Quote from: Willyeckerslike on June 14, 2013, 01:47 PM
I hope the garabi (gravy but I can't pronounce it) lovers don't start calling a dessert a dessart! 
You have just reminded me of something, Will, apropos of "garabi". Someone (Frank, I think, a.k.a. Dal Puri) wrote earlier that he was unhappy with our use of "garabi" rather than "gravy" or just "curry sauce", because (I am quoting without referring back, so may not make his point quite as he intended), for an Englishman to say "garabi" is both patronising and racist (Frank, please correct me if I am unintentionally mis-representing your position).
Well, I have just returned from three days in Japan, where a larger number of English words have been partially or fully assimilated into the language. But Japanese phonology does not allow a syllable to end in a consonant or consonant cluster, so wherever an English word so ends, the Japanese append an "u", whence "milku", "cashu", "cardu", "beeru", etc. And what became quite clear during our time there is that communication is greatly facilitated if we native English speakers also append the "u", and similarly say "milku", "cashu", "cardu", "beeru", etc. Omit the "u" sound, and the Japanese (in general, not all : some speak perfect English) have difficulty in identifying the word; append the "u" and communication is greatly enhanced.
So, whilst not identical to "gravy" / "garabi", I do think that the situations are sufficiently similar to confirm my belief that to adopt a non-native speaker's pronunciation of an English word is neither patronising nor racist (unless specifically intended so to be); rather, it can be (and often is) an accommodation to facilitate communication with non-native speakers.
** Phil.
Topic: Hearsay, but local standards may well be dropping ( 36,680 )
