Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Variants? Variations? Versions?

  1. #1
    Старший оракул
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ukraine
    Posts
    844
    Rep Power
    14

    Variants? Variations? Versions?

    Let us suppose that a word can be pronounced in more ways than one. What are these pronunciations - variants, variations or versions?

  2. #2
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    341
    Rep Power
    13

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    Quote Originally Posted by E-learner
    Let us suppose that a word can be pronounced in more ways than one. What are these pronunciations - variants, variations or versions?
    Variant pronunciations or alternate pronunciations or acceptable pronunciations.

    Variation is fine.

    Version is incorrect.

  3. #3
    Почётный участник
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    74
    Rep Power
    12

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    All are acceptable in this context but as a Brit I would use variation. (I assume you are just talking about the different ways people choose to pronounce the same word - rather than about the area of homographs and heteronyms..eg lead.)
    BTW I know the variation between the long a and short a in words such as grass, castle etc in British English confuses some non-native English speakers. It is mainly a geographical thing with the south using the long and the north using the short.

  4. #4
    Завсегдатай
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Ukraine
    Posts
    5,073
    Rep Power
    25

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    I don't get the question.

  5. #5
    Завсегдатай sperk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    США
    Posts
    2,285
    Rep Power
    16

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    They're just called different pronunciations. The word aunt can be pronounced like "ant" or like "ont." The different pronunciations are not referred to as versions, variations or variants.
    Кому - нары, кому - Канары.

  6. #6
    Завсегдатай
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Russland
    Posts
    9,874
    Rep Power
    22

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    Quote Originally Posted by sperk
    They're just called different pronunciations. The word aunt can be pronounced like "ant" or like "ont." The different pronunciations are not referred to as versions, variations or variants.
    В русском мы можем сказать "варианты произношения".
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

  7. #7
    Почётный участник
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    74
    Rep Power
    12

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    Quote Originally Posted by paulb
    Quote Originally Posted by E-learner
    Let us suppose that a word can be pronounced in more ways than one. What are these pronunciations - variants, variations or versions?
    Variant pronunciations or alternate pronunciations or acceptable pronunciations.

    Variation is fine.

    Version is incorrect.
    Variant can be a stand alone noun....
    Why is version wrong in this context? It simply means a form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing: eg the US version of vehicle has 3 syllables rather than the 2 of British English...
    2 and 3 syllable variants of the word factory are equally acceptable.

  8. #8
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    341
    Rep Power
    13

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    [quote=Dave T]
    Quote Originally Posted by paulb
    Quote Originally Posted by "E-learner":2n1s0330
    Let us suppose that a word can be pronounced in more ways than one. What are these pronunciations - variants, variations or versions?
    Variant pronunciations or alternate pronunciations or acceptable pronunciations.

    Variation is fine.

    Version is incorrect.
    Variant can be a stand alone noun....
    Why is version wrong in this context? It simply means a form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing: eg the US version of vehicle has 3 syllables rather than the 2 of British English...
    2 and 3 syllable variants of the word factory are equally acceptable.[/quote:2n1s0330]

    It's wrong because I have never once in my life heard someone refer to differing pronunciations as "versions". E-learner was asking what the English term is, and I'm not going to suggest something that is completely outside of common usage.

  9. #9
    Почётный участник
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    74
    Rep Power
    12

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    Oh I see Paulb. It is wrong because you haven't heard it used and therefore it is outside (of) common usage. I stand corrected!
    So far as I know there is no particular term to describe the different ways different people pronounce the same word so therefore any of the suggested synonyms can do the job - including the closest translation of the Russian term ie variant.
    As suggested by Sperk, most people would talk of differences in pronunciation or other ways of pronunciation
    / different pronunciations or other pronunciations.

  10. #10
    Старший оракул
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ukraine
    Posts
    844
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    Thanks.

    Quote Originally Posted by Оля
    Quote Originally Posted by sperk
    They're just called different pronunciations. The word aunt can be pronounced like "ant" or like "ont." The different pronunciations are not referred to as versions, variations or variants.
    В русском мы можем сказать "варианты произношения".
    Yes, that was what I had in mind. As in
    "Это британский вариант."
    "Словарь даёт этот вариант как основной."
    "Возможны разные варианты произношения этого слова."

    I'm aware that by rephrasing you can avoid "вариант" in English altogether, as well as in Russian, but I was specifically interested in direct translation of this word, unless it is really awkward.

  11. #11
    DDT
    DDT is offline
    Завсегдатай DDT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    I have given up the Gambling, the Wine and the Cows!.. I'm in St Petersburg Russia
    Posts
    3,368
    Rep Power
    17

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    variance, form, type?
    Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself. - Chief Joseph, Nez Perce

  12. #12
    Завсегдатай chaika's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Чапелхилловка, NC USA
    Posts
    1,986
    Rep Power
    19

    Re: Variants? Variations? Versions?

    eh-kanomik - eekanomik, ant - ont
    Variant/alternate/alternative pronunciations. But not variants. "variant" is a "false friend" translation of вариант. And we usually use "alternate" or "alternative". I would not call them "versions" either.

Similar Threads

  1. Variants of EL
    By colonist in forum Practice your English
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: February 26th, 2009, 04:08 PM
  2. How many variations of one word?
    By Plotin in forum Getting Started with Russian
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: October 19th, 2008, 04:57 AM
  3. Variations du langage parlé
    By mrbelod in forum French
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: May 16th, 2004, 09:04 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary