My good name is Sanjay (updated)
CNN’s Kiran Chetry mangled a throw to TV doc-in-a-box Sanjay Gupta this morning, repeatedly mispronouncing his name SAHN-jay GOOP-tuh like she was missing half her voicebox.
Kiran… was born in Shanta Bhawan Hospital in Kathmandu… She is half Nepalese, a quarter Ukrainian, and a combination of Dutch and German… her parents, Homa Chetry and Nancy (who met while serving in the Peace Corps in Nepal) moved their new family of three to America. Kiran grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland… she served in student government, danced on the pom squad, and competed on the swim team… she enrolled at the University of Maryland… [and] joined… Delta Delta Delta sorority… [Link]
For shame, Kiran. She should know better! Oh, I’m not saying she has to be precise. It’s ok to adapt it so it’s recognizable in a language lacking in unaspirated consonants. (I’m looking at you, English.) I’m not saying she has to say it with the recognizable zing of a native speaker, getting the glottals and rolling the ‘r’s like the Latinas on ESPN, though that would be thrilling. There’s an argument that ‘Londres’ in Spanish is its own entity separate from ‘London’ in English, just as ‘Bangalore’ and ‘Calcutta’ and ‘Cape Comorin’ live on.
|
Brotha, she done you wrong |
But Sanjay isn’t that hard a name. What I’m saying is that Kiran Carrie Chetry has indubitably, at some point in her life, heard it said right, is probably capable of saying it right (hell, the local baristas can even spell my name), and is pandering to the unwashed, mispronunciatin’ masses. And that’s a damn shame.
Update: I heard Sanjay Gupta say his own name on CNN today for the first time (I don’t watch much TV). He says it the same way, so it’s not necessarily Kiran’s fault at all. And that boy definitely knows how to pronounce his own name.
It’s shameful and retro. It would be one thing if he were Harry Singh trying to make it as an Oklahoma realtor in ’70s. It’s the 21st century, dude. Wake up!
on Thursday, January 24th, 2008, 11:30 am in Issues, TV › 
Email this
› 
Tweet this
› 
Facebook this
› 
Reddit this
› Link
› Reader links
Actually, I was born overseas and grew up here and I don’t know the correct way to pronounce it either (though not proud of it).
Also, if you feel like telling how it should be said, could you also enlighten me on the correct way to pronounce “Manish”.
If she didn’t grow up around desis how is she supposed to have a proper desi pronunciation? She was probably just given a pronunciation guide and followed it like the others on CNN. And the Nepali accent and language are quite different from Hindi, FWIW, so she doesn’t necessarily “know better.”
Of course, I didn’t hear her say it and for all I know it really was a shameless pandering attempt.
(Manish is pronounced Muh-neesh)
sÃ…Ân-jÄ gÃ…ÂÃ…Âp-thä.
mÃ…Â-nÄ“sh.
I have also heard second generation kids pronounce, Rahool and Aj-aye etc. and these are kids that have grown up around plenty of desis. I am seriously at a loss for an explanation.
You don’t think Homa Chetry has ever uttered the word Sanjay in front of her? It’s like Mike, one of the most common Indian names.
I don’t want to be presumptuous if people adapt it for business advantage, or just like the sound of it better. They have every right. But when it’s done unthinkingly, as it often is, it makes me cringe.
Actually, English does, in fact, have unaspirated consonants. They simply don’t appear at the beginning of a word.
Manish,
That is the part I am lost about, these are pronounciations in non business setting, and obviously, the feel good factor is a right.
I don’t want to be presumptuous if people adapt it for business advantage, or just like the sound of it better. They have every right. But when it’s done unthinkingly, as it often is, it makes me cringe.
==
Gotta agree with Manish. Why do you think I use VV? Kiran reminds of the Dirty Laundry song…
“just have to look good, I dont have to be clear.. with a gleam in her eye”.
At least Rick Sanchez on CNN makes no bones about getting Latin pronunciations correct.
