New Post
Search
Help
ArchivesRe: The name Shin'ichi has a bug
in reply to a message by Felie
Hi Felie,
The message parsing was ignoring the apostrophes when searching for names. I've changed the code so Shin'ichi should link from messages now.
The apostrophe is used in this name to indicate that the syllables are shin-ichi, not shi-ni-chi (which would have a different pronunciation). This is only rarely required since the only consonant that a Japanese syllable can end with is the n.
Mike
The message parsing was ignoring the apostrophes when searching for names. I've changed the code so Shin'ichi should link from messages now.
The apostrophe is used in this name to indicate that the syllables are shin-ichi, not shi-ni-chi (which would have a different pronunciation). This is only rarely required since the only consonant that a Japanese syllable can end with is the n.
Mike
1
Replies
Mike is correct about the Japanese syllabification. I would only add that the syllable-final N in Japanese is not, strictly speaking, /n/, although that is how it is romanized. It's a difficult-to-describe sound that changes depending on the following sound.
Before /n, d, t, r, s, z/ it is /n/ (E.g. Kenta sounds the way an English-speaking would expect).
Before /m, b, p/ it is pronounced and often spelled /m/ (E.g. tonbo is pronounced and often written tombo).
Before /k, g/ it is like "ng" in "sing" (E.g. tanka; we have the same phenomenon in English but don't express it in writing).
Before vowels, /y/ and /w/, it could be described as a nasalization of the immediately preceding vowel. Difficult to describe, but if you listen to this audio of a Japanese man saying "Chiba Shin'ichi," (a name), you will hear it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlgFMp0p03Y .
So, to be accurate, in this last case, the apostrophe must be added. Shin'ichi is not Shinichi (shee-nee-chi), kon'ya (tonight) is not ko-nya, and so forth.
Before /n, d, t, r, s, z/ it is /n/ (E.g. Kenta sounds the way an English-speaking would expect).
Before /m, b, p/ it is pronounced and often spelled /m/ (E.g. tonbo is pronounced and often written tombo).
Before /k, g/ it is like "ng" in "sing" (E.g. tanka; we have the same phenomenon in English but don't express it in writing).
Before vowels, /y/ and /w/, it could be described as a nasalization of the immediately preceding vowel. Difficult to describe, but if you listen to this audio of a Japanese man saying "Chiba Shin'ichi," (a name), you will hear it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlgFMp0p03Y .
So, to be accurate, in this last case, the apostrophe must be added. Shin'ichi is not Shinichi (shee-nee-chi), kon'ya (tonight) is not ko-nya, and so forth.
1