Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/09

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Subject: Re: [Leica] pronunciation
From: "Mārtiņš Zelmenis" <martin@lrpv.lv>
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 10:22:01 +0200

OH!
That's more to do with font codes than alphabet itself.
It's Latin alphabet we're using here, of course - with special <diacritic>
marks on some letters to denote special sounds - along the same line as the
Nordic languages, for instance, are using. The signs were made to correspond
with Czech language - after the alphabet reform of 1920ies (before that we
used the outdated <Fractura>.
Well, Martin is Martin - and I guess the correct pronounciation of the
international name's Latvian version might be smth like [ma:rtinjsh]. But
it's a natural pain-in-the-ass for anyone whose native language hasn't got
those special sounds.
And to my great sorrow it turns out the international font coding isn't
right for Latvian! We just can't use our letters sending international
e-mails - then we get those undecipherables you are marvelling at.
I can elaborate on this - if I've not made it clear enough.

Yours
Martin


This is sort of off topic, but I'll bet that I am not the only one who wants
to know this.

Can you explain enough about the alphabet used in Latvia to explain how this
name:

> Mārtiņš

can be the same as this name:

> Martin

In particular, can you give the name of the letter used at the end of your
name,
tell us how it is pronounced, and how it might give an "n" sound in English?

Brian Reid

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Replies: Reply from Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch> (Re: [Leica] pronunciation)