Interesting/challenging names in skating

[Daniel1998]

Probably a useless conversation but I was wondering what the craziest, most mispronounced, and most difficult names (to spell, to say, or to see) in figure skating are and were.

I only bring this up because I was looking at the Finlandia Trophy entries and saw a pairs skater named Ioulia Chtchetinina on the list. How on Earth do you say that?! I accidentally spit on my dog trying.

Other difficult ones include the curious Russian names- how you can spell Yulia Lipnitskaya around 10,000 ways (WHICH WAY IS RIGHT?!) and how Evgenia turns into Zhenya, Alexander into Sasha, etc.

One of the biggest mispronunciations of all time is Yuna Kim, whose name should really be pronounced Yeon-ah. It just so happened that the other one stuck. I think I remember reading that the way she ended up spelling Yuna was an accident.

I try to say names the proper way in the skater's native tongue, even if I fail miserably. And that's another question too- should we/commentators/rink announcers just say names however we want, or are we obliged to try to adjust, even if we have a hard time with it? (I love Ted, but his pronunciation, or rather, multiple variations, of Jun Hwan Cha ["YUN HWUN CHAYYY HAS JUST WON THIS EVENT!"] a few weeks ago had me, and likely many other fluent Koreans, rolling on my side in laughter.)

 

[mrrice]

This is actually a good question. When I was singing professionally, they was a very popular singer from Poland and her name was, Barbara Trzetrzelewska. As singer she was known simply as Basia. This was her biggest "Mainstream" hit. Though she had several in her native land of Poland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbWtzXuoXI8

If there is anyone from Poland who can phonetically pronounce her name I would like to know what it sounds like. She wasn't interviewed very often when she was in the US but when she was they ask her to say her name for them and she would just kind of laugh. I'll look for a clip.

That took a while but here is Basia saying her name. Unfortunately, she is it so fast that it really hard to understand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FBt7u8j_bk

Trez + Trez + A+ Looska is the closet I can get to what it sounds like to me.

 

[Rissa]

To me, Eteri Tutberidze seems very simple to pronounce when I look at it, but Ted botches it every time. I suppose it's because he defaults to English standards of pronounciation. The same with Jun Hwan Cha. Ioulia doesn't look complicated to me either, just another spelling of Julia/Yulia. Her last name is quite hard to wrap the tongue around, true.

 

[Daniel1998]

This is actually a good question. When I was singing professionally, they was a very popular singer from Poland and her was, Barbara Trzetrzelewska.

:hopelessness::hpull:

 

[Daniel1998]

To me, Eteri Tutberidze seems very simple to pronounce when I look at it, but Ted botches it every time. I suppose it's because he defaults to English standards of pronounciation. The same with Jun Hwan Cha. Ioulia doesn't look complicated to me either, just another spelling of Julia/Yulia. Her last name is quite hard to wrap the tongue around, true.

What IS the correct pronunciation of Eteri's name? I always say eh-TEH-ri toot-buh-REED-zheh. I feel like that's completely wrong.

 

[Biellmann]

You would think the name Yuzuru Hanyu is easy to spell- but then you listen to the british ESP uncles and you ask yourself " who are this Yazunori and Yazuru"....

 

[Rissa]

This is actually a good question. When I was singing professionally, they was a very popular singer from Poland and her was, Barbara Trzetrzelewska. As singer she was known simply as Basia. This was her biggest "Mainstream" hit. Though she had several in her native land of Poland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbWtzXuoXI8

If there is anyone from Poland who can phonetically pronounce her name I would what it sounds like. She wasn't interviewed very often when she was in the US but when she was they ask her to say her name for them and she would just kind of laugh. I'll look for a clip.

That took a while but hear is Basia saying her name. Unfortunately, she is it so fast that it really hard to understand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FBt7u8j_bk

Trez + Trez + A+ Looska is the closet I can get to what it sounds like to me.

Not even close

Here you go:

Trzetrzelewska, Basia Trzetrzelewska

It's more like t-sh-eh-t-sh-eh-lehf-skah but quickly
https://soundcloud.com/moria-polonius/2016-10-06-02-12-18a

 

[Rissa]

What IS the correct pronunciation of Eteri's name? I always say eh-TEH-ri toot-buh-REED-zheh. I feel like that's completely wrong.

I think you're very close, maybe toot-beh-reed-zeh, but a Russian speaker would have to confirm and/or correct.

 

[4everchan]

it's a georgian name isn't it?

I think you're very close, maybe toot-beh-reed-zeh, but a Russian speaker would have to confirm and/or correct.

 

[mish]

This is actually a good question. When I was singing professionally, they was a very popular singer from Poland and her was, Barbara Trzetrzelewska.

It's actually not the hardest name to pronounce: Tshe-tshe-lev-ska

The most popular in western world are: "Julia" or "Yulia" and "Lipnitskaia" or "Lipnitskaya", mixed all together.
In the other languages I've seen: "Juliia", "Julija", "Lipnitzkaia", "Lipnicka".
Btw., even Russians themselves have two version of transcription: Julia (informal) and Juliia (formal)!

 

[Daniel1998]

Not even close

Here you go:

Trzetrzelewska, Basia Trzetrzelewska

https://soundcloud.com/moria-polonius/2016-10-06-02-12-18a

I can't get my mouth to make that sound. The closest I can come is doing a ts sound like TSurskaya and then rolling an r immediately after, so it kind of sounds like Tsrrrutsrrrulevska.

 

[mrrice]

Not even close

Here you go:

Trzetrzelewska, Basia Trzetrzelewska

It's more like t-sh-eh-t-sh-eh-lehf-skah but quickly
https://soundcloud.com/moria-polonius/2016-10-06-02-12-18a

That was Awesome!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much.............

 

[Rissa]

I can't get my mouth to make that sound. The closest I can come is doing a ts sound like TSurskaya and then rolling an r immediately after, so it kind of sounds like Tsrrrutsrrrulevska.

Hahaha unfamiliar consonant clusters are a bit confused to pronounce.

To be fair, it too me years to learn English "th" especially after or followed by a consonant. When I listen to some more exotic languages, I go all "what was that?"

 

[Mathman]

Who is Ted?

 

[Scrufflet]

One of my faves: Whoopi Goldberg, who does have difficulty with names tried to mention Joannie Rochette as Gee-Annie Rachet!

 

[Barb]

Ioulia Chtchetinina

OMG!!!:roll9:

 

[Alexz]

A very productive thread!

 

[Arriba627]

Who is Ted?

Ted Barton? Announcer / broadcaster for junior events?

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Who is Ted?

Ted Barton me thinks

 

[Arriba627]

I try to say names the proper way in the skater's native tongue, even if I fail miserably. And that's another question too- should we/commentators/rink announcers just say names however we want, or are we obliged to try to adjust, even if we have a hard time with it? (I love Ted, but his pronunciation, or rather, multiple variations, of Jun Hwan Cha ["YUN HWUN CHAYYY HAS JUST WON THIS EVENT!"] a few weeks ago had me, and likely many other fluent Koreans, rolling on my side in laughter.)

We discussed this a little bit in another thread, and I was surprised at all the people who felt it was quite alright for announcers to totally "butcher" the names. I was really surprised at Boston Worlds when the p.a. announcer kept saying "Hanoo" instead of "Hanyu". I guess I was thinking that if I were the one pronouncing an Olympic gold medalist's name, I would want to pronounce it correctly -- especially since it doesn't seem to be that difficult of a name.