Sweden
Lines: 42

In article <1047@terak.UUCP> suze@terak.UUCP writes:
>> - K/obenhavn (Da), K"openhamn (Sw), Copenhagen (Eng)
>> - Helsing/or (Da), Elsinor (Eng)
>> - Stockholm (Sw, Eng), Estockolmo (sp? Sp), Tukholma (Fi)
>> - G"oteborg (Sw), Gothenburg (Eng)
>> - Moskva (translit. Ru), Moscow (Eng)
>> - Svalbard (No), Spitzbergen (Eng)
>> - Chung Kuo (Chi), China (Eng)

>I don't think the spelling is as important as the
>pronunciation (particularly when we're considering translating
>from completely different "alphabets" such as Chinese and
>Russian. In general, a phoenetic spelling of a foreign place
>name (as pronounced by the natives) should suffice. Though I

Phonetic spelling is a nice idea, but would it solve any problems?
The rules for spelling a word phonetically vary from language to
language, and written communication would be even more difficult to
handle. I don't really know how you would spell our names, but what
would you think about me spelling your places Ajdaheu, Njojokk and
Reud Ajlend? Or did I misunderstand your suggestion?

After all, what's the difference between a word and a name, that says
we should translate the former but not the latter?

>How would you like it if someone deliberately mispronounced
>your name and seemed to insist that they, not you, were
>correct?

As long as we want the meaning of "correct" to be somewhat objective,
I don't think this is a problem. If the origin of a name is agreed
upon, it seems clear to me that the originator is the one to tell
you how it should be pronounced.

It might be difficult or even impossible for a foreigner to pronounce
a certain name properly, but then I'll accept whatever soundalike he
comes up with, of course, as long as his intent is not to *learn* my
language, but merely to communicate with me.
-- 
Anders Andersson, Dept. of Computer Systems, Uppsala University, Sweden
Phone: +46 18 183170
UUCP: andersa@kuling.UUCP (...!{seismo,mcvax}!enea!kuling!andersa)