Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2007 April 25

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[edit] April 25

[edit] Names for peoples from a certain place.

Do we have a list of places that people live and the names for those people, for example.

France/French Paris/Parisians

etc.

I'm specifically looking for people from Shanghai? 213.48.15.234 06:40, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia has List of adjectival forms of place names and an article on Demonym. Shanghai isn't mentioned in either, and I'm not sure about its correct demonym. ---Sluzzelin talk 06:55, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Well, the variety of the Chinese language spoken in Shanghai is called Shanghainese, so I suppose that word could be used for people from Shanghai too. —Angr 07:15, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
That's what I thought too. Thanks. 213.48.15.234 07:20, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
See also this short discussion. ---Sluzzelin talk 09:22, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Japanese help

Do these sentences make sense?

  • 日本語のクラス　を　しました。　二年生のクラスでした。　私は　先生　の　手伝い手　を　いました。　たのしかった　です。
  • おひる　ライブラリ　ともだち　と　いっしょうに　に　いきました。　わたしたち　を　はなしました。
  • フライト　は　いちじ　かんぐらい　でした。

If they sound strange, could you please make them flow better? Thanks! --Candy-Panda 07:17, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

  • Please answer this quickly, I only have 2 hours left! --Candy-Panda 10:52, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
    • Please I'm desperate! --Candy-Panda 11:35, 25 April 2007 (UTC)


＊日本語の授業をやりました。２年生のクラスでした。私は先生の手伝いをやりました。たのしかったです。

＊おひるは図書館（"library"='toshokan'）へともだちといっしょうにいきました。私たちははなしました。 ＊フライトは一時間くらいでした。（for "flight" you can just say 'hikouki').Skumbag - 酢薫バッグ 18:12, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

issho, not isshou. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 192.175.182.94 (talk) 19:42, 1 May 2007 (UTC).

[edit] How isHyundai pronounced

Asked by Margazi 14:58, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

In other words the "ai" ending is pronounced as "eye", such as in Thai, samurai, bonsai, etc. But I have heard the ending in Hyundai pronounced as "day". I would like to pronounce it as the Koreans/Chinese/Japanese pronounce. Help!

– — … ° ≈ ≠ ≤ ≥ ± − × ÷ ← → · § margazi

I've heard Hi-und-eye and He-und-day. No Idea which is correct. - X201 15:17, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
I had assumed the question relates more to the start of the word and the Korean language. The Hyundai article gives [çjʌn.dæ]. The closest English approximation depends on your accent. I would say [ˈhjʌn.da] "hyunnda" with "hy" like H in Huge "unn" rhyming with "gun" and "da" rhyming with "spa"; but then I speak Hiberno-English. What English pronunciation is actually used (e.g. by local importers/distributors of Hyundai products in English-speaking countries) may vary further. The article says "It is often pronounced as [hʌn.de] in the U.S., as [haɪ.ʌn.daɪ] in the U.K., as [hi.jʌn.dæɪ] in Australia, and as [ɣɛɴdai] in Japanese." Thus, to answer the original question it seems (if this article is correct) that "eye" prevails except in the U.S., where "day" does. jnestorius(talk) 18:04, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
To approximate the Korean pronunciation in American English, the first syllable would be pronounced as Jnestorius indicates, but the vowel in the second syllable would be more like the 'a' in "cat" than the 'a' in "spa". It would rhyme with American English "yeah" (meaning "yes"). Marco polo 21:46, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

I would suggest that in English you should simply pronounce it the way that the company does in its advertisements. I remember hearing that they actually use different pronunciations in different English-speaking countries, but I don't remember the specifics. --Anonymous, April 25, 2007, 22:00 (UTC).

