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DariaMorgendorfer
La La La La La, you're standing ...
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10-11-2009, 12:25 AM
I am curious. I have several dealings with people using words/dialects that are not from their own culture. A great example of this is when people who are not Japanese, and do not speak Japanese, use the words "Sama, San, Chan and Kun" in their daily discussions. I have also seen/heard people badly missuse slang from other "English" speaking countries, not their own.
I was wondering. Do you find it offensive or not to see people who are not a part of your culture use your dialect/language? If so or not, why?
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amulet
Dead Account Holder
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10-11-2009, 12:32 AM
i do the japanese thing sometimes and i use some british slang even though i'm from america. i wouldn't be offended with it if it were me. i hope i've never offended anyone. i've never thought about this before
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jellysundae
bork and means
☆ Assistant Administrator
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10-11-2009, 12:39 AM
It's the flip-side of the coin for me really, but I find it extremely perculiar to be an English person and to be addressed as "jelly-chan" by an American. It completely baffles me as to why people do that. Especially as (from what I've been told) Chan is an honorific for a child or a young girl. So to call me (a 38 year old) it is offensive in Japanese culture. But then, these people aren't Japanese nor do they know about the culture...it's also said to be particularly arrogant and wrong to call yourself chan, but we have over 700 users who've done just that.
*shrugs* Being English and as such not immersed or intersted in Japan as the majority of the US seems to be I honestly don't understand the obsession :sweat:
But I find it rude in a way that I can't really explain that people abuse another country's language in such ignorance. These Japanese terms are reverences and shouldn't be thrown around willy-nilly because people think it's cool or cute to use them. It's offensive to the Japanese culture and just makes people look silly : /
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Erailea
Lost soul
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10-11-2009, 01:03 AM
I'm not Jewish but I sometimes use Jewish term-a-phrases like "oi vey" and what not. Learned it from my mum and grandparents, neither of whom are Jewish either. A few generations back though we do have Jewish family.
I also sometime use Jamaican words. Again, comes from my mum's side of the family. They were all born and raised down there. I'm the first generation in a very long time to not be, but they all left because crime got really bad down there in the late 70's (still is pretty bad actually. Most of my family doesn't even want to go back down there to visit unless on an all inclusive resort where they don't have to leave)
I find it annoying when stupid people try to mimic the Jamaican accent and are really bad at it. If they're not from down there, but do it well, I don't really care. But most people just suck at it and it's annoying hearing people slander the accent (it's one of the more commonly "mimicked" accents too)
Last edited by Erailea; 10-11-2009 at 01:32 AM..
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lightkanna
(っ◕‿◕)&...
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10-11-2009, 01:19 AM
Hmmm, If they are willing to take classes to learn that language then I won't be that angry with them. Now if they are doing it because they think it looks cute and what-not then that is unacceptable. Even though I was once like that with my friend-we are not like that anymore. We knew we abused the language and I am sure it was just horrible to do such a thing. Though I am willing to learn the language. I won't then be abusing it. I dislike some people who do it. Some people at my school or for the most part everybody. So...That's all I got. :) My Asian friends, who are obsessive freaks, like to say phrases from Korean. I do it too but it's because I will learn it and once I learn Korean it will be acceptable! XD
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Dystopia
Bitter-Bitter
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10-11-2009, 01:25 AM
owo Personally, I don't really care as long as these people are willing to accept that they are not experts at this language. It bothers me when people think that they are the master of all things Japanese because they are able to attach a '-chan' to my name. Or the ones that think that squealing really loudly and calling everything 'KAIWAI-EE!!!' makes them look cute. But on the other hand, as a joke, my friends call me Neko-Sama.
It just depends on how far you take it. And how willing you are to accept that you are ignorant of this language when people point it out. Yanno? >>;
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Captain Spiral
(-.-)zzZ
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10-11-2009, 02:23 AM
I do this. :shock:
well i dont do it so obnoxiously as those people who randomly spout off random words that make no sense in the context or stuff, ya know what i mean.
I actually am learning Japanese, because i want to be able to go to Japan and speak their language. I dont want to act like everyone should cater to my ignorance because I only speak English so Im trying to learn as many languages as possible.
The reason I sometimes use foreign words in speech is that it helps me remember. I have one of those must repeat alot so it gets stuck in your head or else you'll forget memories. So i make sure to use the word appropriately and in context. I hope im not offending anyone!:sweat:
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cbrstrshp
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10-11-2009, 04:10 AM
The same goes for me, which is weird but cool at the same time. Not only do I say Japanese words, usually when I'm by myself because none of my friends know or want to know Japanese, but I also tend to use American-Southern accent.
I listen to a lot of country music because my dad brought me up on it. On occasion I will say a word with a southern drawl. I've been doing this for a long time now so my friends just take that as my accent but if I go out of state no one thinks I'm from New York. They usually ask me to say water or coffee.