Whoa whoa whoa, the doctor HIMSELF says Goopta. Can’t blame this girl.
My pronounciation is poor, but I try my best. I tease my friends that get their own names wrong (best example, a girl introduced herself not as Kaa-mini but k’meenee), which is a particularly Punjabi thing UK-side, every ‘a’ becomes short and explosive. Satpal > sÃÂ, Jaswinder > jÃÂzz, Gurpreet > gurrpz etc etc
“I don’t want to be presumptuous if people adapt it for business advantage”
Oh come on, they’re lame! You should at least say your name right. What are these business purposes, do they have internships at the KKK? No f*cking excuse. Do you introduce yourself as maNNish to white people? For a two syllable name people have immense trouble with mine and I’m usually intially called Robin, Rohan, Rowan, Ronin (that one’s OK) etc but I refuse to make it easier by adopting a new name or pronounciation.
Hey,
If they get the TErminator’s last name right, they got no excuse!
Ծ_Ծ
If I were a newsreader I’d research how to pronounce the names that I was going to read (especially if it’s the name of the host of another program in the same channel!).
sanjay is also a common nepalese name. so, ms. chetry must surely have heard it pronounced right at least a few times either on trips back home; in bollywood movies; at desi parties or when she was introduced to the good doctor for the first time.
otoh, since we are on the topic - in grade school a desi friend of mine named, anil bhat, almost changed his name because he was tired of people reading his name as - aneel butt or anal butt.
i have also heard of a dr. named, upinder bhat, which in americanese translates, up in der butt.
as Kautilya said, Sanjay is also very common Nepali/ Hindu name.
if you pronounce correctly “sanjay“, then you are a native, how can you be that.
well, if you pronounce a french name correctly, then you are sophisticated.
I knew a guy named “Bhatti” an ABD , he would introduce himself as “Battiee’. Go figure.
Maybe ask her to say the following and check - “Rodriguez”, “Pierre”, “Schwarzenegger”, “Obama”, “Chelsea”, “Jolie”, “Pneumonia” :) !
I know an ABD called Amrita who would introduce herself as Mreeta.
I’ve made it a point not to learn the correct pronunciation for any French word. Yeah, its just the jerk in me.
I’ve heard ABDs and their parents mispronounce desi names (”Shaleeni” / “Aroon”) and I’ve grown used to it. And I’m willing to forgive them. Part of the problem is the shortage of vowels in the English alphabet.
But I don’t understand why the great pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid says “Cash-myur” instead of “Kush-Meer” in this interview [and why the great Sy Hersh keeps saying eye-rak instead of ee-rak but that's a whole other topic].
True- maybe she wants to say it right, but Sanjay demurs.
fun post. it’s understandable why mainstream media figures might anglicize the pronunciation of names. it’s more astonishing how rapidly kiran was able to re-calibrate her politics when she migrated from Fox to CNN.
incidentally, note how obama pronounces south asian names correctly, suggesting a comfort level with the cultures there.
This is a pet peeve of mine- ABDs cavalierly mispronouncing desi names yet taking pains to learn French, Spanish, German, whatever. On the flip side, we have desi parents abroad who ditch 4000 years of gorgeous linguistics and name their kids unimaginative stuff like Teena, Meena, Neel, Sheel… primarily in deference to the inflexible phoren tongue, because they want their kids to assimilate. I understand why you might not want to name your kid “Sukhdeep” if you live in Toronto, but come on yaar. Ethnic is “in” these days (cf. Zuleikha Robinson). Give your kid something to hold on to.
I’ve been teaching Indian vocal music to a Canadian-born desi for the last year and struggling with her vowel pronounciation, which is either flat or exaggerated, but rarely correct. (To her credit, she sings nicely and really wants to work on the accent.) Then I came upon an interesting article about voice resonant quality and accents that helped me understand what was going on.
