Toronto Zoo finally reveals panda cubs' names, people butcher pronunciation
Panda cubs named Jia Panpan, which means Canadian Hope, and Jia Yueyue, which means Canadian Joy
What's in a name?
Or more to the point, what's in the pronunciation of a name, especially when it belongs to a panda?
The world found out the names of the Toronto Zoo's giant panda cubs on Monday, as they made their official debut almost six months after they were born.
The male cub is named Jia Panpan (meaning Canadian Hope), and his sister is Jia Yueyue (Canadian Joy)
Naturally, everyone from news reporters to zoo spokespersons butchered the pronunciation of their Chinese names.
So, how do you pronounce the names?
According to CBC radio producer Lu Zhou, the easiest pronunciation for those unfamiliar with Chinese:
- Jia Panpan 加 盼 盼 is pronounced "GEE-YA pan-pan"
- Jia Yueyue 加 悦 悦is pronounced "GEE-YA YOU-eh YOU-eh"
"People put so much thought into the names. It has such deep meaning to everyone who has come up with it," Zhou said. "There is a nuanced subtlety that is very important for us to capture."
The Toronto Zoo also has an audio recording of the correct pronunciation of the names on its website.
