Comments on: The name game

By: dokdoforever

dokdoforever — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 05:30:19 +0000

Your romanization system only serves Korean speakers - less than 1% of those who will read “Cho Seung Hui” reported in the world press. Most Koreans who know enough English to be reading about Cho in the NY Times also know English rules of pronunciation, and can distinguish the English ‘CH’ from ‘J’. They should easily be able to figure out who 조승회 is if they see Jo Seung Hee. Non-Korean speakers need a romanization system that serves their needs as well - especially if they comprise 99% of the intended audience.

By: Arghaeri

Arghaeri — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 06:22:21 +0000

“My reference to Choi was not related to this case, just an example of a Korean name in English that sounds nothing like the original.”

The whole point of the romanisation system is that it is a korean name IN KOREAN using a ROMANisation system i.e. using the “roman” alphabet. It is NOT a korean name in english but in the roman alphabet. If you use the romanisation system then you will pronounce Choi correctly since “oi” represents “ㅚ” the sound “eh”. It can then be written by french, dutch, german, czech, italian, or anyone else who cannot write hangul but is familiar with the roman alphabet not only americans. After all who’s pronunciation would then be declared correct even in english alone tomAYto or tomAHto….

By: sewing

sewing — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 18:08:51 +0000

I heard the “hui” part pronounced as “hwi” on one newscast. In that case, it’s not clear from any existing standardized romanization system that the pronuncation is closer to “hee.”

By: dokdoforever

dokdoforever — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:40:56 +0000

Slim-
Sure, a good romanisation system would help, but what are the chances of that happening? Every reform seems to be for the worse and not the better. If it’s your name, you can spell it however you want to - so why not Jo, instead of Cho?

My reference to Choi was not related to this case, just an example of a Korean name in English that sounds nothing like the original.

By: JiMong

JiMong — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:01:15 +0000

THX for the post.

By: slim

slim — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 16:31:40 +0000

dokdo - Not that ordinary Americans wouldn’t butcher the pronunciation anyway (Hoonday Automobiles), but I partly fault the romanisation system introduced rather clumsily back in about 2000. I haven’t heard any broadcasters say choi for cho. But the seung bit throws people off.

I recall the BBC presenter during the World Cup saying seeyo-gu-wipo for that Cheju resort town and countless other misfires.

I think the ROK needs to tweak the vowel romanisation of its new system, with the input of the target audience.

By: dokdoforever

dokdoforever — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:20:01 +0000

Now if newscasts could just get the pronunciation down we’d be getting somewhere. I wish more Koreans would use English spellings of their names that sound closer to the original - like Jo Seung Hee, for instance.

There’s nothing worse than hearing Choi, which really should be spelled Chae or Chay.

By: slim

slim — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:55:11 +0000

oops, some typos there. sorry.

By: slim

slim — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:54:42 +0000

Isn’t algebra Arabic for “8th grade math” and are are you intentionally try to offend the Arab community?

By: a-letheia

a-letheia — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:37:49 +0000

I am really sorry to hear this.

I personally believe that bluetranslator deserves an ‘A’ for finding away to put his Grad school cultural anthropology courses to good use.

There is a rumor going around that he actually found a way to apply his high school algebra classes to the real world.