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=657686
It was by an eastern European immigrant to the US who had technically mastered the sounds of the American accent (for acting class), yet never really sounded American. Finally he discovered that it had to do with where in his mouth he was resonating his voice. Apparently desis and Russians and Spanish speakers resonate at the back, near the throat. Americans resonate near the middle of the mouth, between the cheeks. And Brits near the front of the mouth, just behind the teeth. If you move your voice so that it appears to project from the back, middle or front of your mouth, you’ll hit the appropriate accent.
Mme. Chetry, could you move that voice back please.
oh god forbid they actually don’t pander to the lowest common denominator. Pronouncing foriegn country and people names correctly would be like actually showing them some respect, and we can’t have that!
It’s a pet peeve of mine when foriegn born desis come here and tell us how we should behave or name our children. What exactly are we supposed to be hanging on to? We already know we’re different, god forbid we should make the transition any easier.
golfastrian,
I agree we have no right to tell you how you should name your kids. But if you do name your kid Kamini (which is such a lovely name, btw), or if you are that Kamini, is it too much to ask you not to mispronounce that nice name as a swear word?
Well, I was going by the literally dozens of successful, happy, well-adjusted ABD college students who approached me or other performers after campus cultural events and wanted lessons in Hindi, Telugu, Sanskrit chanting, Urdu, music, bhangra steps, spices 101, what have you… not to mention the number of them who continue to tell me-privately, of course- that they regret not being able to speak their parents’ language(s), even though in their teens they thought it was supremely uncool.
Of course, I also know many who couldn’t care less. Meanwhile, the US inspired me to learn Spanish & Portuguese. So, to each his own.
I think we’re all missing the greatest irony: that a Peace Corps volunteer’s daughter turned out to be a blank-faced cheerleader and Tri Delt. Can I help ya, help ya, help ya?
Lekhni, unfortunately I will have to show my ignorance (and partially make your point) by not understanding what you mean.
amoolya, I agree with you on the language thing, as I wouldn’t mind knowing some gujarati or urdu too, but I still don’t understand why you’re criticizing parents who give their kids anglicized, or western sounding names. I know you say to each their own, which is fine, but maybe you’re not understanding the realities of how much easier, and further people go in this society when they have easily pronouncable and recognizable names. Maybe you built most of your life in a Desi culture, but for those of us you didn’t, we need every advantage we can get, and its not as silly as you might think (ok, it is ridiculous, but it’s reality). Forward thinking parents are an asset, not something to deride.
Like Barack Obama? Schwarzenegger? JaromÃÂr Jágr? Unless you’re a movie star or a stripper, it’s a new world, baby.
The thing that gets me is when South Asian anchorpersons and on-air media types mispronounce their own names, especially their own last names.
But, being large-minded, we should allow people to pronounce their own last names however they wish, if it makes them sound ‘cooler’. :)
I think though, that most ethnic names will get morphed through the Ameranglophone filter, and that’s just the way it is. For example, is ‘Spiegel’ pronounced ’speegel’ or ’shpeegel’ in America? Is ‘Krugman’ pronounced ‘kroog-maahn’? Personally, I love restoring the original pronunciation to East European Jewish surnames, though the owners of the names themselves have long ceased using it. It’s the same with many Italian names. And given how much English owes to Latin and German, and shares their script, one would think that Latinate and Germanic proununciation conventions would, er, translate wholesale into English. But even with huge immigrant communities from Germany and Italy, their names, and certainly their pronunciations, have morphed in America. I think it’s going to be the same with South Asian names.
Like Rohin said, look at Britain: you can’t throw a Sainsbury sandwich without hitting a Jazz or a Harry. And forget about pronouncing names with ‘r’s — Arora sounds Hawaiian and consonant-free.
Speaking self-mutilation… anyone else notice how
LLLaaaaxmeee Singh of NPR pronounces her own name?
you’re not understanding the realities of how much easier, and further people go in this society when they have easily pronouncable and recognizable names.
