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#128488 05/11/04 02:33 PM
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Abu Ghraib?

I've heard it said four ways.

(this is not a political post)


#128489 05/11/04 04:54 PM
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Yet, it's possible that none of them was *correct.


#128490 05/11/04 07:02 PM
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True. The Arabic consonants would be difficult in English, sure, but four different vowels? (and probably a fifth, the *correct sound?)


#128491 05/12/04 12:28 AM
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formerly known as etaoin...
#128492 05/12/04 12:38 AM
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I would read it "ah-boo-gree-ahb", based on a coworker's pronunciation of her name. (with a flipped "r")

etaoin (or anyone) - Any specific reason thier spelling of those pronunciations all include two b's?


#128493 05/12/04 12:51 AM
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two b's

or not two b's...

huh. I hadn't noticed that, but perhaps the first b stops the sound(jheem and fald will have the proper term...) and the second b is re-stated? not sure if I said that at all well, but...



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#128494 05/12/04 02:48 AM
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/abu grEb/ with a as in father, b as in byte, u as in tutor, g as in geld, r as in preen, E as in get, and b as in byte once more. But then I don't speak Arabic.

The gh in Arabic is a voiced velar fricative. English doesn't have this sound, but it's similar to the ch in the German pronunciation of Bach, but with your glottis vibrating. If you wish to hear an Arab say the name, listen here:

http://slate.msn.com/id/2100290/


#128495 05/12/04 01:37 PM
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Whoa, Anna--ask and you shall receive! The guy sounds to me like he's saying Abu (as jheem gave it) "guhrrrr-et-ta"--or something like that. The ending sound almost sounded like an f, at first, but after half a dozen listenings I thought it sounded like a t with an uh attached. Almost a huh: ett-huh.


#128496 05/12/04 02:03 PM
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Not sure if you were listening to the guy on my link or somebody else, but it sounds like the speaker is releasing his final /b/ at the end of the word. In English, we tend not to release our word final stops (b, p, d, t, g, k). Say cat, and notice that there is no puff of air after the /t/. When we close the air tract in pronouncing the /t/, we don't released the closure as we would when pronouncing top. Now, say top, and you'll notice a little puff of air. Cantonese has some word-final unreleased stops like English, but other languages don't. In other words, in English the sound written as {t} in stop, top, and pot are all quantifiable different in pronunciation (i.e., unaspirated, aspirated, and unreleased respectively. A stage Italian accent with lots of final schwas is how speakers of English have analyzed released stops at the end of words when many Italians speak English. (As for the tiny hesitation, or schwa, between the /gh/ and the /r/, some transliterations of Abu Ghraib that I've seen have an /e/ between the two letters.) To my ear, it doesn't sound like he's putting a schwa at the end, just a little puff of air. Hope this helps.


#128497 05/12/04 02:06 PM
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ett-huh

you rang?





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