Help Needed pronouncing Skaters Names

tars · 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

Why
Med-VE-de-va,
Po-go-RI-la-ya,
Ra-DIO-no-va,
Lip-NITS-ka-ya,
Za-GI-to-va,
TSUR-ska-ya,
Le-O-no-va,
Kons-tan-TI-no-va,
Gu-BA-no-va,
SOT-sko-va,
have all accent on third syllable from the end, but

Tuk-TA-my-she-va,
SOT-ni-ko-va and
FE-dich-ki-na,
have accent on fourth syllable from the end? :think:

Fish in the sea · Aug 17, 2017

tars said:
Why
Med-VE-de-va,
Po-go-RI-la-ya,
Ra-DIO-no-va,
Lip-NITS-ka-ya,
Za-GI-to-va,
TSUR-ska-ya,
Le-O-no-va,
Kons-tan-TI-no-va,
Gu-BA-no-va,
SOT-sko-va,
have all accent on third syllable from the end, but

Tuk-TA-my-she-va,
SOT-ni-ko-va and
FE-dich-ki-na,
have accent on fourth syllable from the end? :think:

It's all depends on the words from which those last names originate. Fedichkina comes from the name Fedya in which the emphasis is on E. Sotnikova comes from the word sotnik which comes from the word sotnya with emphasis on O. Same with Sotskova.
LeOn, RadiOn, KonstantIn are all names with emphasis on these specific letters. I think It's just a coincidence that a lot of Russian female last names have emphasis on the third syllable from the end.

mrrice · 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.

Holy Cow....AWESOME!!!!!!! Your voice is perfect and I love hearing the Russian pronunciation of the skaters names. I bet it gives them a laugh when they hear the US commentators say their names. Thank you!! :thank:

largeman · Aug 17, 2017

tars said:
PS.
What about "Lip-NITS-ka-ya"?
It originates from word "Lipnik", which accentuates LIP-nik, so why not LIP-nits-ka-ya?

It's so interesting you ask this question. Because on YouTube, after Fish in the Sea's video, this one comes up:
https://youtu.be/2vyRqg4j0Ok

Now you can hear at the beginning, the male announcer says Lipnitskaya with the accent on NIts, but immediately following that, the female announcer says it with the accent on LIp. Is it acceptable either way?

tars · Aug 17, 2017

largeman said:
It's so interesting you ask this question. Because on YouTube, after Fish in the Sea's video, this one comes up:
https://youtu.be/2vyRqg4j0Ok

Thanks, now I'm totally confused! :laugh:

Fish in the sea · Aug 17, 2017

tars said:
Thanks! So it means Russian accent is individual for each word?

PS.
What about "Lip-NITS-ka-ya"?
It originates from word "Lipnik", which accentuates LIP-nik, so why not LIP-nits-ka-ya?

Yep, all Russian accents are individual, there is no rule.

Not sure about Lipnitskaya, but I believe almost all (if not all) last names that end with skaya/skiy have accent on the second syllable. TchayKOVskiy, PliSETskaya, BuTYRskaya, etc.

Fish in the sea · Aug 17, 2017

largeman said:
It's so interesting you ask this question. Because on YouTube, after Fish in the Sea's video, this one comes up:
https://youtu.be/2vyRqg4j0Ok

Now you can hear at the beginning, the male announcer says Lipnitskaya with the accent on NIts, but immediately following that, the female announcer says it with the accent on LIp. Is it acceptable either way?

The female announcer is not Russian (I hear a finnish or a baltic accent) so she doesn't know how Yulia's name is pronounced. LipNEETskaya is the only acceptable way.

russianfan · 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.

i'm not sure if Tuktamysheva pronunciation is correct, i used to think that accent should be on MYSH, and also seems like this is the way russian commentators pronunciate it (i'm russian btw)

tars said:
Well, then I guess learning to speak with perfect Russian accent is pretty hard - you gotta know every word.

I've found fun accent fact:
- "pisAt" means 'to write',
- "pIsat" means 'to piss'!

yeah, there are also words which are absolutely identical even in pronunciation and their meaning hugely depends on context, for example "среда" (wednesday) и "среда" (environment).
Some more accent facts for you, similar to the one you have discovered:

мука́ - flour
му́ка - torment (throe)

за́мок - castle
замо́к - door lock

пла́чу - i cry
плачу́ - i pay

SnowWhite · Aug 17, 2017

russianfan said:
i'm not sure if Tuktamysheva pronunciation is correct, i used to think that accent should be on MYSH, and also seems like this is the way russian commentators pronunciate it (i'm russian btw).