This like that don't bother me and other "mimicking" a NY accent doesn't bother me. To me it's kind of like when the kid next to you in art class uses a bit of your technique in his work. I see it as a compliment, but that's just my way of thinking and everyone is entitled to their own. :mrgreen:
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Erailea
Lost soul
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10-11-2009, 04:16 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by cbrstrshp
The same goes for me, which is weird but cool at the same time. Not only do I say Japanese words, usually when I'm by myself because none of my friends know or want to know Japanese, but I also tend to use American-Southern accent.
I listen to a lot of country music because my dad brought me up on it. On occasion I will say a word with a southern drawl. I've been doing this for a long time now so my friends just take that as my accent but if I go out of state no one thinks I'm from New York. They usually ask me to say water or coffee.
This like that don't bother me and other "mimicking" a NY accent doesn't bother me. To me it's kind of like when the kid next to you in art class uses a bit of your technique in his work. I see it as a compliment, but that's just my way of thinking and everyone is entitled to their own. :mrgreen:
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haha, I had friends in college ask me to say water. Actually, it was usually because I'd say it in a conversation and they'd say "what" and I wouldn't realize they wanted me to repeat the word until after I said it XD I never thought I said "water" weird until I met people from all over the US in college
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cbrstrshp
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10-11-2009, 04:24 AM
I love that they think the NY dialect is interesting. I can choose to use it or not though, perks of being a speech major. When I was in Flordia visiting my Aunt, her friend looked at me when we were eating and her eyes just bulged. "You don't have an accent!" It was funny at the time but she though that everyone from New York had the classic New York accent.
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Antagonist
The Great Adversary
☆☆☆ Penpal
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10-11-2009, 04:30 AM
I don't find it offensive, though I'd probably snicker if they use it wrong >.>;
Though I would be offended if I had specifically told the person that I don't want to be referred to in a particular way and they continue to do so.
...I do get rather annoyed when a friend of mine would sometimes go into an explosion of Japanese phrases and I'd have no idea what she's talking about and she doesn't notice my (and our other friends') complete loss of that she's saying until much later. >__>;
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Xukare
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10-11-2009, 05:14 AM
I pretty much agree with lightkanna. Personally, I love learning languages, and I use words from other languages I'm learning a lot. Like, a couple of my friends and I speak in Chinglish all the time. (Like English interspersed with Chinese, not like things that have been badly translated from Chinese.) It's fun. :lol: I hope it doesn't offend people, though. :sweat:
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Inertia
My heart and soul entwine my Lov...
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10-11-2009, 08:28 AM
Personally I never do this and I am annoyed by some obsessive forms of it, but generally I think it's harmless. Lexically, all words are foreign. The formation of the many different tongues in the world are due, in part, to its speakers interspersing alien words. Though I suppose it has not been until the wide spanning multiculturalism we see today that so many different and entirely unrelated languages have been parsed together.
Interestingly, whilst most languages are due largely to the natural evolution and distortion of tongues. The English language itself has mostly "borrowed" all it's words.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erailea
I'm not Jewish but I sometimes use Jewish term-a-phrases like "oi vey" and what not. Learned it from my mum and grandparents, neither of whom are Jewish either. A few generations back though we do have Jewish family.
I also sometime use Jamaican words. Again, comes from my mum's side of the family. They were all born and raised down there. I'm the first generation in a very long time to not be, but they all left because crime got really bad down there in the late 70's (still is pretty bad actually. Most of my family doesn't even want to go back down there to visit unless on an all inclusive resort where they don't have to leave)
I find it annoying when stupid people try to mimic the Jamaican accent and are really bad at it. If they're not from down there, but do it well, I don't really care. But most people just suck at it and it's annoying hearing people slander the accent (it's one of the more commonly "mimicked" accents too)
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Incidentally, I too am Jamaican, but of the first generation not brought up there (For similar reasons to you). I have Jewish roots which stem above me 2 generations, but I don't use any Jewish words that I'm aware of. Other than "Kosher".:)
Last edited by Inertia; 10-11-2009 at 08:33 AM..
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Sadistic Deer
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10-11-2009, 09:01 AM
I personally can't really say that I care usually.
If anything, some Japanese words can sound rather cute if not used too much. It's when those stereotypical Japanese words (you know what I mean) are used in every freaking sentence.
Just makes you (or well, me atleast) want to stab that girl in the face. Or, you know, not read her posts and pretend they don't exist.
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Darek Khort
Enquisiter to the Throne
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10-11-2009, 02:36 PM
Quote:
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Do you find it offensive or not to see people who are not a part of your culture use your dialect/language? If so or not, why?
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I don't find it offensive at all. As long as they aren't doing it to mock the culture/etc than I am perfectly fine with it.
We've all eaten food from other cultures, we've all used things that were invented by different cultures and we've all believed in things and had ideals based on the ideology of certain cultures. Why not use some of their language/slang/phrases?
I sometimes wonder how unhappy those who hate others who use other cultures words/items/phrases/whatever are. I find not worrying or caring about these things makes your mind and body a lot healthier; instead of getting pissed off at the small things that hardly affect your life, just go with the flow and enjoy life.
