BY ZHINGO!

Peking is not Bay-Jing. It is Bay-Zhing. Like Eduard Shevardnadze.

Comments

[Professor Rosseforp]

Stand by with a ruler to rap the knuckles of all newsreaders (including ABC) who have suddenly begun to talk about permotions (promotions), perficiency (proficiency), perdicaments (predicaments), perlonged (prolonged), etc. A double whack for those who talk about bamotions, baformance, badicaments, balonged, etc. And a triple whack for those who turn the final "d" of a word into a "t".
So we might hear: The bafessor notet that several baformers have mispernounct their worts.
Lifetime ban for the young lass on the wireless who was talking about a new advertising program, and referred to "ahds" twice in one bulletin, instead of "ads".

[os]

The local ABC radio out here (it comes from Albany) has a young lass who says "fewchuh" (with emphasis on "chuh") for future. Advertisement is "adver- tize - ment".

The Dees did the Eags a favour yestidee Teach.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

Not sure. My recent experience strangely enough, suggests that the closer to Beijing one is, the more its pronounced by native speakers with the hard J sound. The further away from Beijing the more it's pronounced with the zhing. I had it condescendingly explained to me by my mandarin speaking daughter "and I'd know" that the zhing is like a psuedo sophisticated french accent. I still feel more sophisticated saying zhing. I haven't got a clue.

I guess it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that zhing.

[Professor Rosseforp]

at a rural hospital emergency dept.: Pazhing Doctor Lee.
at a big city hospital emergency dept.: Pajing Doctor Lee.

[Brownie]

I never mention the place.
I ignore everyone who does.
Bloody Zhina. no RSPCA. screw 'em.

and Zhing Zhong the Pura Cup has gone!
and it's back to the Sheffield Shield again.
I loathe re-branding.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

at a big city hospital emergency dept on a TV Show: Pashing Doctor Lee

[Francis Xavier Holden]

The zh/j distiction is more or less found in the vowel that follows (although there are very few syllables in Mandarin where the same vowel follows zh and j - zhi/ji, zhao/jiao, zhu/ju, jiong/zhong, zhun/jun are the only ones I can think of). When the i follows, the zhi sounds like "ger" in German, where as ji sounds like "gee" but with the lips pursed far apart. The only other big difference is zhu/ju, where zhu sounds like English "Jew" and the u in ju has the vowel sound of the umlaut u (like Wo quguo beijing - I went to Beijing).

The jing is Beijing, because of the pursed lips, sounds more like "jeeng" than "jing", although, as noted, it sounds nothing the French /zh/.

More erudite explanations.
http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000570.html

[Professor Rosseforp]

at a big city hospital emergency dept on a TV Show where the patient has taken ice: Bashing Doctor Lee.

[Ponder this]

oh my lord!!!

i am distressed at all the mis-pronounciation by the so called professional's.

(actually,- call me a pilgrim,- but i just wanted to say, 'oh my lord' )

[The Worst of Perth]

I'm extremely sick of hearing Bei zhing. JING JING JING damn youse all.

[Tony T]

A Chinese - or Chine-eee if you're Jack Nicholson in Missouri Breaks - bloke at work agrees that it's diff in diff places, but that here it's always been zhing and that only dumb Aussies who think they are being clever say jing.

I was having a pop along those lines. We've always said zhing, but now everyone is saying jing. Wankers. Reminds me of Bruce McAvaney, who when he was in Stuttgart for the World Athletics Championships, was giving it the Shhhtut-Gart treatment like someone had him in a headlock and forced him to spit it out. Worse was when Hurricane Katrina suddenly went from New Orleans, like we've said for years, to Noo Or-Lee-Ans. Wankers.

[The Worst of Perth]

Absolutely and definitely jing for standard mandarin. There are different accents and dialects where people pronounce differently, but the standard speech such as what is taught and newsreaders use etc is only jing. Not many people speak exactly standard mandarin though.

[The Worst of Perth]

Also the zhing that Aussies use is not really a sound in Chinese. For a real zh you have to turn your toungue back to the top of your palate. Try saying j with your tongue touching the top of your palate.

[Tony T]

I don't mean the Chinese way of saying it, I mean us true blueys. If jing was more than a blip on the screen before about 6 months ago, I'll eat my cat.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

wop said: " Try saying j with your tongue touching the top of your palate.'

No you try saying it.

I'd suggest with yr tongue touching yr arse.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

I'll eat my cat.

Stir fried or sweet and sour?

[The Worst of Perth]

Oh I see what you mean. No, you're right, Aussies have always said it wrong, but is it so bad they are trying to say it right now?

[Random]

Worse was when Hurricane Katrina suddenly went from New Orleans, like we've said for years, to Noo Or-Lee-Ans. Wankers.
I listen to PBS quite a bit, pertickerlerly on Wensdies when they play a lot of roots* music. I have always pronounced New Orleans as if it were three words - new or leans, but I have noticed the peebs announcers pronounce it Noo Orrlins. Dunno why.
*Roots music does not necessarily involve candles and an open fireplace.

[Professor Rosseforp]

Random, speaking of Noo Orleans, thank goodness the Chinese didn't create cajing (or caizhing) music.
And, Ponder This -- check your spelling of "mispronunciation" if you're going to be picky.

[Rob de Santos]

Native residents of New Orleans speak with a slight Cajun accent and it is closer to NAW-or-lans with the syllables slurred together.