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03/26/2008 03:10:56 PM · #26 |
America is a continent. A small part of it is delineated into the area known as the United States. These states are united more or less voluntarily, after half of them failed to leave and were bludgeoned into retaining their 'united' status, under an anachronistic constitution to which the administration adheres in a manner reminiscent of religious fundamentalists. The population is almost entirely immigrant or descended from immigrants. Most of the immigration came from Europe and later from further afield. Lacking a common language, the post-revolutionary American socialists adopted that of the overthrown colonial power, namely Great Britain.
Things like motor cars and aluminium cropped up after the disadoption of the home of the adopted language, so the people of the United States of America were free to make up whatever names they chose for these things. They even call films movies, but fortunately stop short of calling still photographs hangies aroundies andies don'ties movies abouties veries muchies. Time will tell.
Edited to correct the spelling of andies. Shame on me.
Message edited by author 2008-03-26 15:12:13. |
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03/26/2008 03:19:28 PM · #27 |
Originally posted by AperturePriority:
Since we are now comparing cultural differences in language and vocabulary, why do some other countries (besides the U.S.), call the trunk of a automobile, the "boot"? Or the windshield of a car, the "wind screen"?
"Screen", to me, seems like a porous object, like a sieve. "Shield", to me, seems to protect (against the wind). |
I don't know specifically why, but here's what Wikipedia has to say (you're right about "screen" seeming more like a sieve to North Americans it seems):
The term windshield is used generally throughout North America. The term windscreen is the usual term in the UK and Australia/New Zealand for all vehicles. In Japanese English, it is called "front glass". In the USA, windscreen refers to the mesh or foam screen placed over a microphone to minimize wind noise, while a windshield refers to the front window of a car. In the UK, the meaning of these terms is reversed.
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03/26/2008 03:26:33 PM · #28 |
Originally posted by raish:
America is a continent. A small part of it is delineated into the area known as the United States. These states are united more or less voluntarily, after half of them failed to leave and were bludgeoned into retaining their 'united' status, under an anachronistic constitution to which the administration adheres in a manner reminiscent of religious fundamentalists. The population is almost entirely immigrant or descended from immigrants. Most of the immigration came from Europe and later from further afield. Lacking a common language, the post-revolutionary American socialists adopted that of the overthrown colonial power, namely Great Britain.
Things like motor cars and aluminium cropped up after the disadoption of the home of the adopted language, so the people of the United States of America were free to make up whatever names they chose for these things. They even call films movies, but fortunately stop short of calling still photographs hangies aroundies andies don'ties movies abouties veries muchies. Time will tell.
Edited to correct the spelling of andies. Shame on me. |
Actually, America is nothing. North America, South America and Central America are continents. ;oP
Even though the following gives 'American' the status of a language it has some good references between the Queen's English and that which we want to call English on this side of the pond.
//english2american.com/dictionary/cat_theroad.html
Message edited by author 2008-03-26 15:32:13. |
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03/26/2008 03:46:47 PM · #29 |
Originally posted by raish:
America is a continent. A small part of it is delineated into the area known as the United States. These states are united more or less voluntarily, after half of them failed to leave and were bludgeoned into retaining their 'united' status, under an anachronistic constitution to which the administration adheres in a manner reminiscent of religious fundamentalists. The population is almost entirely immigrant or descended from immigrants. Most of the immigration came from Europe and later from further afield. Lacking a common language, the post-revolutionary American socialists adopted that of the overthrown colonial power, namely Great Britain.
Things like motor cars and aluminium cropped up after the disadoption of the home of the adopted language, so the people of the United States of America were free to make up whatever names they chose for these things. They even call films movies, but fortunately stop short of calling still photographs hangies aroundies andies don'ties movies abouties veries muchies. Time will tell.
Edited to correct the spelling of andies. Shame on me. |
Skew's me, but where's y'all from?? Didn' see it on yer prof-eye'l |
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03/26/2008 03:49:45 PM · #30 |
Originally posted by raish:
America is a continent. A small part of it is delineated into the area known as the United States. These states are united more or less voluntarily, after half of them failed to leave and were bludgeoned into retaining their 'united' status, under an anachronistic constitution to which the administration adheres in a manner reminiscent of religious fundamentalists... |
And Skew's me agin, but just because the d__yankees won the first round of the "War-of-Northern-Agression" don't mean it's over jist yet!
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03/26/2008 05:21:48 PM · #31 |
Originally posted by raish:
America is a continent. |
Er.. didn't notice this before. America is not a continent. North America is. I am not American, but Canadian. I suppose I could pedantically be called North American.
