It’s KYIV

[Boethius]

KAYiv in Ukrainian, KEYef in Russian.  Probably indiscernible to most non native speakers, and most would hear a "v" rather than an "f".


This post was composed without the aid of google.

[SANDRO43]

KAYiv in Ukrainian, KEYef in Russian.

So it's like CAVE, as ML said. Quite a distortion of its written form, how odd .

[msmob]

Kyiv - sounds like 'Kyyiv' and Kiev like 'Kiyev' .. according to  Google translate ..

[SANDRO43]

Kyiv - sounds like 'Kyyiv' and Kiev like 'Kiyev' .. according to  Google translate ..

Thanks, but:

- I don't think Google translate is very reliable as far as SOUNDS are concerned.
- Kyyiv. how would one pronounce  that ? The problem is that English is so unorthograhic (inconsistent in its spelling, see http://www.floriani.it/English-eng.htm for more details) to be of little use as a guide to phonetics.

I prefer to rely on 'human' advice on this .

[Boethius]

It's two syllables in Ukrainian, hence, not "CAVE".

Below is the pronunciation of Kyiv, first in Ukrainian, then in Russian, by a native speaker.

This post was composed without the aid of google.


http://vocaroo.com/i/s1SyFAm9ZKbD

[SANDRO43]

It's two syllables in Ukrainian, hence, not "CAVE". Below is the pronunciation of Kyiv, first in Ukrainian, then in Russian, by a native speaker.

Yes, I would transpose in Italian (we have vowel accents as diacritical marks, and no Ys ) as:

-UKR: Kì-iv
-RUS: Kì-ev

A disyllable with stress on the 1st syllable (Kì). No final F sound, although maybe it appears when other words follow, for an easier liaison.

[msmob]

Actually, surely having another word follow would change the name (ending )  - in Russian, surely ?   [ don't know Ukrainian well enough ]


The -ev surely DOES sound like and 'F' ...   In English I often see Smirnov transliterated as Smirnof(f) ..Stroganov / Stronganoff

 

[Boethius]

Actually, surely having another word follow would change the name (ending )  - in Russian, surely ?   [ don't know Ukrainian well enough ]

You mean cases.


Kyiv is the nominative case, so no change.  It would change in other cases, in both Ukrainian and Russian, in most cases, identically.  There is one more case in Ukrainian than there is in Russian.  Proper use is what separates the "men from the boys" among non native speakers.


This post was composed without the aid of google.

[msmob]

Thanks, Boethius!

Can you explain to this 'boy' how places names become (  I call it 'Hispanicified') with 'eh' sounds added?

I hear Russians speak of Limassol as 'Limasoleh'..

[SANDRO43]

I hear Russian speak of Limassol as 'Lissamsoleh'..

Always? Or depends on sentence, and therefore case declension?

- Limassol is...
-...in/from/to Limassol

[msmob]

Always? Or depends on sentence, and therefore case declension?

- Limassol is...
-...in/from/to Limassol

I don't know, Sandro ((

We'll wait for the cavalry to come !

[Boethius]

Thanks, Boethius!

Can you explain to this 'boy' how places names become (  I call it 'Hispanicified') with 'eh' sounds added?

I hear Russians speak of Limassol as 'Limasoleh'..

That is declensions again.  These are locative declensions -

Ukrainian - I live in Kyiv -  Я в Києві живу.
Russian - I live in Moscow - Я живу в Москве.

I mixed up the word order, as that's another thing non native speakers don't do.  The first sentence sounds more "natural" to me.

This post was composed without the aid of google.

[msmob]

THANK YOU, Boethius - can now read up and learn