Re: How to Make Chicken Cacciatore (was: phonetics by guesswork)
| From: | Philippe Caquant <herodote92@...> |
|---|
| Date: | Friday, July 16, 2004, 20:03 |
|---|
--- Christophe Grandsire > > > (BTW, French would
rather pronounce "Bach" as
> "Bak",
> > > at least when talking about Jean-Sebastien, but
> one
> > > should definitely NOT ask a Frenchman how to
> pronounce
> > > German words. Especially if he is an
> international
> > > journalist.)
> > >
>
> I hope you've realised that with this sentence,
> you've just explained
> *exactly* why describing the sounds of a language in
> terms of the sounds of
> another language is a bad idea in general :) .
>
Not at all. The problem is not that there may be
different way for Germans to pronounce "Bach". The
problem comes from the fact that French journalists
are illiterate, and haven't the faintest idea about
whatever possible pronunciation for "Bach". Or maybe
they have no ears at all. This is something completely
different.
Please note that in grammars, you normally can read at
least two examples in two different foreign languages
about the pronunciation of Russian "x". That's why I
mentioned "like j in navaja or like ch in Bach" (one
might probably add Arabic examples too). But if
somebody wants to learn Russian and you explain him
that "x" is an uvular cacciatorive, ehm, I mean
fricative, or an epiglottal bilabial thrill, you may
be right (or not), but you usually won't help him to
go one inch further. I haven't the faintest idea about
what are such animals. When I listen to the word
"uvular", it makes me think of wolves howling. I never
howl when pronouncing "uspex", neither does my wife,
and yet we understand each other when we pronounce
this word, and Germans understand me when I pronounce
"Bach". Strange, isn't it ?
=====
Philippe Caquant
"High thoughts must have high language." (Aristophanes, Frogs)
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