Pakistan pronunciation.

[br d]

Why do I keep hearing radio presenters (from several different stations) saying 'Parkistan'? Is it an accepted pronunciation of the word or are they just terrified of those first two syllables?
All the Pakistanis I have spoken to say 'Pakistan'.

Any Pakistanis care to enlighten me please?

[Digga]

br d said:

Why do I keep hearing radio presenters (from several different stations) saying 'Parkistan'? Is it an accepted pronunciation of the word or are they just terrified of those first two syllables?
All the Pakistanis I have spoken to say 'Pakistan'.

Any Pakistanis care to enlighten me please?

I noted this a year or two back. Seems to be "newspeak" to me.

Gordon Brown used the pronunciation in perhaps its most exaggerated form. It does seem to be a long way round saying the first two, obvious syllables.

[TheEnd]

The Urdu pronunciation is with the long a.

[br d]

TheEnd said:

The Urdu pronunciation is with the long a.

Fair enough, just thought it might be some PC nonsense.

My friend and his brothers use the short a. They speak both Urdu and Gujarati (one Indian parent one Pakistani).

[TheEnd]

Part of it would be the accent on top too. You'd probably see it more on Pakistani TV etc.


Edit - just remembered how the female BBC newsreaders in particular always say "Nicolas Sarkozy" by putting on an Allo Allo comedy accent for his surname.

Edited by TheEnd on Friday 20th January 16:10

[just me]

There's no r, but that is the correct way to pronounce it, last a is stretched out too. Pawkistawn... Same with Afghanistan. In fat, all the "stans" should be pronounced like that, including Hindustan, another name for India.