BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I guess that means I can spell Nikon S-O-N-Y - or Samsung A-L-P-A.

Indrajeet Singh Loc: Goa, India

Sure you could, if you can get the person reading it to understand what you are referring to.

Maybe you might find something about this on Google.

Have fun!!

Cheers!

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

So, you are a proponent of the concept that spelling of a proper name is unimportant as long as the reader can interpret what you mean. Does this statement correctly summarize your belief?

BTW, you did not qualify your original statement with your newest condition, "if you can get the person reading it to understand what you are referring to."

jfn007 Loc: Close to the middle of nowhere.

Caller: Is it pronounced "Hawaii" or "Havaii?"

411 Information: It is pronounced "Havaii."

Caller: Thank you.

411 Information: You are velcome.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Very good; a thoroughly amusing thought! Of course, the particular example you selected is an exception.

Per http://www.friesian.com/hawaii.htm#pronounce

"Hawaii" in Hawaiian is properly written "Hawai`i" and pronounced /hawai`i/, where the apostrophe stands for a glottal stop, a brief closure of the throat, like a little cough. There is no dispute about that, and no locals in Hawaii pronounce it improperly; but a dispute occurs over how to pronounce the "w." Many people, inside and outside of Hawaii, pronounce it as a /v/ rather than as a /w/ and may regard their pronunciation as a sign of their superior knowledge of the Hawaiian language. On the other hand, daily usage in Hawaii is usually with a /w/. If this is just a "ho`ohaole" (making like a "haole" ) corruption of pure Hawaiian, why did not the glottal stop also get corrupted? It is a lot easier for a Mainlander to say /v/ than to make the glottal stop, which is why the glottal stop was usually not even written in former transcriptions of Hawaiian. I'm not sure if this has any meaning to someone from Goah, Enjia, but it is an truly interesting study in common language pseudo-corruption.

El Dorādo or El Dorodo? I have relatives living in the first, a town in Arkansas (or is that Arkansaw; although some people do pronounce it as Are-Kansas -with an "S" on the end), AND although there is a street in Scroggins, Texas spelled like the second.

Anyway, thanks for the chuckle (or is it chukel?)

jfn007 Loc: Close to the middle of nowhere.

The state is pronounced Ar ken saw, but the river is pronounced Are Kansas River.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

In all the time my Mother was alive and ever since her death, that area has always been "down yonder" to us: "down home" was Goldonna, LA.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

OK! For what it's worth to anyone:

I just called Nikon Imaging Japan Inc., in Tokyo. I asked an employee the proper way to pronounce N-I-K-O-N. The response I received from Nikon in Tokyo in Japan from a Japanese man is that the original and proper pronunciation of the word, in parallel (phonetic) terms that all English speakers should be able to understand is:

"knee ( Nē ) cone ( Cōn )"

Yes, I'll still call it "Nī con (as in convict)". But I've been told "officially" by an employee of JIPI now that my pronunciation is quite acceptable to the company, as is "Nick On".

Time of call 2319 (1119 PM) PST or 1619 (4:19 PM) JST (Japan Standard Time). Cost of call: US ~ $6.21

Ralloh Loc: Ohio

Depends on whether you speak American English or British English.

NoSocks Loc: quonochontaug, rhode island

let's all chip in to help pay for the call.

Kingmapix Loc: Mesa, Arizona

Nogoodkon.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

All donations gratefully accepted. Send them to any non-governmental veterans' service organization (Pets-for-Vets is a good place to start; rescued pets providing services for vets who need assistance)!

silveragemarvel Loc: Keller, Texas

Then there was the NIKOMAT and the NIKKORMAT. Same camera but the single K spelling was the Japanese version. As an American and have seen NIKKORMATs all my life, I (and my colleagues) pronounced it ny-kor-mat. When I first saw the Japanese version, my brain just wouldn't allow me to say n..n..n..nee-ko-mat!

Also, listen to those Nikon promo videos. I think they pronounce Nikon as nee-whatever. I am getting a headache.

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

If you are educated it's pronounced "Neecon" thats what the makers call it - like Nisan auto- we don't say "Niisan". What's the matter with your education? Sorry to say too- it's Venesia (s) not Venice as the Anglo world screwed it up a long time ago. :lol: :lol:

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Are you sure it's Venesia, not Venezia? Just the curiosity of an uneducated small town boy who happened to find this:

http://www.comune.venezia.it

http://www.comune.venezia.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/1