When English sounds Japanese

[Jamie (K)]

It's not unusual for foreigners to coin trade names in English, with varying degrees of success or failure. Very often a native English speaker can immediately tell from hearing a trade name that foreigners made it up, especially if the Japanese created it. (The name Walkman sounded very bizarre and Japanese to us when it was first used.)

However, occasionally Americans will make up a trade name that sounds vaguely Japanese. A couple of days ago I was given a sample tube of toothpaste from a very old American company. The company name was quite familiar, but the name of the toothpaste (at least that variety of it) was "Brilliant Sparkle". It sounded to me like a name that the Japanese or Chinese had made up.

[NinaZara]

What about these:

Nissan Murano
Nissan Fairlady (I love this baby, woohoo!)
Mazda Roadster (This too!)
Nissan Note (pronounced No-to)
Nissan March
Honda Fit

etc, etc.

They look good though.

[NinaZara]

Oh, by the way, I didn't think they sound weird until my American friend told me so. I am too used to it already. Come to think of it, when I first came to Japan I did think the names of the cars unique. Weirdly enough, in Malaysia, they have different names for the same model.

[Mdenglish]

[NinaZara]

Yes, that was the reason.

[Prezbucky]

Does it sell well in Britain?
_________________
Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.

[NinaZara]

Would YOU, buy it, Tom?

Come on, look at it, isn't it just sensational?

[Yankee]

[Jamie (K)]

[MrPedantic]

A similar phenomenon is "English characters with not-quite-right names", in foreign fiction – e.g. "Johnny Thunderstorm" in Buddenbrooks.

MrP