Difficult time understanding Indian accents

camelgirl · Jan 29th, 2008, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChocolatNY

have ya'll seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LxiVHE8y4Y

Thanks for that! I've never seen him before and he's fantastic! I watched several more.

ChocolatNY · Jan 29th, 2008, 22:43

yeah lol there's more where that came from... don't know if you've seen this? www.youtube.com/v/BhDUJVf6IcY&rel=1 .. it's outrageously funny!

aishah, i must confess something here: it took me a while, but i finally gave in, started to do the rome thing and adopted the american accent; but sometimes i feel like a schizophrenic. i speak indian english with my parents and desi friends, american english at work, spanglish with the hispanics around me, and english english when i read/think/spell. aarrgh!

PeakXV · Jan 29th, 2008, 23:13

I have to admit I had no idea what a geezer was before India, other then an old man who piddles down his leg at inappropriate moments.

All I was told was that if you want to take a shower in the morning - "you'll have to charge the geezer and flip the switch before you retire."

But even if they had used 'guyser' instead of a 'geezer' in their description I would have had envisioned some sort of low mount mughal garden cum bidet like water shoot emanating from below the floor surface not an elevated water holding tank with a manual 'switch' needed to activate an internal heating coil.

Yup - had a brief/cold shower the first morning for sure!

machadinha · Jan 30th, 2008, 09:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeakXV

"you'll have to charge the geezer and flip the switch before you retire."

capt_mahajan · Jan 30th, 2008, 09:36

Is it polite for a geezer to pee in...

never mind.

machadinha · Jan 30th, 2008, 10:14

Is it polite to flip his switch while he's at it though? And what about one's pension?

dzibead · Jan 30th, 2008, 10:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by karuna

I never knew that the rest of the world (apart from India) pronounced "geyser" wrongly. I'm with Nick and Shashank in the "geezer" corner (see avatar

). The rest of you lot are just... weird.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dilliwala

Websters? Pah!
Of course an American dictionary is going to use American pronunciation.

Look up a real English dictionary, namely, the OED.

Geezer is correct. Let's remember the language is called English and not American. Therefore the American is a variant, not the English. (Hint: One can only vary from the original, and considering the language is called English, it's the original).

Ha! Well, it's actually an Icelandic word adopted into English and the "proper" pronunciation is actually more like "gay-sair".

Nick-H · Jan 30th, 2008, 11:22

Where would the world be without us Brits to show everyone the right way to pronounce their languages?

Prashant.M · Jan 30th, 2008, 14:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

Where would the world be without us Brits to show everyone the right way to pronounce their languages?

erm... In a better place?

Aishah · Jan 30th, 2008, 16:19

The word 'bada' for big is tricky here - it sounds like ' burra' but if I had the Hindi writing I think it is the 'd' sound that is written? Badabagh (big garden) is a well know tourist point here and most times it is spelt like this. But just today I notice a new sign and it is Barabagh, just the way I always hear it pronounced! That 'd' and 'r' sound I find extremely difficult to hear the difference at times. Same with 'bahut badiya' sounds like 'bahut bariya' - very good. Hindi experts please correct me if I am wrong with my spelling etc.!
I enjoyed your post Chocolat re 'when in Rome'! And if my Broadband comes tonight I will watch that youtube - sounds fun.

Sama · Jan 30th, 2008, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by dzibead

the "proper" pronunciation is actually more like "gay-sair".

only in San Francisco.

ChocolatNY · Jan 30th, 2008, 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aishah

The word 'bada' for big is tricky here - it sounds like ' burra' but if I had the Hindi writing I think it is the 'd' sound that is written? Badabagh (big garden) is a well know tourist point here and most times it is spelt like this. But just today I notice a new sign and it is Barabagh, just the way I always hear it pronounced! That 'd' and 'r' sound I find extremely difficult to hear the difference at times. Same with 'bahut badiya' sounds like 'bahut bariya' - very good. Hindi experts please correct me if I am wrong with my spelling etc.!
I enjoyed your post Chocolat re 'when in Rome'! And if my Broadband comes tonight I will watch that youtube - sounds fun.

Aishah, i've noticed that it's Urdu speakers who use the R sound for the D. all my urdu speaking friends say "larki" or "barra" while hindi speakers enunciate the "D" clearly. actually i think there's a silent "h" sound in the urdu version, as in "larhki" or "barrha" in the pronunciation which sounds like a slurred "d" sound. "bahot barrhiya".. what do u think?

