Help Needed pronouncing Skaters Names

Sam-Skwantch · Aug 16, 2016

P'lina Edmonds

Alberta · Aug 16, 2016

That's most likely because Polina's mom is Russian, so she probably says her daughter's name the way it sounds in Russian, and here's its English transcription: Polina [pə’li:nə]. The stress in on the second syllable which means that the first "o" is reduced and sounds like the neutral unstressed "ə". So I would say "P'lina" suggested earlier is pretty close to how the name originally sounds. It's a very popular name in Russia.

ice coverage · Aug 16, 2016

Alberta said:
... The stress in on the second syllable which means that the first "o" is reduced and sounds like the neutral unstressed "ə". ....

Yep, that's why (sort-of why) I said it is plausible for other Polinas to say Pawlina.

ETA: AFAIK, an unstressed "o" is pronounced as "ah" if it is in the syllable immediately before the stressed syllable. If not immediately before the stressed syllable, it is pronounced as "ə". Examples: Москва, as opposed to the first syllable of хорошо. Or compare the pronunciations of the first "o" vs. the second "o" of хорошо.

But the point of this thread is to nail down how individual skaters -- such as Polina Edmunds specifically (as opposed to any other Polina) -- pronounce their own names.

Not how their parents say the skater's names (see the discussion re Nam Nguyen and his parents).
How the skater says her/his own name.

ETA:

What I thought I had recalled was someone (an announcer or whoever) stating that Polina Edmunds (not Polina's mother) pronounces her own name as Pawlina. I was just pointing out to myself :laugh:

(and to anyone else who cares) that Polina in fact does not use that pronunciation.

cathlen · Sep 26, 2016

Daniel Samohin saying his name in ISU Moment with! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lFqsHUKIrY&feature=youtu.be :cheer:

Biellmann · Sep 26, 2016

Another option, you can watch national competitions and listen to announcers and how they pronounce their own skaters names.....
On wikipedia you can listen to name pronouncements too

cathlen · Oct 8, 2016

Jun Hwan Cha saying his name in post competition interview with Ted Barton (Ted asked him for this, bless him!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxj9VM0uJeU

sunnystars · Oct 8, 2016

cathlen said:
Jun Hwan Cha saying his name in post competition interview with Ted Barton (Ted asked him for this, bless him!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxj9VM0uJeU

Bless Ted's heart. :laugh:

I also do think about saying chai when I read his last name.

cathlen · Oct 8, 2016

sunnystars said:
Bless Ted's heart. I also do think about saying chai when I read his last name.

I actually prounanced it right in my head.

I just read it as I see it and it sometimes turn out to be completely wrong :drama:

but not this time

nolangoh · Oct 8, 2016

Speaking of Jun Hwan, does anyone know his name in Chinese characters?

cathlen · Oct 10, 2016

Cong Han has made a playlist on Youku with skaters encouraging to skate to promote the sport and I think we did not have David Pelletier saying his name in this thread earlier(?), so here you are: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTcyO....6&spm=a2h0j.8191423.item_XMTcyOTY2NzkzNg==.A

dorispulaski · Oct 11, 2016

nolangoh said:
Speaking of Jun Hwan, does anyone know his name in Chinese characters?

This is in his fan fest:

Cha Jun-hwan (Hangul:차준환) (born October 21, 2001) is a South Korean figure skater

Hangul is all I have at this time.

sabinfire · Oct 14, 2016

ice coverage said:
I still don't remember where I originally got the notion that the pronunciation for Edmunds' first name is "Pawlina" -- but in her video today, the first syllable does not sound like Paw-.

[It is plausible to me that others named Polina might say Paw-, but Edmunds does not.]

USFS has made things interesting by including a mini "Pronunciation Guide" in a new official promo packet, so make of these what you will:

USFS PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

Mirai Nagasu = Muh-RYE Nah-GAH-sue
Polina = PAUL-ina
Tennell = Ten-ELLE

Hochstein = HOCK-steen
Krasnozhon = Krass-no-SHAWN
Rippon = ri-PAWN
Tomoki Hiwatashi = Ta-MOE-key Hee-wa-TAH-shee

Knierim = Kin-EAR-im
Liu = Lou
Scimeca = Ska-MEC-a

ice coverage · Oct 14, 2016

sabinfire said:
USFS has made things interesting by including a mini "Pronunciation Guide" in a new official promo packet, so make of these what you will:

USFS PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

... Polina = PAUL-ina ...

Thx, sabinfire.
So Paul-/Pawl- is the official word.

But the stress belongs on the first syllable???
I don't detect that in "your" video of Polina (2014 source material) or "mine" (2016).

In any case, it is nice to see how Polina has grown from a cute girl to a more mature beauty

.

Marie-France Dubreuil gives the pronunciation of her last name and then says her first name -- starting at approx. 27:00 in last month's TSL interview:

https://youtu.be/yYzHThiinwc?t=27m (published Sep 28)

ice coverage · Dec 28, 2016

Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau say their names in the latest episode of the Ice Talk podcast.

About 45 seconds from the beginning of Episode 12.

http://www.icenetwork.com/fans/icetalk

Keiji Tanaka says his name in a promo video that was shot at NHK Trophy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46DBNXoY5bg (Nov 28)

(Nathan and Yuzuru do too, but we already have heard them say their names elsewhere.)

cathlen · Mar 20, 2017

The only name for me to even understand was Laurence Fournier-Beaudry, just shows how bad at French I am :drama:

dorispulaski · Mar 20, 2017

It is worth noting that facebook now has an option for you to link a recording of how you pronounce your name on your home page.

Perhaps some skaters have taken advantage of this option.

ice coverage · Jun 15, 2017

Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch say their names (before demonstrating and discussing the difficult entry into their death spiral):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVSJZsgFzjc/?taken-by=starsonice (Jun 13)
https://www.facebook.com/starsonice/videos/10154538816850936/

ice coverage · Aug 15, 2017

Justine Brasseur and Mathieu Ostiguy say their names in this video that I just now happened to notice on the Olympic Channel site:

https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/team-talk-with-the-canada-figure-skating-team/

Not a new video, although I do not know the original source.
I take it that they no longer are partners. Just making note of the pronouncers.

ETA:

Elliana Pogrebinky and Alex Benoit say their names in this USFS video:

https://youtu.be/wEcVYOUrFV4 (Aug 10)

Fish in the sea · Aug 17, 2017

Not related to the topic, but I made a video on how to pronounce Russian skaters names. I don't make any explanations, just pronounce their names. Seeing a discussion about Evgenia's name in this thread made me finally finish this video that I've been meaning to make since the end of last season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G48sk-Vq5jo&feature=youtu.be Hope this video will be helpful to someone. And I hope my voice doesn't sound annoying :slink:

I only included single skaters that are going to be in the spotlight next season.

Barb · Aug 17, 2017

Fish in the sea said:
Not related to the topic, but I made a video on how to pronounce Russian skaters names. I don't make any explanations, just pronounce their names. Seeing a discussion about Evgenia's name in this thread made me finally finish this video that I've been meaning to make since the end of last season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G48sk-Vq5jo&feature=youtu.be Hope this video will be helpful to someone. And I hope my voice doesn't sound annoying

I only included single skaters that are going to be in the spotlight next season.

omg, thank you! I love how the name Elena is pronounced

Help Needed pronouncing Skaters Names

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

Alberta

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cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

Biellmann

Match Penalty

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

sunnystars

#teamotherskaters

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

nolangoh

Steps and Spirals enthusiast

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

sabinfire

Doing the needful

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ice coverage

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cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

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Fish in the sea

Barb

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