Austria got angry?

It's very difficult for me to understand this. I hope it makes sense to you.
The Commercial Section of Austrian Embassy in Japan released an official statement that they will change the phonographic writing of Austria from オーストリア(Austria) into オーストリー (Austry) in Japanese. Why? Because people confuse Austria with Australia in the southern hemisphere、they said. Here is the statement.

Thinking of their their long history, why are they throwing out the familiar spelling in this country? I won't be able to change my writing suddenly; I studied world history with “Austria” for 12 years. And should I pronounce the country name "Austry" too, or is that only for writing? Has this only happened in Japan? I am not sure. Actually we may mistake the pronunciation or spelling of those two countries’ names, but I can't believe people confused the countries themselves. But their original name is "Osterreichs" (it's close to Austry in pronunciation); Austria is the English name, like Spain's real name is Espana. Our country name is NIPPON. “Japan” is the English name which came from Marco Polo, who called this country Cipangu (Jipangu). We have never said "please call us Japan" :-)

What do you think? I am sorry to say this, but the interesting part is Austria felt bitter that they were confused with Australia.

As an additional topic, this National frag joke is funny. Check it out.

Comments

[Kakanian]

Being austrian I honestly wonder what made them snap? Must be another case of a viennese bureocrat with too much time and too little to do.

[Marcel]

lol, i live in Germany and i can only say: our neighbors have always been a little bit strange. never mind

greez, Marcel

[gullevek]

Hmm, I am confused. I am from Austria, and I always say オーストリア and now I have to change? I think this is really stupid. It seems my embassy really has nothing to do.

I doubt many people will change anything, at least I wont.

Perhaps I should call my embassy and complain. At least all my co-workers had a good laught about it.

btw, Oesterreich is another way to write the O with the umlaut. I can't write that character here on my office Pc. sorry.

Foreign traders and makers of maps give all the international names.

Look at this.
http://www.bruce.ruiz.net/PanamaHistory/americo_vespucci.htm
Only the Unites States proudly kept this mistaken name. It is his given name, too. How strange is that?

[Mari]

Hi there
Yes Eleonora, I agree with you very much. We think it's English, but our KATAKANA English is so far from original pronounciation.

[Eleonora]

Funny enough I got interviewed in the street about it, it happened near Roppongi, last week. Not thah I was the best choice given I'm Italian, my answer was that how they are pronounced now don't cause confusion, but then it's because I know that how they are prounanced in English.

I guess the problem might be this, almost all Japanese transliterations of foreigner words are based on how English people pronounce them, very often not at all similar to the original. Far from feeling bitterness about it, but when I see maccheroni(kind of pasta) in katakana written maccaroni just because that how's is said in English...it's slightly annoying!^^

[Martin]

Sweden is スウェーデン (su-e-de-n) in katakana, based remotely on the English. It would be hilarious if the Embassy suddenly decided to change it to sound like the Swedish word, "Sverige". I think that might be too difficult to get Japanese people to learn. It is more like スウェーリエ (su-e-ri-e). Or actually スウェーリェ. Looks funny.

Great post, thanks for the laughs.

[Esther]

The flag joke was very funny. They counted the stars incorrectly on the flag of the U.S. They changed it to the number 52. We officialy have only 50 states. Even native citizens get confused about that, though, since they think that Alaska and Hawaii are numbers 51 and 52. Maybe they were making some joke about Puerto Rico or Guam or the Virgin Islands though.

[Sakurako]

thats German, but maybe you forgot the umlaut over the O?

its pronounced like, U-suteraihi. starts with U!!
it doesnt really sound like Austry...