Does anyone remember Joaquin Phoenix? I remember reading a statement that when he was little, he changed his name due to the fact that he was sick and tired of everyone always mispronouncing his name. As he put it, "No one in the United States could properly pronounce the name "Joaquin", so I changed my name to "Leaf", which is easier for everyone to pronounce.". I'd like to find out, how do you pronounce the name "Joaquin"? I could be wrong, but is it pronounced something like "Wa-keen"? Some people think it looks like "Joa-Quin". I know it's a Spanish name, but I'm not sure what it means. Some people get it confused with the name "Joachim", which is similarly spelled. And I could be wrong on this one, too, but is it similarly pronounced? Even my Grandmother thought "Joaquin" was a Native American name. Wouldn't the Native American version be "Joachim"?
Spanish Pronunciation
It seems Joaquín comes from Hebrew and it means "The Lord will judge". The name would sound like Ho-ah-keen.
Are you sure the name Joaquín is Hebrew? It sounds Spanish to me. Could it have possibly been derived from Joachim? Maybe Joachim is the Hebrew version. I wonder if the two versions are similarly pronounced.
<<Maybe Joachim is the Hebrew version>>
--very unlikely, although not ruled out. Usually, words/culture/names/etc go from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to Spanish, etc. not the other way around. It's called cultural drift.
Spanish does not have any influence on Hebrew. C'mon.
--very unlikely, although not ruled out. Usually, words/culture/names/etc go from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to Spanish, etc. not the other way around. It's called cultural drift.
Spanish does not have any influence on Hebrew. C'mon.
<<It sounds like "ruakin" to me.>>
Then you must be a Brazilian Portuguese speaker or maybe French.
<<Maybe Joachim is the Hebrew version>>
I am certain that the name is from Hebrew origin, I don't really know how is the original version, but our Spanish form for that Hebrew name is "Joaquin", yes.
<<Ho-ah-keen>>
In fact the first sound is a lot stronger than English "H", it's more like the "ch" sound in "Loch" said in a Scottish accent.
Pete from Peru
Then you must be a Brazilian Portuguese speaker or maybe French.
<<Maybe Joachim is the Hebrew version>>
I am certain that the name is from Hebrew origin, I don't really know how is the original version, but our Spanish form for that Hebrew name is "Joaquin", yes.
<<Ho-ah-keen>>
In fact the first sound is a lot stronger than English "H", it's more like the "ch" sound in "Loch" said in a Scottish accent.
Pete from Peru
Quoting Pete : «<<It sounds like "ruakin" to me.>>
Then you must be a Brazilian Portuguese speaker or maybe French.»
Portuguese speakers from either side of the Atlantic pronounce it as "Zhooaking".
Joaquín is a Spanish name originated from Hebrew, just as José, Sara etc., and therefore should be pronounced "Khooakin".
Then you must be a Brazilian Portuguese speaker or maybe French.»
Portuguese speakers from either side of the Atlantic pronounce it as "Zhooaking".
Joaquín is a Spanish name originated from Hebrew, just as José, Sara etc., and therefore should be pronounced "Khooakin".
Loris, where are you from? Because I've heard many Brazilians pronouncing initials "r" like English "h", Honestly.
Pete from Peru
Pete from Peru
How can "Joaquín" be pronounced like "Khooakin", when a J in Spanish usually sounds like an H?
̆̆<<when a J in Spanish usually sounds like an H>>
Not really. That may be the case in the Caribbean and in many Latin American countries. But inn Spain, most of Argentina, Uruguay (and I think, Mexico) the letter "j" is usually pronounced [x]. A sound rather different from [h] and one with which anglophones have a lot of trouble (unless they happen to be Scottish).
La pronunciación española y rioplatense es:
[xoaˈkin] o [xwaˈkin].
En muchos países de latinoamérica es [hoaˈkin] o [hwaˈkin].
Not really. That may be the case in the Caribbean and in many Latin American countries. But inn Spain, most of Argentina, Uruguay (and I think, Mexico) the letter "j" is usually pronounced [x]. A sound rather different from [h] and one with which anglophones have a lot of trouble (unless they happen to be Scottish).
La pronunciación española y rioplatense es:
[xoaˈkin] o [xwaˈkin].
En muchos países de latinoamérica es [hoaˈkin] o [hwaˈkin].
Gabriel, I'm a little confused. Can you explain what you mean when you say that in Spanish, the letter J is pronounced like x. As for the name "Joaquin", I've only heard it pronounced with the J sounding like an H. I'm from the United States, and that's mostly where I've heard this pronunciation. Is the J that sounds like X referring to the X as in the Spanish pronunciation of "México"? Also, I'm wondering what you mean when you say, anglophones would have trouble with that pronunciation unless they were Scottish. Can you please explain that for me?
Certainly, Annabelle, I can explain myself a little further. When I said that in many places, the regular pronunciation of "j" (and "g" before "e" and "i") is [x] I was using X-SAMPA. I did not mean the sound that the LETTER x regularly has in English (which, in X-SAMPA, would be [ks]). I was referring to the sound at the end of Scottish LOCH (which by the way explains why I said that the Scottish would find it particularly easy to produce). It's a friction sound made at the back of the mouth (technically, a voiceless velar fricative). It's much stronger than the English H sound.
As you said, it occurs in "Mexico" as wells. Here's a list of some words with [x] followed by a link in which I pronounce all those words, first with [x] as I would normally do, then with [h] as some speakers in Latin America do.
Joaquín
Canjear
Jalea
Caja
México
Registro
http://media.putfile.com/Words-with-x
As you said, it occurs in "Mexico" as wells. Here's a list of some words with [x] followed by a link in which I pronounce all those words, first with [x] as I would normally do, then with [h] as some speakers in Latin America do.
Joaquín
Canjear
Jalea
Caja
México
Registro
http://media.putfile.com/Words-with-x
What is Canjear?
What is Jalea?
and what is Caja?
You're right, when I listened carefully, the two pronunciations of each word, especially México and Joaquín, sounded different to me. Is one of the pronunciations an example of Castillian Spanish, and the other Latin American Spanish?
What is Jalea?
and what is Caja?
You're right, when I listened carefully, the two pronunciations of each word, especially México and Joaquín, sounded different to me. Is one of the pronunciations an example of Castillian Spanish, and the other Latin American Spanish?
Canjear: To exchange, to trade, to swap.
Jalea: Jam.
Caja: Box
Latin American accents are varied, and cannot be lumped together in a single standard. Many Latin American accents have the [x] sound (including River Plate Spanish, my own dialect) but some others (mainly in the Caribbean I think) have the [h] sound. Most accents in Spain have the [x] sound, some (especially in southern Spain) have [h].
Jalea: Jam.
Caja: Box
Latin American accents are varied, and cannot be lumped together in a single standard. Many Latin American accents have the [x] sound (including River Plate Spanish, my own dialect) but some others (mainly in the Caribbean I think) have the [h] sound. Most accents in Spain have the [x] sound, some (especially in southern Spain) have [h].
What is River Plate Spanish? Is it like the "modern sort" of Spanish that is spoken in Spain? Also, what is "Registro"? If the name Joaquín is pronounced like you said it is, I wonder if the name Joachim sounds similar when pronounced.