It's kind of noisy where I am right now, so I can't hear it super clearly, but Sabinfire has a video of Liza saying her name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drAVpXjHTH8

russianfan · Aug 17, 2017

SnowWhite said:
It's kind of noisy where I am right now, so I can't hear it super clearly, but Sabinfire has a video of Liza saying her name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drAVpXjHTH8

thx, that makes it clear! (she definitely makes an accent on TA)

tars · Aug 17, 2017

SnowWhite said:
It's kind of noisy where I am right now, so I can't hear it super clearly, but Sabinfire has a video of Liza saying her name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drAVpXjHTH8

She says Tuk-TA-my-she-va, just like Fish in their video.

SnowWhite · Aug 17, 2017

tars said:
She says Tuk-TA-my-she-va, just like Fish in their video.

That's what I thought, but I wasn't 100% sure.

cathlen · Dec 7, 2017

Commentators, learn to pronounce your World Champions names!

Wenjing Sui/Cong Han: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-65ES_-_Q00

vlaurend · Dec 8, 2017

When I was preparing for my gig announcing on practice ice at Skate America a few years ago, I actually looked for YouTube videos of each skater competing in his/her home country to hear how the event announcers pronounced their names. It always bugs me when announcers and commentators at the world level don't go to the same amount of trouble to get the names right. Having said that, Misha Ge only has himself to blame, since he gave up on anyone pronouncing it right and now just tells everyone "Yeah, it's pronounced 'Jee'. When I told him I'd studied some Chinese and asked him to confirm that it was actually pronounced "GUH" (with either a rising 2nd tone or dipping 3rd tone, depending on whom you ask), he was surprised and delighted. Glad I don't have to announce his name, though, since everyone would think I was pronouncing it wrong, LOL!.

cl2 · Dec 9, 2017

vlaurend said:
When I was preparing for my gig announcing on practice ice at Skate America a few years ago, I actually looked for YouTube videos of each skater competing in his/her home country to hear how the event announcers pronounced their names. It always bugs me when announcers and commentators at the world level don't go to the same amount of trouble to get the names right. Having said that, Misha Ge only has himself to blame, since he gave up on anyone pronouncing it right and now just tells everyone "Yeah, it's pronounced 'Jee'. When I told him I'd studied some Chinese and asked him to confirm that it was actually pronounced "GUH" (with either a rising 2nd tone or dipping 3rd tone, depending on whom you ask), he was surprised and delighted. Glad I don't have to announce his name, though, since everyone would think I was pronouncing it wrong, LOL!.

Misha Ge's last name is Chinese? It makes so much sense now! Of course it's "GUH", duh!

Or maybe it's easier to understand if it's explained like this: "girl" without the "rl"?

Anyway, it's easy to give in to mispronounced names---I did, lol. I currently live in a certain part of an English speaking country where the locals have a cocky tendency to inform me, a Mandarin speaking person, that I've been pronouncing my Mandarin wrong.

CaroLiza_fan · Dec 10, 2017

vlaurend said:
When I was preparing for my gig announcing on practice ice at Skate America a few years ago, I actually looked for YouTube videos of each skater competing in his/her home country to hear how the event announcers pronounced their names. It always bugs me when announcers and commentators at the world level don't go to the same amount of trouble to get the names right. Having said that, Misha Ge only has himself to blame, since he gave up on anyone pronouncing it right and now just tells everyone "Yeah, it's pronounced 'Jee'. When I told him I'd studied some Chinese and asked him to confirm that it was actually pronounced "GUH" (with either a rising 2nd tone or dipping 3rd tone, depending on whom you ask), he was surprised and delighted. Glad I don't have to announce his name, though, since everyone would think I was pronouncing it wrong, LOL!.

cl2 said:
Misha Ge's last name is Chinese? It makes so much sense now! Of course it's "GUH", duh! Or maybe it's easier to understand if it's explained like this: "girl" without the "rl"?

Anyway, it's easy to give in to mispronounced names---I did, lol. I currently live in a certain part of an English speaking country where the locals have a cocky tendency to inform me, a Mandarin speaking person, that I've been pronouncing my Mandarin wrong.

I so want the British Eurosport guys to see these two posts, because the variety of ways they have been pronouncing Misha's surname has been really getting to me.

The pronounciation being used can change within a sentence! :laugh:

And cl2, I have sympathy for you. I'm an English speaker in an English speaking country. So, the nearest I get to your situation is people spelling my name wrong.

I could understand the situation you describe happening if the other person does speak the language your name is in, and you don't.

