Rob Hatch

[RedheadDane]

In Danish, many exonyms are slowly dying. While next to no one uses Kalaallit Nunaat for Grønland (Greenland), Nuuk is always used nowadays instead of Godthåb.

From what I understand, the Greenlandic names are the official names now.
Slightly off-topic, but I guess we've already gone off-topic since we're talking about linguistics in general, and not just Rob Hatch's way of pronuncing things:
I will sometimes switch to 'Godhavn' when I completely fail at pronouncing 'Qeqertarsuaq'.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I think one of the reasons that Hatch might sometimes come across as an over-pronouncer, is the fact that he's switching between English and the languages he tries to pronounce the names in. If he were just speaking French, Italian or Spanish the whole time, which he is capable of, it would definitely sound a lot more natural when he's takling about riders from those countries.

If someone's speaking Danish and throws in some English words, while pronouncing them in perfect British or American English (or in regional dialects), it would sound a bit weird too, but I wouldn't call people out for doing (at least a long as they're not using them instead of common Danish words and expressions ).

 

[King Boonen]

I think one of the reasons that Hatch might sometimes come across as an over-pronouncer, is the fact that he's switching between English and the languages he tries to pronounce the names in. If he were just speaking French, Italian or Spanish the whole time, which he is capable of, it would definitely sound a lot more natural when he's takling about riders from those countries.

If someone's speaking Danish and throws in some English words, while pronouncing them in perfect British or American English (or in regional dialects), it would sound a bit weird too, but I wouldn't call people out for doing (at least a long as they're not using them instead of common Danish words and expressions ).

Yes, I think that's highly likely, especially as that's how we're taught. It also makes sense. If I speak French to my in-laws in my own accent they struggle to understand me (more than they would anyway!), but if I use an affected "French" accent then the rhythm of my voice is more recognisable.

This isn't the case with every language. I've found that the little Arabic and Croatian I know can be understood without attempting a Middle Eastern/Slavic accent, but that's probably because it's all very basic, more easily understood things that only get said in specific situations/context.

 

[saunaking]

To English people it is free. Borg or Fry. Borg. He pronounced it with what sounded like a T. While it might be watched by other than English, that is not the language he is commentating in and therefore he should be able to make the names understandable to his main audience. As I said in my post, when he gives names of riders and teams in a peleton he is just speaking gobbledegook to English speakers. As someone who speakstwo dialects of Chinese, I would never dream of pronouncing names in their correct way to an English speaking friend, that is considered downright rude, as they wouldn't know who or where I was talking about!!

You should watch Chris Horner's youtube.
You will LOVE LOVE LOVE him

 

[davidsonduke]

Apologies if this interview has already been posted:

"RH: Brexiters are the ones who give me crap on Twitter, about saying people’s names with the correct foreign pronunciation. Which is bizarre! I’m not saying everybody has to say the names like I do. You say it how you want – I couldn’t care less! Call him Ni-ba-li, Niba-li, whatever you want to, but why should I say it wrong? "

 

[kenjude]

It’s interesting. He doesn’t want us to hear his broad Accrington accent in performance (why?) but flips us to other accents at the drop of a hat for names.

Why doesn't he say "Caleb Ewan" in an Aussie twang or "Joe Dombrowski" with an American accent? Presumably that would seen as taking the piss.

I don’t think anyone expects Europeans to lose their own accent when saying British names. So as a Brit I find it all a bit weird but not enough to get worked up about. I think he’s one of the best at identifying the riders so can live with the idiosyncrasies as the identification is the bit that matters most.

 

[Netserk]

I don’t think anyone expects Europeans to lose their own accent when saying British names

Yes, I do. In "The Julekalender" you get to hear plenty of English words in a purely Danish accent (for comical effect), and it sounds horrible.

 

[kingjr]

Yes, I do. In "The Julekalender" you get to hear plenty of English words in a purely Danish accent (for comical effect), and it sounds horrible.

Only because you're Danish

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Only because you're Danish

No, I'm pretty sure a lot people of other nationalities would find it horrible as well.

A lot of commentators definitely speak differently on the air, and sometimes they might even be encouraged to do so by their employers, because they don't just have to be understood by people from Accrington for instance.

 

[kingjr]

No, I'm pretty sure a lot people of other nationalities would find it horrible as well.

I like Danish accents

 

[RedheadDane]

I like Danish accents

Are you okay...?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I like Danish accents

But as a Dane, it often gets cringeworthy to hear someone speak English or other languages with a distinctive Danish accent (not that I'm always perfect by any means).

 

[kingjr]

But as a Dane, it often gets cringeworthy to hear someone speak English or other languages with a distinctive Danish accent

We agree on that

 

[gunara]

But as a Dane, it often gets cringeworthy to hear someone speak English or other languages with a distinctive Danish accent (not that I'm always perfect by any means).

Judging from the number of posters, I imagine this forum might actually sound like that

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Why doesn't he say "Caleb Ewan" in an Aussie twang or "Joe Dombrowski" with an American accent? Presumably that would seen as taking the piss.

They are countries that speak English, so there is a difference.

Although two things. Kused to think it was Saleb Ewan. And I still can never remember is he pronounces it Dombrowski (as in wow) or Dombrofaki (as in of) even though his name has been handed about alot over the last couple of days

 

[bNator]

Thanks to this thread I listened to the guy very carefully and frankly, his linguistic talent is amazing. Its impressive how he can pronounce Germanic, Romanic, Nordic and Slavic names correctly at the same time while switching between that and English commentary in a split of a second… He does overpronounce Italian names a little bit but compared to his peers he still totally nails them…

 

[SafeBet]

Thanks to this thread I listened to the guy very carefully and frankly, his linguistic talent is amazing. Its impressive how he can pronounce Germanic, Romanic, Nordic and Slavic names correctly at the same time while switching between that and English commentary in a split of a second… He does overpronounce Italian names a little bit but compared to his peers he still totally nails them…

Yeah his Italian pronunciation is a little bit over the top but still very good.
The worst are the ones who think they sound Italian while in fact they sound like a parody of an American Italian mafia boss.

 

[BlueRoads]

This might differ from country to country and from person to person, but a wrong emphasis isn't that important to me and I could well consider a pronounciation that absolutely doesn't fit your language's rhythm overdoing while for instance an e becoming an i or a g(ood) becoming a (Ni)g(el) bugs me way more.

 

[Carols]

Hatch has it all over Kirby. I'm always happy when I find out it's Hatch doing the call

 

[Okeydokey]

https://youtu.be/pgsWZg8BTwo

Here the guy says “GAnAAH” a lot…

Nothing like Hatch, by a long way!

 

[RedheadDane]

Just out of curiosity; how do you feel about his pronunciation of French names, like 'Bardet' and 'Pinot'? Are you unable to understand who he's talking about because he doesn't - wrongly - pronounce the 't's'?

 

[Bonimenier]

He is sounding lovely today

 

[gunara]

Just out of curiosity; how do you feel about his pronunciation of French names, like 'Bardet' and 'Pinot'? Are you unable to understand who he's talking about because he doesn't - wrongly - pronounce the 't's'?

I guess not, because lots of English speakers do it too.

 

[bNator]

Nothing like Hatch, by a long way!

Yes, you told us already:

Not anywhere near as overpronounced as Hatch's version. That commentator says it like I would.

Duly noted.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

I think Hatch pronounces words ending in "A" like that in every language. It's a personal Hatch accent and not him trying to "over-pronounce" Italian or any other language.