That's sensible. But JFYI, [çjʌn.dɛ] is the traditional Korean pronunciation. (The Hyundai article has been corrected.) --Kjoonlee 17:56, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Translate Finnish phrase to English, please

On vanha totuus, että uskonkiihko ei siedä leikinlaskua. Nuoret natsit, jotka tavallisissa oloissa olivat niin iloisia, välittömiä ja suuria humoristeja, muuttuivat haudanvakaviksi kuin katujamunkit puheen kääntyessä kansallissosialistisiin uskonkappaleisiin." -Kolmannen valtakunnan vieraana,38.97.209.186 16:42, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Here's a go at a rough translation à la BabelFish (I'm not really good with Finnish; would be nice if a Finn came along and fixed it, kiitos). The text you've quoted is by Olavi Paavolainen, but you probably knew that.
"It's an old truth that bigotry doesn't put up with joking. Young Nazis, who in normal circumstances were so cheerful, direct and largely humoristic, changed to be grave as street-monks, speech turning into National-Socialistic dogma." -Stranger of the Third Reich -- Diacritic 09:39, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

Hi, here's some suggestions on how to improve the translation (it wasn't that bad for a machine): "It's an old truth that religious fanaticism doesn't go well with joking. The young Nazis, who in normal circumstances were so cheerful, frank and such big jokers, became grave as gravediggers whenever the conversation turned to National-Socialistic dogma." -A guest in the Third Reich --

And yes, I know 'grave as a gravedigger' sounds bad. I couldn't think of a better idiom to use. 'Street-monk' was just wrong though. Iachimo 19:05, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Prose anthology

Compare a character out of the story 'Snowdrops' & 'Bella makes life', which involves some kind of disappointment. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Danielle3264 (talk • contribs) 19:07, 25 April 2007 (UTC).

Sorry, we won't do your homework for you. -Elmer Clark 22:28, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
And if we did, this would belong in Humanities rather than Language. —Tamfang 23:01, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Doctor in French.

While addressing someone, what is the word used for doctor in French, and how is it pronounced? e.g. Dr. Smith vs. M. Smith.--wpktsfs 19:35, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

For what purpose, exactly? A scan of the relevant French article [1] (my French is almost non-existent, by the way, so I could be wrong) seems to indicate that 'docteur' (abbreviated Dr.) is used for the medical professions, while if Dr. Smith holds a PhD (say) in some other field, he will be M. Smith, docteur en (whatever). To confuse the issue, a doctor of laws will get the Me (=Maître) title accorded to all lawyers. Algebraist 19:53, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Formal appellations are losing ground these days. Doctors and lawyers both get called plain Monsieur (I won't try to reproduce pronunciation). Usually, though, a doctor of medicine is addressed as Docteur. As to abbreviated forms, however, Monsieur becomes "M." where Docteur becomes "Dr". The period is only needed if the final letter is omitted. VelhinhoEstoniano

[edit] Stand on one's head and spit wooden nickels

I'm trying to find the derivation of the phrase "stand on one's (or your) head and spit wooden nickels" I've done some research, including checking w/ a Wooden Nickel Museum in Texas, but so far have found nothing. I'd appreciate any information I can get. ThanksCaccy46 20:52, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Isn't the humor of this phrase kind of self-explanatory? The way I take it, it's just a vividly imagined outlandish-to-impossible thing to do. The "derivation" may well be lost in the oral transmission of witticism, as the phrase is fully explained by its applications. (I realized you didn't ask for examples, but.) Similar expressions for which you could substitute spitting wooden nickels: "And if it's not where I said, well, I'll eat an onion!" "I love her so much I'd catch a grizzly bear in my left sock and take it to her." (Okay, I just made that one up.) "You look smart, but can you stand on your head and spit wooden nickels?" "I could stand on my head and spit wooden nickels, and I don't think these stiffs would take any note of me." Similar answer from Uncle Eusebio (facetious I assume). Wareh 02:20, 26 April 2007 (UTC)
But how did the grizzly bear get into your left sock? --LarryMac 02:35, 26 April 2007 (UTC)