Hatrack River Forum: Pronunciation question

This is topic Pronunciation question in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

I guess after 14 years I should finally find out how to pronounce Ender's surname, don't you think?

[Embarrassed]

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

I've always gone with "Wig" "in"

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

I always thought the "gg" was silent.

Bam!

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Um. Ok. Americans [Roll Eyes]

Is there an audio version with the "one true pronunciation"?

(sidenote. I just realized, that if I read Ender's game 14 years ago for the first time, I must have been 10 [Eek!]

. And I still love the book. [Eek!]

)

Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :

Maybe he means Wieczorek, or whatever John Paul's original surname was? In which case, I can't help you. I can't even spell it [Smile]

Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :

Seriously, though, Kama, can you give us a list of possible "Wiggin" pronunciations? I can only think of one that makes sense with the letters ...

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

[Roll Eyes]

vye-tcho-rek

and... Geoff? HE??!!??

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

seriously, though, Geoff, no, I can't. That's why I'm asking.

[ December 30, 2003, 04:40 PM: Message edited by: Kama ]

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

three posts in a row. Go me.

So Bob's version is correct?

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

Kama, this is just like the supernumerary exclamation point thing. You have the freedom to pronounce any way you'd like. You simply must get over this desire to "be correct" all the time. Go with the flow. Embrace the idiosyncratic. Be more than you can be.

When I read Ender's Game, I just pronounce his name as Bob Scopatz. It makes me feel good, and who's harmed??? Nobody!!!!!!!!

Ah...

If I ever finish my book, I'm going to name every character Kama!

Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :

Have you seen the English version of "My Fair Lady"?

Wiggins is pronounced very similarly to Higgins, as in Heny Higgins (and there is a whole song about how to pronounce Henry Higgins). The difference is in the first part of the name, instead of an H as in Helsinki, its pronounces with a W as in Warsaw.

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Yes, but Bob, I've been raised in a communist country. too much freedom can be destructive to me. [Cry]

edit: thanks Dan [Smile]

[ December 30, 2003, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: Kama ]

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

Well, Kama, there are any number of people who would be more than happy to restrict your personal freedoms if it'll make you more secure. Tom Ridge and John Ashcroft leap to mind.

Also, Dan, is Warsaw the correct pronunciation of Warsaw? Maybe we can pick a different example.

Like:

W as in Washington
ig as in Ignorant
in as in "Inn" and
z as in Zebra

Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :

There is a big difference between being able to read a language, and being able to hear it when spoken. That's why I was going for some pop-culture reference I hopped she had heard.

I am trying to learn some Russian for my new kids, and the translators so far turn everything I say into weird symbols that I have never heard.

I understand Kama's pain.

The W is Wiggins is like the W sound in Woof, as in, "Who let the dog's out-Woof Woof Woof."

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

"var-sha-vah" is the correct pronunciation of Warsaw [Razz]

Does Geoff really think I'm a boy? I don't really care if he thinks i'm American, But I don't want him to think I'm a boy. I'm not a boy.

Bob, if you name all the characters Kama

1) how will we know who's who?

2) will I be mentioned in the acknowledgments?

Posted by Yebor1 (Member # 1380) on :

ya know, my first and i very first girlfriends name was KAMA. (cam-a) short a )

[Hat]

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

Kama,

1) I haven't gotten that far.

2) I'll put you in the acknowledgements for sure, but everyone will think I'm making it up.

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

It's okay, no one believes I exist anyway.

Except for Dog who thinks I'm a boy.

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

I thought all computer programs were male.

Posted by Yebor1 (Member # 1380) on :

You could solve the challenge of having characters with

1) the easiest different middle names and last names :Kama j./kama a./ kama m. (watch out for the character KAMA KAMA KAMA she is sure to be the leader of some cult)

2) great character discription and having each character talk with a very distinct style

3) really great use of pronoun and antecedent

4) having only one character in the whole damn story. (that means not even referring to anothe character offstage,,,,no Kama thought about the time bling bling ......beeeeeep wrong answer)
this has to be a singular person living in a singular universe until the time that he or she creates a planet in seveb or less days and creates little Kama's in her own image.

[Hat]

[ December 30, 2003, 05:33 PM: Message edited by: Yebor1 ]

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

No, all computer programmers are male. Which obviously means all computer programs are female.

Except for those programmed by gay programmers. Those are male. But gay.

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

So all computer programs like boys...

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

Except the lesbian ones, I suppose.

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Exactly...

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

Ergo, Michael Jackson is a computer program.

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

And his nose and loss of skin tone were just "patches" released by Microsoft.

Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :

:notes that in the novels, Ender's surname is Wiggin, without the 's' - the 's-version', 'Wiggins' was apparantly a mistake in the original short Story version.:

And Wiggin is pronounced as:
Wi- (The 'w' does not have the 'v' sound - it's the w in 'whale', 'when', 'will', 'Walrus')

-ggin (as in the ending to 'begin' - NOT like the beverage 'gin' -which sounds like jinn.)

In short:

Whi-gin = good
Vi-jinn = wrong

PS - I knew Kama was all woman.

[ December 30, 2003, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: Taalcon ]

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

quote:
PS - I knew Kama was all woman

Some of your proposals would be quite weird otherwise, Taal [Wink]

Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :

[Hat]