Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by hunter2_ 1875 days ago
> /ʒ/ does not occur in word-initial position in English

I never noticed that until now. While it's obviously not an English word, plenty of English speakers have discussed French explorer Jacques Cousteau. I can't think of any other examples.
2 comments
open0 1875 days ago
"genre" is one of the few.

One of the languages I know allows for a word-initial /ŋ/, which English does not have at all.

link
eythian 1874 days ago
New Zealand English (through Māori influence) has this, in names like Ngaire and places like Ngaio. This said, a lot (perhaps most, though it'll be regional I expect) of speakers will pronounce it as though the 'g' isn't present.
link
bradrn 1874 days ago
A couple of years ago I had a geology class in which the lecturer (albeit a non-New Zealander) consistently pronounced Ngāuruhoe with initial /n/. Interesting to know that New Zealanders pronounce it with /ɡ/ instead. (I, of course, pedant that I am, insisted on pronouncing it with an initial /ŋ/.)
link
hunter2_ 1874 days ago
Ah, good call.

Vietnamese, by chance? I'm guessing that because the only initial /ŋ/ word on my radar is the name Nguyen.

link
FreeFull 1875 days ago
Jean Luc Picard is a well-known name from fiction, too.
link
marton78 1875 days ago
... and it bothers me a lot how it's consistently mispronounced as John-Luc in the eponymous series.
link