Why do English speakers mangle foreign place names?

Question

Russians call their capital city Moskva. So do most non-Russians. Malagasy people call their capital Antananarivo. English is about the only language which changes this to Tananarive. Similarly Warsaw and Varsovie. Most languages only change place names which their speakers find difficult to pronounce, like German changing Oswieçim to Auschwitz, but we do it even when it isn't necessary. Why?

Answer 1

I speak four languages, none of which pronounce the capital of Russia "Moskva." Your examples of place names are all in predominantly Slavic regions. Perhaps your experience with non-English languages is premarily with that particular family of languages. Many other languages change place names. For example, in French, the word for England is "Angleterre". North Carolina is "Caroline du Nord." In German, the word for Venice is "Venedig," and so on. Sometimes the words are based on historical usage (such as "Tedesco" in Italian, which actually has the same root as the modern "Deutsch" (which originally meant "folk")). In most cases, however, the pronunciation of a place name is simply an adaptation to the phonology within a given language. Often this adaptation takes place over a long period of time. Additionally, all languages are changing constantly. For this reason, given enough generations, the pronunciation of "Moskva" in Russian changes.

Answer 2

I think we change it just so it rolls off the tongue easier because how you said Russians call their capital Moskva, English speakers aren't used to having kv letter combinations, hence Moscow.

Answer 3

That actually occurs in most of the languages. Just to give you an example, the United States of America in English, is written as Estados Unidos in Spanish and Portuguese, Etats-Unis in French and Mei Quo (that's how you kind of pronounce it) in Chinese.

Answer 4

In the Netherlands we do this as well:

Parijs for Paris
Berlijn for Berlin
Londen for London
Athene for Athina
Moskou for Moskva
Kopenhagen for København

Answer 5

I think its a case of bad early translations and a refusal to change, also it is possible that it is a result of going from the native alphabet to the western alphabet, and again the west is too stubborn to change.

Answer 6

All nationalities are guilty of altering foreign place names to make them more pronounceable!

With Paris, instead of saying 'Paree' we say 'parISS' - but the French, instead of calling Edinburgh either 'Edinbrough' or 'Edinborough' - either of which are acceptable and understandable - call it 'EdanBOOORg'!

The Japanese call Ireland 'Eye-ru-rann-do'. But with Tokyo, instead of using long vowels and making the ky into one consonant like it should be, we say 'Toe-key-yoh'. It's done ALL over the world, and it works both ways you know! Please don't kid yourself that it's only English speakers who commit these unholy crimes...!!
; )

Answer 7

I agree with Pro-life4ever...I think english speakers think what they do, act and say is always right!!!! No matter how wrong they are, look at the history, you will get the answer.

Answer 8

Good question. I think because we want to feel like we are "in control", like we can do things our way.

Answer 9

Because we are ignorant, and we don't normally know many languages. C'est tout. Au revoir, m'a salaama, etc.etc.

Answer 10

Because other countries don't know how to spell.