How to say "Rienfleche"

[shadowofchaos]

I've just pronounced it as "NOTHING BOW"

[riariadne]

I've just pronounced it as "NOTHING BOW"

Gee, thanks. :<

[Ansem]

I've just pronounced it as "NOTHING BOW"

win

[Lux Aeterna]

Lu-ka Me-gur-ine.

Lu-ka Me-gu-ri-ne :<

[Aleph]

You must understand that this is limited by the Japanese means of pronunciation, and is not necessarily how it will be pronounced in other languages. Hence the use of katakana as its name; it's a combination of two French words, and thus we must refer to their more proper means of saying the word. You would think it's silly if we were all to call Lightning "Rye-toe-neen-goo," for example, wouldn't you? Even if we were to try to do that, we would have to alter our means of saying each syllable to the means by which Japanese natives use them. "Rye" would sound somewhat like "dye", and the "goo" would be softer, not as stressed and held as a native English speaker would likely interpret it. Let's not forget the "foo," either, which would sound like a combination of "foo" and "hoo".

Edit: If we were to pronounce these katakana as English would regularly speak it, it would likely sound something like "Ree-ahn-fleh-chay," or "Ree-ahn-fleh-chuh."

I don't know those French words and Japanese both has the easiest pronunciation system I've ever seen (easier than IPA for sure!) and is more than close enough.

For example the katakana ends in 「ェ」; if the che on the end were just "ch" they could have left it as 「チ」 because the ending of that sound isn't really stressed, but they added the 「ェ」 which to me means the "fleche" is actually TWO syllables, not one, which I wouldn't have known otherwise.

The katakana reading is far from useless.

Also I would pronounce what you render as "Rye-toe-neen-goo" with the speed and emphasis the Japanese would, and it would sound just like "Lightning" with a slight accent - not really far off.

My display name: "Ree-ahn-flech-ay"

Bow: Ree-en-flesch

eh, not ay.

Edited April 18, 2011 by Iehoua

[Ragnell]

I always say "Rhine flaych." For the bow and the member.

[Esau of Isaac]

I don't know those French words and Japanese both has the easiest pronunciation system I've ever seen (easier than IPA for sure!) and is more than close enough.

You don't know that, since you can't speak the language. Does Aeris sound anything like Earth?

Thought not.

For example the katakana ends in 「ェ」; if the che on the end were just "ch" they could have left it as 「チ」 because the ending of that sound isn't really stressed, but they added the 「ェ」 which to me means the "fleche" is actually TWO syllables, not one, which I wouldn't have known otherwise.

This just means that the ending syllable isn't left unpronounced. That's not to say that it doesn't make a "chuh" or "shuh" sound, however.

The katakana reading is far from useless.

It is absolutely useless when rigidly refusing to adapt the word to its proper sound, when it was adapted to Japanese itself.

Also I would pronounce what you render as "Rye-toe-neen-goo" with the speed and emphasis the Japanese would, and it would sound just like "Lightning" with a slight accent - not really far off.

No, no it wouldn't. The sound is very clearly not the sound that we hear when native English speakers say "Lightning". There are multiple reasons; you are using a sound that not one of them use in their language (the "r" sounds), you're devoting an entire syllable to the "to" sound, and you're making an audible "gu" sound, which anyone would notice. You double the number of syllables, and place no stress on any of them, unlike English.

But okay. How would you pronounce "vanilla", using katakana? "Two"? "Three"? You're out of your mind if you think people wouldn't think you're crazy if you were to speak English words using only katakana. There are sounds in English that Japanese just does not have. And vice versa. You have to understand that, if you're going to be transliterating a word.

[shadowofchaos]

There are sounds in English that Japanese just does not have. And vice versa. You have to understand that, if you're going to be transliterating a word.

Hence why it's just easier to do the following:

I've just pronounced it as "NOTHING BOW"

XD

But in all seriousness, Esau of Isaac brings up a very valid point. Katakana importing foreign words does have it's limitations in pronunciation.

The spelling of the word when being converted to English is also very confusing. An example I can remember having translation issues are the FE6 twin brothers.

Officially, it's "Lugh" and "Lleu".

Yes, "Lleu" is pronunced "Ray" from the the things which they wanted to reference in FE6. You had to be crazy to get "Lleu" spelling from レイ, but that just shows that neither following the Katakana NOR the English ones, if you would excuse the phrase, to the letter will help you.

That's why translation is an art that requires human input and why translations can be taken more than one way. Otherwise, we would have abandoned EVERY single translation problem to computers long ago.

[lolDeath]

forevermore Ryan Felchie