If it's worth saying...
it's worth saying right.
Since I've been back, I've become a lot more aware of (and a lot more annoyed by) the South African inability to pronounce things correctly. This inability is coupled with a downright stubbornness, or perhaps it is a dogged, nay mulish contrariness that amounts to a refusal to say it properly: " I am a South African, and that's how I say it." Oh, well that makes it okay then.
No, it doesn't, so there.
If it's a bona fide Seffie* word, then by all means, then there is a Seffie pronunciation to go with it. Borewors, moer, rooibos, jol, kif, boep and poes are all lovely words that we often teach to foreigners, so that we can laugh at their pronunciation.
However, words that are not South African, or southafricanised, should be pronounced correctly, because that is just what you do. That is why dictionaries have pronunciation guides, and don't just say: "oh fuckit pronounce it however you want, we don't care!" Most places in the world, if you don't even bother to try to say it right, you come off as some sort of redneck.
And so children, please repeat after me:
purr-sjoh, not pyew-joh.**
sjee-von-shee, not give-enn-chi.
renn-o not renn-orlt
And for god's sake: One Rand, many Rand. Rhymes with canned (in English) and runt (in Afrikaans). Not Plant.
Okay?
PS To the person with the "BIAACTH001" vanity plate: spellcheck, you 'tard.
* this is a Saradiaism, if I'm not mistaken.
** Oh how this one annoys me.
Since I've been back, I've become a lot more aware of (and a lot more annoyed by) the South African inability to pronounce things correctly. This inability is coupled with a downright stubbornness, or perhaps it is a dogged, nay mulish contrariness that amounts to a refusal to say it properly: " I am a South African, and that's how I say it." Oh, well that makes it okay then.
No, it doesn't, so there.
If it's a bona fide Seffie* word, then by all means, then there is a Seffie pronunciation to go with it. Borewors, moer, rooibos, jol, kif, boep and poes are all lovely words that we often teach to foreigners, so that we can laugh at their pronunciation.
However, words that are not South African, or southafricanised, should be pronounced correctly, because that is just what you do. That is why dictionaries have pronunciation guides, and don't just say: "oh fuckit pronounce it however you want, we don't care!" Most places in the world, if you don't even bother to try to say it right, you come off as some sort of redneck.
And so children, please repeat after me:
purr-sjoh, not pyew-joh.**
sjee-von-shee, not give-enn-chi.
renn-o not renn-orlt
And for god's sake: One Rand, many Rand. Rhymes with canned (in English) and runt (in Afrikaans). Not Plant.
Okay?
PS To the person with the "BIAACTH001" vanity plate: spellcheck, you 'tard.
* this is a Saradiaism, if I'm not mistaken.
** Oh how this one annoys me.
Labels: bitchiness, Complaining, Pet Peeves, Society
posted by Betenoir at 3:47 PM
8 Comments:
Funny, I didn't recognise it at first...
Are you guys sitting next to each other when posting?
no. we have a psychic brain-al connection. We are essentially a hive collective.
I put it down to general low self-esteem. If someone mangles a word with sufficient confidence, people tend to assume that it's correct and subsequently spread the disease to others.
To the list please:
- NOT Cree-HAY-Tiv but Cree-AY-Tiv.
- NOT Yers but YEERS.
(you don't listen with your bloody 'errs')
- NOT Nego-See-Ate but Nego-SHEE-ate.
- You may not LEND a Scissor, but you may BORROW a PAIR of SCISSORS.
Grrrrrr. I could go on AAAAAALL day.
Then there's "I'm waiting on Bob to call me back" no you dumbass you can't wait on him, you can only wait for him. And your children are not mis-cheeveeeous the little sods are just annoying and mis-chivus. And please don't invite me to visit you "by" your house because I won't arrive "at" all. And when you call me over please say "come hhhhhere" not "cum yeeer" ok?
Oh ja, and it's not 'HEH' it's 'HAAAIR'. Sorry is that just me talking like a bloody snob now? probably.
"borewors"?!
hmmm...
Post a Comment
<< Home