But, for somebody who doesn't speak the language to tell somebody that does speak the language that they are pronouncing their own name wrong?! That is the height of rudeness. And it would drive me mad if I were you!

...says the guy who was guilty of repeatedly criticising Ashley Wagner for not pronouncing her surname the German way, before he realised that she does actually speak the language and was merely trying to make life easier for other people... :slink:

Sorry, Ashley!

CaroLiza_fan

dante · Dec 15, 2017

I find it strange that even though English is one of the most eclectic languages, English speakers don't care much about the original pronunciation of foreign names, even when there is no conventional pronunciation yet.

I think the most careful announcers and journalists are from Japan: somehow, they even manage to put the right accents in the names (as long as native speakers can do it, lol).

You can rarely hear a Russian saying Shoma or Higuchi in an English manner, it's usually Syoma and Higuti, closer to the original. Even when a commentator cannot remember an unusual Asian name, at least he tries.

russianfan said:
i'm not sure if Tuktamysheva pronunciation is correct, i used to think that accent should be on MYSH, and also seems like this is the way russian commentators pronunciate it (i'm russian btw)

Everyone was calling her Tuktamysheva, until she came out of the closet and said she's always been Tuktamysheva.

After that, most commentators fixed their pronunciation. Obviously, her surname was derived from an Udmurt word, so most people can't guess the stress right.

Fish in the sea said:
Yep, all Russian accents are individual, there is no rule.

Not sure about Lipnitskaya, but I believe almost all (if not all) last names that end with skaya/skiy have accent on the second syllable. TchayKOVskiy, PliSETskaya, BuTYRskaya, etc.

Rather, the next to the last one, as in Shuysky (2 syllables) and Tsiolkovsky (4 syllables). Even then, there are exceptions, such as Vyazemsky. We should ask Poles, if there are exceptions in Polish surnames.

ice coverage · Dec 15, 2017

dante said:
I find it strange that even though English is one of the most eclectic languages, English speakers don't care much about the original pronunciation of foreign names, even when there is no conventional pronunciation yet. ...

Plenty of English speakers do care very much, so I strongly disagree with your sweeping generalization.

Doris is an English speaker who started this thread in the first place.
English speakers have been among the active contributors to this thread.

Some English speakers do not care as much. Only some.

Spirals for Miles · Dec 15, 2017

dante said:
I find it strange that even though English is one of the most eclectic languages, English speakers don't care much about the original pronunciation of foreign names, even when there is no conventional pronunciation yet.

I think the most careful announcers and journalists are from Japan: somehow, they even manage to put the right accents in the names (as long as native speakers can do it, lol).

You can rarely hear a Russian saying Shoma or Higuchi in an English manner, it's usually Syoma and Higuti, closer to the original. Even when a commentator cannot remember an unusual Asian name, at least he tries.

Everyone was calling her Tuktamysheva, until she came out of the closet and said she's always been Tuktamysheva. After that, most commentators fixed their pronunciation. Obviously, her surname was derived from an Udmurt word, so most people can't guess the stress right.

Rather, the next to the last one, as in Shuysky (2 syllables) and Tsiolkovsky (4 syllables). Even then, there are exceptions, such as Vyazemsky. We should ask Poles, if there are exceptions in Polish surnames.

ice coverage said:
Plenty of English speakers do care very much, so I strongly disagree with your sweeping generalization.

Doris is an English speaker who started this thread in the first place.
English speakers have been among the active contributors to this thread.

Some English speakers do not care as much. Only some.

Both of you have good points.
I happen to be an English speaker who cares.

But at the same time, most of our country doesn't. See 2016. That's all I can say about this without getting an infraction.

dante · Dec 15, 2017

ice coverage said:
Plenty of English speakers do care very much, so I strongly disagree with your sweeping generalization.

Doris is an English speaker who started this thread in the first place.
English speakers have been among the active contributors to this thread.

Some English speakers do not care as much. Only some.

Nice to hear this, but most commentators are among those who don't care much. The only exception I know is Johnny Weir who knows how to pronounce every Russian name, because he's fluent in Russian.

Help Needed pronouncing Skaters Names

tars

Fish in the sea

mrrice

largeman

choice beef

tars

Fish in the sea

Fish in the sea

russianfan

Match Penalty

SnowWhite

russianfan

Match Penalty

tars

SnowWhite

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

vlaurend

cl2

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA

dante

a dark lord

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605

Spirals for Miles

Anna Shcherbakova is my World Champion

dante

a dark lord

Similar threads

Connect with us