"Nowitzki" mispronounced
By asiacevillar
@asiacevillar (643)
Philippines
June 17, 2011 6:43am CST
I am referring to the Dallas Maverick star and this year's NBA finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki of Germany. And since that overwhelming game 6 feat against the Miami Heat, he became more popular than ever and everywhere we go, people just always mention his name. Now, what makes me think to start a dicussion about this is the fact that I am laughing in someone's sleeves or secretly amused on the fact that almost all the people that i know and encounter just simply mispronounce Dirk's family name.
In Germany, Sweden, Norway, Poland and other European countries, they pronounce the letter "W" as " V". So the correct pronunciation of "Nowitzki" is "Novitzki". Another example is the name "Yngwie Malmsteen"- a Swedish guitar virtuoso and one of my fave solo guitarists, the correct pronunciation of his name, again, is "Yngvie" instead of "Yngwie".
I am neither an intellectual snob nor blaming them for their lack of awareness especially on western culture and civilization. What my point here is to disseminate this info esp. to those unaware of it, and to stress the implication and the advantage of reading during free time instead of doing useless things like online games. It is really beneficial to do at least a little reading during free time.
What about you, How do you pronounce "Nowitzki"? are you one of those mispronouncing it or not?
3 responses
@AgentGulaman (3546)
• Philippines
17 Jun 11
Yeah! I am one of those individuals mispronouncing that family name of Dirk. You got me on that. I am totally unaware of that until now. Well, I guess you're information dissemination worked here at myLot! Haha! Okay, I'll try to help you disseminate that information with my colleagues and friends who are basketball fanatics. Especially to those die hard Dallas Mavericks fans.
Good to know someone sharing the right stuff of their culture for the world to know. You got me interested at that.
@asiacevillar (643)
• Philippines
18 Jun 11
yeah. But we are under the same flag my friend, as your myLot screen name implies you're a Filipino, we are "kababayans". hehe.
Thank you for conceding you're one of those who mispronounced his eminent family name and as well as for sharing it to other people who loves and who knows Dirk.
Have a good day ahead pal.
God bless..
@AgentGulaman (3546)
• Philippines
18 Jun 11
Whoa! I thought you are a German. An yeah, my screen name is a give away. Never thought a fellow Pinoy will make such kind of a post. I'm an NBA fan. I really like watching and playing basketball and I do like the brilliance of Dirk Nowitzki's play. especially in the Finals. Never been a real fan of him back then until now that he showed excellent baskeball skills.
Have a good day too bro!
@cheravs (619)
• Philippines
19 Jun 11
At first I am guilty of mispronouncing his surname but constant watching the nba on the tv through the years and the commentator says it's "Novitzki", I started to pronounce it as it is. But still lots of people in this country says it's "Nowitzki" with the "W"! lol!
@asiacevillar (643)
• Philippines
19 Jun 11
you're right! watching the NBA regularly helps while focusing on the commentators' words esp. the way they pronounce names of the players but still I wonder why most of the people watching it just couldn't get the proper pronunciation of his family name, same case with former Chicago Bull 6th man Toni Kukoc and former Laker center Vlade Divac, They are both from Serbia or Croatia where the "c" last letter of their family names is not the usual "k" sound as we read it in English but a "ch" sound.
@Joe_Black (252)
•
12 Aug 11
Haha, I'm German I pronounced it the w way.... woooops! =P
But I think it doesn't matter much, from living in the USA Dirk is probably not that fussed about people mispronouncing his name (I don't mind and it happens to me all the time..).
But yea, thanks for pointing that out! I hadn't noticed! =)

