Re: USAGE: syllables
| From: | michael poxon <m.poxon@...> |
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| Date: | Saturday, June 14, 2003, 10:26 |
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I think the thing about "Dvorak" is that because dv- is not a permissible
initial CC in English, it is seen as foreign. The difficulty isn't so much
in the pronunciation, but 'pronouncing it right', i.e., /dv/ rather than
/d@v/ though I don't know of anyone, other than possibly a Czech immigrant,
who would 'say it right' to the extent of getting the r+hacek sound too! I'm
sure this happens with lots of other languages too - 'luau' is never
pronounced with its glottal stop by English speakers, for instance. How far
this is 'posturing' (i.e., "look at me, I can say the word right!") I don't
know. But as a personal example, ever since last year I now consistently say
Hawai'i with its glottal stop and the two different 'i's. Maybe if more
people visit the Czech republic initial dv- and r+hacek will become more
acceptable!
Mike
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