…
Interesting observation. Do you think Bobby could have won Louisiana as Vinod?
Or, of course, as Piyush? Maybe not the South- Obama apparently has only 10% white support in South Carolina. But you could certainly do so in more liberal parts of the country.
Why is Sanjay still such a difficult name to pronounce, even after all that Sanjaya the American Idol Papaya did to bring that name to prominence?
Also, I want to coin a new phrase for this phenomenon of mangling once name/life to get ahead: Jindaling.
I want each and everyone of you to use it at least once a day - it’s the least you can do to honor our August guv.
Hmm… reminiscent of dingleberry and evocative of Santorum. I like ;)
golfastrian,
When we named our son back in the des , it was a carefully thought out exercise. We agonized over every choice and finally settled on one that sounded good to us and most importantly - was acceptable and liked by both the ’southie’ and ‘northie’ senior wings of the family. Fast forward a few years and my son regularly berates me for not naming him ‘Jason’ or ‘Andrew’ or whatever flavor-of -the-month has caught his fancy .Alas- when he was born we had no idea that we would be living in the US of A :-)
I make sure that he knows how to pronounce his name correctly - but we have agreed on a mangled pronounciation for his school mates etc which proximates the original :-)
I don’t like Bobbyush Jindaling himself to become a governor in the US. But, I loved when Kalam did the muslim to hindu jindaling.
I need to Jindal myself away from being a brown/hindu bigot.
Sorry, off topic, but anonymous soul bearing is the main purpose of blogs, correct?
>> Also, I want to coin a new phrase for this phenomenon of mangling once name/life to get ahead: Jindaling.
Jindaling… nice sniglet! It’s why America is the graveyard of languages/cultures.
>> Sorry, off topic, but anonymous soul bearing is the main purpose of blogs, correct?
There are no secrets… we always betray ourselves. Sigmund Freud.
The more we bare
And choose to share
Our anonymity slips away…
But do we really care?
Wow… that sentence brought on a sensory and emotional overload: the smells, the images, the pain, the pleasure, not to forget the texture of Santorum.
This is why traditional media is gonna die a slow and painful death. Watching Fox News never did that to me.
Long live the interweb!
>> Hmm… reminiscent of dingleberry and evocative of Santorum. I like ;)
Pardon my ignorance, but is Santorum coined for Rick Santorum , the former PA senator? Was
this conjured as blowback by a Gay-rights organization for his bestiality comment?
Dingleberry — it means so much more than dolt, I never knew.
This discussion reminds me of my math TA in college for DiffeEq: Fu Q. Yu
Urban Dictionary is so useful in times like these :) (NSFW)
ultra-important topic!!!
Yeah, who doesn’t love a combination of a Santorum and a dirty Tancredo, but why isn’t there a Brownback?
Nice turn of phrase. I hesitate to wholly embrace this thought, but it has definitely crossed my mind before.
Golfastrian, I have to agree with Manish on this one and respectfully disagree with you. I’ve lived about half my life in India and half in the US/Canada, with frequent time in Latin & South America, and the last two years in Europe. Not only has everyone pronounced my rather difficult Sanskrit name perfectly on all continents, but it has helped me both socially and professionally to have a unique and memorable — but not impossible — name (thanks, ma). Roughly the same story for my sister, with the order of continents reversed.
We usually take a second to explain the pronounciation the first time, and/or come up with a humorous word association, and everyone gets it perfectly right from then on. People aren’t lazy if you don’t let them be.
(And yes, my name did get slaughtered in school. Everyone’s does, it was part of the fun.)
I heard Sanjay Gupta say his own name on CNN today for the first time (I don’t watch much TV). He says it the same way, so it’s not necessarily Kiran’s fault at all. And that boy definitely knows how to pronounce his own name.
It’s shameful and retro. It would be one thing if he were Harry Singh trying to make it as an Oklahoma realtor in ’70s. It’s the 21st century, dude. Wake up!
Please cancel my subscription