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Comment by rendall | Hacker News Reader

> you think is unique because you are English-language speaker

I am a native English-language speaker, but I speak other languages as well. In all languages, there is exactly zero expectation that speakers will pronounce English words like English-speakers do. Because in all languages, foreign words are remade into native words. As it had been in English until the mid 20th century.

>And if you mean the names of people/places/movies/etc. how can you not be corrected?

Not sure what language you speak natively, but no one corrects Italians for saying "Germania" instead of Deutschland, nor Spaniards for saying "Nueva York", nor the French for saying "Angleterre".

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You are being downvoted, as should you, but I still want to answer your questions.

> Not sure what language you speak natively

Polish

>but no one corrects Italians for saying "Germania" instead of Deutschland, nor Spaniards for saying "Nueva York", nor the French for saying "Angleterre".

It's literally the second thing people learn when learning a second language. The first is how to say your name, the second is where are you from. And then you pretend to be from somewhere else and do to the above. After the first lesson of any language the only thing you know is your name and names of other countries lol so I'm not sure what are you talking about

> You are being downvoted

I am not being downvoted

> as should you

Downvotes are for "contravenes guidelines" not "holds opinions with which I disagree"

> lol so I'm not sure what are you talking about

With sincere respect, I think you should take the time to understand my argument instead of assuming it is invalid.

> no one corrects Italians for saying "Germania" instead of Deutschland

This is a strawman.

Italian here. I would never dream of using the word "Germania" with someone that does not speak Italian expecting them to understand that it's the Italian way to pronounce Deutschland.

Great.

> I would never dream of using the word "Germania" with someone that does not speak Italian...

That's the strawman. In the example, we're talking about Italians, speaking Italian, not being corrected for speaking non-Italian words like Italians do.

So, when speaking Italian, if a German insisted that you pronounce his homeland as Deutschland not Germania you would think he was a nut.

So, when speaking English, why would you insist that someone saying "brusheta" is wrong? Help me understand.

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