Let's enjoying butcher other language!!

[lukewevers]

 We all know that the Japanese do it with katakana, and those of us who studied a language other than English at school are probably aware of how we do it too. So for a bit of light hearted fun, I thought I would start a list of words that the English language has stolen aquired (and refuse to pronounce properly). Be they Japanese words or any

Comments

sure, I'll play.

[roque]

kamikaze (kamakazii) 神風

harakiri (harey-carey) 腹切り

[moldypotatochip]

How about Tokyo:

Toukyou (Tokiyo) 東京

[squirrelarmy]

...is it really a stolen word if it's the name of a city?

Re: sure, I'll play.

[punkybunny]

Typhoon always weirded me out because it's the same thing as hurricane....it just seems weird to use it..

Re: sure, I'll play.

[fujizahra]

The naming convention is really just a matter of the location. 'Hurricane' is used for the Atlantic storms, and 'typhoon' or 台風 for the Pacific storms.

Re: sure, I'll play.

[punkybunny]

yeah i know that, i just always thought it was bizarre to use two words for the same thing...

Re: sure, I'll play.

[figgybee]

Don't come to Australia, or you'll be *really* weirded out. We call them cyclones. :)

[i_jethrobot]

manga ([man as in doorman] manga) 漫画. This bothers me so much!

~ Jethro.

[sleipnirs]

I usually hear it like "main-ga" from non-Japanese people :o

[abbajen]

We (my husband and I) think we've heard mang-ga more.

[punkybunny]

yeah me too. mainga haha.

[jogs6000]

"a la mode," as in ice cream on the side. which means "in the fashion" in French.