This reminds me of the time I was a waiter in a large restaurant in Toronto when I was young. It was frequented by American tourists. They frequently liked to talk about the differences between our two countries, which they seemed to find quaint, or charming. I was serving a family one day, Mom, Dad, and teenaged girl. After a discussion like this with me, where we compared notes on metric versus imperial, "American" cheese versus actual cheese and the like, Dad said, "Well, we're all Americans after all," which of course raised my hackles, and I replied, "Actually, I'm not American, I'm Canadian." Daughter rolled her eyes, turned red, and said, "Daaaaaaaad....!" |
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03/26/2008 05:28:04 PM · #32 |
| In good ol Australia it is Nik - on... as in Nick on |
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03/26/2008 05:33:54 PM · #33 |
Originally posted by thomaspeople:
Skew's me, but where's y'all from?? Didn' see it on yer prof-eye'l
and:
And Skew's me agin, but just because the d__yankees won the first round of the "War-of-Northern-Agression" don't mean it's over jist yet!
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That'd be the pr-eye-mæval slime, there.
Sorry about the "War-the-people-who-claim-to-have-landed-on-the-moon-claim-to-have-won" reference. If you can't overcome you can always undercome. Spot the niche... |
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03/26/2008 05:36:24 PM · #34 |
| I think you will find it is pronounced; 'KAANON'! |
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03/26/2008 06:06:17 PM · #35 |
You know, after all this, it occurs to me that I shoot a "Pin-tacks"
I really don't have a dog in this hunt.
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03/26/2008 06:06:43 PM · #36 |
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03/26/2008 06:13:43 PM · #37 |
Originally posted by faidoi:
#2 :P |
Hey, if you ever decide you should have bought the K20D instead, go ahead and ship that K10 to me. I've been thinking about an upgrade.. |
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03/26/2008 06:20:56 PM · #38 |
hey guys, this kind of discussion always amazes me! We don't have such thing in Spanish, every letter always sounds the same. I mean,
hoy do you pronounce "I"
how ya do "I am"
then how about "Ian"
There's only one way to properly pronounce "Nikon", and it's "Nikon" for sure! ;)
Message edited by author 2008-03-26 18:21:17. |
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03/26/2008 06:27:11 PM · #39 |
Originally posted by thomaspeople:
Originally posted by faidoi:
#2 :P |
Hey, if you ever decide you should have bought the K20D instead, go ahead and ship that K10 to me. I've been thinking about an upgrade.. |
My 2nd K10d arrived 2 weeks ago. I can't afford the K20D. 2, K10d is better then just 1, k20d :p I wouldn't mind a D300 or D3 though.
Message edited by author 2008-03-26 18:32:30. |
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03/26/2008 06:30:06 PM · #40 |
Originally posted by Falc:
Kaa-non! |
right on
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03/26/2008 06:48:56 PM · #41 |
Originally posted by carlos:
hey guys, this kind of discussion always amazes me! We don't have such thing in Spanish, every letter always sounds the same. I mean,
hoy do you pronounce "I"
how ya do "I am"
then how about "Ian"
There's only one way to properly pronounce "Nikon", and it's "Nikon" for sure! ;) |
You had to bring that up! :) LOL, I have too many stories about people mispronouncing spanish words that I could write a book.
But as for your example, some people pronounce I am and Ian very similarly. Like the guy from 90210/Dancing w/the stars, it is pronounced I an, not E an. |
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03/26/2008 06:49:21 PM · #42 |
N-eye-kon
It may not be the correct Japanese pronunciation, but it is pronounced N-eye-kon in their US commercials.
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03/26/2008 07:13:49 PM · #43 |
Someone previously posted that if you call Nikon you can hear them pronounce it.nikonThere's a link to the page where you can find several 800 numbers to call. If you call the service number they say it right away.
If you're super bored and want to call other countries try this link nikonuk
Message edited by author 2008-03-26 21:28:05. |
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03/26/2008 08:33:26 PM · #44 |
Been pronouncing it N-eye-kon for 35+ years. I'm old. Not gonna change now.
Well unless they paid me a hefty sum of money, which won't happen.
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03/26/2008 08:47:05 PM · #45 |
| Nikon USA and Nikon Canada both pronounce it N-eye-kon. Everything else, as far as I'm concerned, is irrelevant. Pronounced differently in Japan or the UK? Big deal, so is everything else! |
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