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KiwiRose
Matriarch
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10-11-2009, 03:03 PM
I do this too! Thanks to British Dialect training (Medieval Faire Dialect CDs) I find myself breaking into a siplified "Upper-class" British Dialect at times. I've never used the -chan or kun or sama honorifics, as I don't know how to use them.
Anything else I've picked up has been due to my surroundings (random Spanish from spanish-speaking friends, other dialects from Faire actor friends, etc).
Funny story, I work at the BMV, and once I broke into a british dialect, ever so slightly, when waiting on a customer from the UK. I was mortified! It turned out alright, as she said "Oh, do you go to those Renicannce faires, or maybe act?" Which I do neither of, but have training to do. She told me I wasn't half-bad, just my dialect was a couple centuries behind. XD
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FAGGY CHAN
*^_^*
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10-11-2009, 05:37 PM
The ones using Japanese terms are called WEEABOOS.
Losers and geeks.
AKA me when I was 15.
And my sister now.
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Risque
fitter, happier
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10-11-2009, 06:25 PM
I believe it to all be in good fun. I know that I always mimic the British and their accents whenever I try and be extra fancy.
I think people just have their panties in a bunch over the Weeaboos because they're goddamn everywhere these days, but I say, give them a break, you can make fun of them however you choose, but in the end we should really pity them.
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Mirielle195
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10-11-2009, 06:33 PM
Lol, well, does it count if the culture is part of your heritage? I am American but I have German ancestry so I've used a few German words. I have used Japanese words cause I watch anime. And at one point I had alot of friends who were African American and they had their own lingo and I picked up a few of those words they used.
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jellysundae
bork and means
☆ Assistant Administrator
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10-12-2009, 12:52 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by KiwiRose
I've never used the -chan or kun or sama honorifics, as I don't know how to use them.
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Lol, don't let that hold you back, the people who do use them don't let that effect them. :lol:
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Son Zack
(っ◕‿◕)&...
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10-12-2009, 01:51 AM
Hm. I find the whole anime/Japan craze in America to be a bit off-putting, personally. I was interested in anime until I met and saw what a large majority of the anime fan base is like. I really don't like it when Americans use the -chan, -san thing. I don't think very many of them actually know what they mean, and just think they are being cute. I don't think it's cute, but, to each their own, I guess.
But on the flip side, a lot of language (especially English) is derived from words from other cultures. I usually don't mind foreign terms (with the exception of Japanese, unfortunately) at all and adding words from other languages can express your thoughts much better.
I've been to Europe and as an American, I found it amusing and was rather flattered when the Germans and Italians used American terms like 'cool' in their day-to-day conversation.
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Gypsy Tsura
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10-12-2009, 03:43 AM
I agree that when some words are overused then it begins to become annoying.
I think if people are using the words and/or slang correctly then it isn't really offensive. When people say something just because they like the way it sounds and they don't use it in contex or for the right purpose then I imagine it could become quite ainsulting. ecspecially in a case where different terms are meant for different people (as in Japanese culture as was being discussed earlier)
I myself am Jewish and there are times where I'll hear people use yiddish terms, and it's not really offensive, it's actually kinda neat to hear other people use terms and words from a culture you're proud of (if they are using it correctly that is)
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KiwiRose
Matriarch
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10-12-2009, 03:12 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jellysundae
Lol, don't let that hold you back, the people who do use them don't let that effect them. :lol:
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Haha, well that's true. I like to think I'm just a little more together than that...
I did think of an instance where I've used chan- I have a friend named Danielle, and when I met her, lots of people called her Dani-chan, and I followed suit. I never really thought of it in terms of the honorific, it was part of her name to me. She doesn't go by Dani-chan anymore, being in her 20's. :angel:
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For-Chan Cookie
A Cookie for Fun
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10-12-2009, 03:28 PM
I have a -Chan in my name obviously, but it's more for the verbal pun. For-Chan Cookie, Fortune Cookie. :rofl: I wouldn't run around calling other people Whoever-Chan. Except for a few occasions in jest. That's when I use most of my foreign words, in a joking manner.
I do use some Japanese terms for which there is no easy English equivalent. I don't spout of random Japanese though. I think it tends to make one look less intelligent rather than smart and knowledgeable. Japanese words rarely make it into my daily speech, except food names. I can go on about mochi and okonomiyaki forever since I love them so much XD
But one must remember that English really is a melting pot language. There's all sorts of words stolen from other places. So I don't see why assimilating a few words from somewhere else is such a big deal. That's how the language grows. While it's not always attractive or intelligent, that's just how it goes. English absorbs other words and they become part of the daily lexicon. Having French people get annoyed at English speakers really hasn't stopped them from using deja vu or c'est la vie or rendezvous. I've yet to be berated by a German for telling someone "gesundheit."
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Kaylesha Blackheart
Go Go Samurai!
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10-12-2009, 04:36 PM
The only Japanese words coming out of my mouth are the untranslated names of some of the Pokemon in Pokemon games. Like Pikachu. :P
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