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Goktimus Prime

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This thread is for the discussion of phonetics relating to Transformer words. :)

 

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I have two questions - just curious to see how people are pronouncing these words...

 

#1) Scourge

Who pronounces it as:

* /skɜ;dʒ/ ("scurge") rhyming with "purge" or "surge, or do you pronounce it as...

* /skɔ;dʒ/ ("scorge") rhyming with "forge" or "gorge."

For me, I pronounce it as "scorge" when I'm using it as the Transformer name, but I say "scurge" when I'm using it as a regular word. Technically it should be pronounced as "scurge," but I say "scorge" if I'm talking about any Transformer with that name. <shrug>

 

#2) Transformers

I've always placed the stress on the second syllable, so I say "transFORMers", and every Australian I've spoken to pronounces it that way -- but I find that when listening to some Americans speak on DVD interviews and commentaries, there's an inconsistency. Some Yanks place the stress on the second syllable like we do, but sometimes I hear them place the stress on the first syllable and say "TRANSformers." :eek: -- but then when they use the verb "transform," they say "transFORM"... I don't think I've ever heard anyone from anywhere say "TRANSform."

 

And in the Transformers Prime DVD, some people, including one of the Hasbro staffers, didn't seem able to make up his mind as to where the stress should fall! At one point he'd say "TRANSformers," but then later on he'd say "transFORMers"... :eek: I can understand different people having variant pronunciations -- regional accent differences or what not (or as TFP Ratchet would say, "hwat not" ;)), but usually people are consistent within their own accent!

 

According to dictionary.com and the Cambridge dictionary web site, the stress is meant to fall on the second syllable. Which means that I (and everyone else I've ever met) has been pronouncing it correctly. But why do some people (seemingly some Americans) put the stress on the first syllable? Here's my theory...

The word transform is pronounced as transFORM when used as a verb (e.g. "transform to robot mode"), but TRANSform when used as a noun (e.g. "binomial and integral transforms are types of mathetical transforms"), but AFAIK all words that use transform as a morpheme place the stress on "form" (e.g. Transformer, transformation, transforming, transformable etc.).

 

I mean, whenever you wear lines like, "Autobots, transform!," or "Decepticons, transform!" etc., it's pronounced as "transFORM." How weird would it sound if Optimus Prime said, "TRANSform and roll out!" :rolleyes: So I personally don't understand the logic of pronouncing Transformers as "TRANSformers."

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  • 2 weeks later...

This thread is for the discussion of phonetics relating to Transformer words. :)

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

I have two questions - just curious to see how people are pronouncing these words...

 

#1) Scourge

Who pronounces it as:

* /skɜ;dʒ/ ("scurge") rhyming with "purge" or "surge, or do you pronounce it as...

* /skɔ;dʒ/ ("scorge") rhyming with "forge" or "gorge."

For me, I pronounce it as "scorge" when I'm using it as the Transformer name, but I say "scurge" when I'm using it as a regular word. Technically it should be pronounced as "scurge," but I say "scorge" if I'm talking about any Transformer with that name. <shrug>

 

#2) Transformers

I've always placed the stress on the second syllable, so I say "transFORMers", and every Australian I've spoken to pronounces it that way -- but I find that when listening to some Americans speak on DVD interviews and commentaries, there's an inconsistency. Some Yanks place the stress on the second syllable like we do, but sometimes I hear them place the stress on the first syllable and say "TRANSformers." :eek: -- but then when they use the verb "transform," they say "transFORM"... I don't think I've ever heard anyone from anywhere say "TRANSform."

 

And in the Transformers Prime DVD, some people, including one of the Hasbro staffers, didn't seem able to make up his mind as to where the stress should fall! At one point he'd say "TRANSformers," but then later on he'd say "transFORMers"... :eek: I can understand different people having variant pronunciations -- regional accent differences or what not (or as TFP Ratchet would say, "hwat not" ;)), but usually people are consistent within their own accent!

 

According to dictionary.com and the Cambridge dictionary web site, the stress is meant to fall on the second syllable. Which means that I (and everyone else I've ever met) has been pronouncing it correctly. But why do some people (seemingly some Americans) put the stress on the first syllable? Here's my theory...

The word transform is pronounced as transFORM when used as a verb (e.g. "transform to robot mode"), but TRANSform when used as a noun (e.g. "binomial and integral transforms are types of mathetical transforms"), but AFAIK all words that use transform as a morpheme place the stress on "form" (e.g. Transformer, transformation, transforming, transformable etc.).

 

I mean, whenever you wear lines like, "Autobots, transform!," or "Decepticons, transform!" etc., it's pronounced as "transFORM." How weird would it sound if Optimus Prime said, "TRANSform and roll out!" :rolleyes: So I personally don't understand the logic of pronouncing Transformers as "TRANSformers."

Actually, according to the Webster's dictionary, there are times when you emphasize the first syllable in Transform, pronouncing it transform instead of transform. It is when the word is used as a noun instead of as a verb. For example, the Autobot commander transformed into his transform and rolled out.

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Dude, you'll lose your mind trying to account for every possible variations. In North America there are a ton of different variations on the English language.

 

example: Maine, Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia are some dialects I'm familiar with but I know theres many more.

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