Mandarin transliteration of Canada (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Mandarin transliteration of Canada
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Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

morganie
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Studies: Mandarin

Message 1 of 6

15 November 2010 at 12:25am | IP Logged

In Mandarin Chinese, Canada is transliterated as 加拿大 (jiānádà). Just out of curiosity, could someone explain to me why they used 加 (jiā) when they could have used 卡 (kǎ) instead to write 卡拿大 (kǎnádà) instead?

Edited by morganie on 15 November 2010 at 12:26am
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jimbo
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Canada
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Message 2 of 6

15 November 2010 at 2:12am | IP Logged

Because it is the "Chinese" translation, not the "Mandarin" translation. Look up the pronunciation of 加 in other Chinese languages/dialects. (Cantonese or Southern Min, for example).
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morganie
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United States
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Studies: Mandarin

Message 3 of 6

15 November 2010 at 2:20am | IP Logged

jimbo wrote:

Because it is the "Chinese" translation, not the "Mandarin" translation. Look up the pronunciation of 加 in other Chinese languages/dialects. (Cantonese or Southern Min, for example).

I've been reading and found out that 加 is pronounced "gah" in Cantonese.

I've always thought that most transliterations of Western words were done with the Mandarin pronunciations. Well, good to know.
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jimbo
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Message 4 of 6

15 November 2010 at 5:40am | IP Logged

morganie wrote:

I've been reading and found out that 加 is pronounced "gah" in Cantonese.

Further entertainment is in store if you can find the pronunciation in Korean, Japanese, Southern Min (Taiwanese Min) and, I suspect, Hakka. (I'm not sure about the Hakka pronunciation.)

Does anyone know a good online Sino-Vietnamese dictionary that gives the Vietnamese pronunciation of Chinese characters? It would be interesting to look that up as well.
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clumsy
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Message 5 of 6

15 November 2010 at 11:39am | IP Logged

jimbo wrote:

morganie wrote:

I've been reading and found out that 加 is pronounced "gah" in Cantonese.

vdict has it , you needa go to Chinese-Vietnamese dictionary and enter a character.
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jimbo
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Canada
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Message 6 of 6

15 November 2010 at 1:55pm | IP Logged

clumsy wrote:

vdict has it , you needa go to Chinese-Vietnamese dictionary and enter a character.

Too cool. Thanks.

I want to study Vietnamese but I kind of have my hands full right now. I'll save this for later....

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