Aishah · Jan 30th, 2008, 19:56

That makes sense, Chocolat. Where I live, close to Pakistan border, the local language is a mixture of Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi,Marwari etc. and I guess the pronunciation is following that and yes, the way you describe the pronunciation with the silent 'h' is very similar here, especially the last words - the bahot is spoken rapidly and it sounds almost like 'bot barrhiya' - it's a very common saying here for approval of almost anything.

PeakXV · Jan 30th, 2008, 20:30

Patent - Pay-tent, Glacier - Glass-ier, Vitamin - Vie-tamin

..... let's call the whole (articulation/pronounciation) thing off!

Nick-H · Jan 30th, 2008, 20:36

That'd be pronunciation, of course

Jan 29th, 2008, 22:43	#122
ChocolatNY Wandering Gypsy Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 170	yeah lol there's more where that came from... don't know if you've seen this? www.youtube.com/v/BhDUJVf6IcY&rel=1 .. it's outrageously funny! aishah, i must confess something here: it took me a while, but i finally gave in, started to do the rome thing and adopted the american accent; but sometimes i feel like a schizophrenic. i speak indian english with my parents and desi friends, american english at work, spanglish with the hispanics around me, and english english when i read/think/spell. aarrgh! __________________ We are Pilgrims; we shall go Always a little further: it may be Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow Across that angry or that glimmering sea...

Jan 29th, 2008, 23:13	#123
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 3,783	I have to admit I had no idea what a geezer was before India, other then an old man who piddles down his leg at inappropriate moments. All I was told was that if you want to take a shower in the morning - "you'll have to charge the geezer and flip the switch before you retire." But even if they had used 'guyser' instead of a 'geezer' in their description I would have had envisioned some sort of low mount mughal garden cum bidet like water shoot emanating from below the floor surface not an elevated water holding tank with a manual 'switch' needed to activate an internal heating coil. Yup - had a brief/cold shower the first morning for sure! __________________ We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started ...and know the place for the first time. T.S. Eliot Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Jan 30th, 2008, 09:36	#125
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 9,031	Is it polite for a geezer to pee in... never mind. __________________ . Humpty Dumpty was pushed. Indiamike moderating team ..ich bin ein oneliner

Jan 30th, 2008, 11:22	#128
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 24,614	Where would the world be without us Brits to show everyone the right way to pronounce their languages? __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Jan 30th, 2008, 16:19	#130
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 3,778	The word 'bada' for big is tricky here - it sounds like ' burra' but if I had the Hindi writing I think it is the 'd' sound that is written? Badabagh (big garden) is a well know tourist point here and most times it is spelt like this. But just today I notice a new sign and it is Barabagh, just the way I always hear it pronounced! That 'd' and 'r' sound I find extremely difficult to hear the difference at times. Same with 'bahut badiya' sounds like 'bahut bariya' - very good. Hindi experts please correct me if I am wrong with my spelling etc.! I enjoyed your post Chocolat re 'when in Rome'! And if my Broadband comes tonight I will watch that youtube - sounds fun. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Jan 30th, 2008, 10:14	#126
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 9,428	Is it polite to flip his switch while he's at it though? And what about one's pension?

Jan 30th, 2008, 19:56	#133
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 3,778	That makes sense, Chocolat. Where I live, close to Pakistan border, the local language is a mixture of Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi,Marwari etc. and I guess the pronunciation is following that and yes, the way you describe the pronunciation with the silent 'h' is very similar here, especially the last words - the bahot is spoken rapidly and it sounds almost like 'bot barrhiya' - it's a very common saying here for approval of almost anything.

Jan 30th, 2008, 20:30	#134
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 3,783	Don't scald your tonque on another Man's Alphabet soup! Patent - Pay-tent, Glacier - Glass-ier, Vitamin - Vie-tamin ..... let's call the whole (articulation/pronounciation) thing off!

Jan 30th, 2008, 20:36	#135
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 24,614	That'd be pronunciation, of course

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Saying Namaste in Indian Time	Diana	Introduce Yourself	13	Sep 2nd, 2007 04:30
Help with understanding menus	Vasko	Indian Cooking and Cuisine	20	Jun 24th, 2004 16:08
Understanding Indian Culture?	mercedes10	Chai and Chat	4	Jun 1st, 2004 01:01

User Name		Remember Me?
Password