Results from the Poll re: the name ' Laegolas' in the Fall of Gondolin - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Findegil · 02-14-2007, 06:24 AM

I am from Germany and have to travel in my job regularly to France, and the USA. I also have visited Scotland, Brazil, the Netherlands and Denmark. The Brazilians were as a rule not able to pronounce my first Name “Ralf” in any recognisable way (to safe the day for the Brazilians, I did meet there a lot of people that had some knowledge of German and spoke it fluent alongside a good pronunciation of my name, but many of them had German ancestors). The Danish and Netherlands have no problem with “Ralf” but the native English speakers tend to change the sound of the vocal. But as you do with the German pronunciation of Julian, I accept the English pronunciation of “Ralf”. It is hard for people to change their habit of speaking and would only lead to lesser flow in communication. I think that this is quiet common, but who knows?

As an example of even greater changes take the names Charles and Henry corresponding to German Karl and Heinrich.

Respectfully
Findegil

P.S.: As fare as I can see the active members in the moment are Aiwendil, Maédhros, you and me. But if you look at this thread you will find a lot more names who had all taken part in the first round of discussion and many of them had also voted. In all the time I am at the project we never had a vote, but voting was more common at the start of the project, when much more members were active and an agreement of all was much harder to reach. Some time Aiwendil Maédhros and I discussed about the old votes and what we would do if we would reach a point were the result of such an old vote becomes doubt full. But I am not sure if we had come to a conclusion.

02-14-2007, 06:24 AM	#34
Findegil King's Writer Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,721	I am from Germany and have to travel in my job regularly to France, and the USA. I also have visited Scotland, Brazil, the Netherlands and Denmark. The Brazilians were as a rule not able to pronounce my first Name “Ralf” in any recognisable way (to safe the day for the Brazilians, I did meet there a lot of people that had some knowledge of German and spoke it fluent alongside a good pronunciation of my name, but many of them had German ancestors). The Danish and Netherlands have no problem with “Ralf” but the native English speakers tend to change the sound of the vocal. But as you do with the German pronunciation of Julian, I accept the English pronunciation of “Ralf”. It is hard for people to change their habit of speaking and would only lead to lesser flow in communication. I think that this is quiet common, but who knows? As an example of even greater changes take the names Charles and Henry corresponding to German Karl and Heinrich. Respectfully Findegil P.S.: As fare as I can see the active members in the moment are Aiwendil, Maédhros, you and me. But if you look at this thread you will find a lot more names who had all taken part in the first round of discussion and many of them had also voted. In all the time I am at the project we never had a vote, but voting was more common at the start of the project, when much more members were active and an agreement of all was much harder to reach. Some time Aiwendil Maédhros and I discussed about the old votes and what we would do if we would reach a point were the result of such an old vote becomes doubt full. But I am not sure if we had come to a conclusion.