Mantilla - Words of the World

How did the Mantilla make it from the heads of Spanish queens to the churches of western Ireland? More words at http://www.wordsoftheworld.co.uk/ This video features Jean Andrews from the University of Nottingham

Category:

Education

Tags:

• mantilla
• goya

[ib9rt]

@oriotecc When the English language adopts foreign words it gives them an English pronunciation so that they can mix familiarly with the surrounding English sounds. It's a good thing -- it makes the adopted words feel welcome and at home in their new surroundings. :-)

[nokomarie1963]

By the way, yeah we had little discs of lace because it was expected in Ohio in the 1960s.

[nokomarie1963]

@oriotecc I know. Insisting on saying Torino rather than Turin will only earn funny looks.

[oriotecc]

@nokomarie1963 Oh it wasn't meant as a counter to what you said, I simply got reminded of how often English indeed does twist foreign words (and names) for apparently no reason at all, just like you say. In her defense in this case though, it's not her fault English is like that, so what is a poor linguist to do, eh?

[nokomarie1963]

@oriotecc If I were on about pronouncing place names "wrong" you would be correct about my example being weak. My thing is about the insistance at having an English versions of very easily pronouncable foreign words. The lady here says mantilla incorrectly explains that the word is Spanish while pronouncing the word correctly (if rather poorly) and then pops right back to saying "mantila" the rest of her post. It's not that hard, why not just say it the way it is supposed to be said?

[oriotecc]

@nokomarie1963

In terms of English pronouncing place names "wrong" that is quite a weak example. I like English because I find it very expressive, but every time I hear what I like to think of as a butchering of original place names I can't help but cringe. Some times it's because they don't have the right sound like München turning to Munich, which sound nothing alike, but often it sounds like outright laziness such as Torino>Turin or Venezia>Venice, Warszawa>Warsaw and so on. Quite jarring :P

[nokomarie1963]

What I can't quite wrap my head around is this insistance on Anglizing perfectly good words that we English speakers seem to have. As an example, I went to fort St. Louisburg in Canada. I'm American and pronunced the name "Looweeburg" as did the Fench-speaking Canadians visiting that day. All the English-speaking Canadians prnounced it "Lowiss-berg" sometimes in the same breath were it a bilingual guide speaking both French and English. What gives?

[jeebersjumpincryst]

but thanks - its still interesting!

[jeebersjumpincryst]

silly mantilly :-)