How do you pronounce 'Hylotl'

To be fair, it's also a stereotype, but, like most stereotypes, based on observations. Whether it's offensive or not depends on how it's used and how it's perceived. Still, to quote Avenue Q, "Everyone's a little bit racist".

 

It wasn't much of a joke, it was a legit observation regarding their name.
But to be fair, i don't generally understand life and society, so sure, the name is fine as is, i was just reminded of Dragon Quest and how the name Loto is also Roto.
To sum it up, i guess the name isn't wrong either way.
Also, love and huggles for enlightening me.

 

I don't think it was stereotyping, i think it was a very valid question. If the Hylotl are so influenced by Japan, wouldn't it be logical for the name to be easily pronounced by all Japanese people?

 

The text in this game is based in English. So if it were translated into another language, the translators would be tasked with creating appropriate words to replace the made up words in the game like Hylotl, Novakid, etc.

Ironically, this very thread asks how the community thinks the word "Hylotl" is pronounced, and it's doing so in the realm of an English based forum. (The community rules ask that we maintain discussion in English for moderation purposes). I'm not educated in English to Japanese translation of made-up words, so I really can't begin to guess how the word would be translated into a word using the sounds in the Japanese language.

 

Hi-LOE-til.

 

Hylotl... Hy-lo-tle... xD

 

In romaji (so you all can kind of read it) it would probably be hairotoru (ハイロトル）. The Japanese language uses a much smaller sound set than English, so while "Engrish" is a stereotype, from my interactions with Japanese people it is quite accurate. For example, what we pronounce fʌl (full) most Japanese pronounce furu (roughly, don't know the IPA for Japanese sounds specifically.)

haɪladl̩ is how I do it. With a diphthong and a syllabic. IPA really is very helpful for even just understanding pronunciation. I'm quite glad I learned it back in 9th grade.

Edit: realized that it's really more of a d sound than a t sound when I say it.

 

Thank you for posting, this is quite helpful.

However, while I agree that a fine IPA would help loosen the tongue in order to attempt difficult pronunciations, I think that drinking alcoholic beverages is not something for 9th graders.

 

No it would not as catering to an accent peculiarity is stereotyping. Not to mention that an Asian themed race is not specifically designed for Asian people, that would be racial profiling.

My girlfriend pronounces it Hyroto, but she is saying Hylotl to the best of her ability and need not be reminded that it's slightly different to what she is saying. The problem is not in how they pronounce it, it's in the perception that they are saying it wrong in the first place.
She will play Floran anyway which she calls Froran.

I asked her what the names should be changed to if the game was translated in to Japanese and she asked why they would need to be changed anyway. Remember they love things that branch away from the norm just like everyone else

 

Don't know how to pronounce "Hylotl"?

Just call them, "hi lol".

 

I'm guessing this is more a semantic difference. There is no way to put literally "hylotl" into the Japanese alphabet, just as certain Japanese sounds have no perfect English counterpart. The Japanese characters you would use to write the names would direct you to a different pronunciation than the western alphabet does. I assume you understand this, but there is no way to perfectly put the "man" syllable from "human," the "x" sound from "apex," the "lotl" part of "hylotl," any of "floran," the "v" or "an" part of "avian," etc. etc. into the Japanese alphabet. But I guess it's fair to say that that is not changing the word, just like we haven't "changed" karaoke, even though it is a Japanese word originally pronounced kɑrɑokɜ. Other examples would be things like kimono or ninja. We didn't change the words, but we changed how they're said.

Don't get the alcohol joke :/ weee just 17 here

 

IDK about your school, but they taught it in mine. They even made a tasteless joke about it.

I pronounce it "Hairatoru" because lol Engrish.

 

Basically yes.
You see it a lot in Japanese games that have themes from other races and cultures from various times. Though slightly different in pronunciation, the general word is kept to the best of their ability.
(Look at FFVII, despite the differences in how Cloud Strife is written and pronounced, they know it's Cloud Strife regardless)

 

I've been pronouncing it more or less like: Hyo(He-yo) Toll.

Sure its wrong, but i like it better so probably will stick with it whether or not its the official way.

 

Well... I am always saying it a German way... kind of...

Hy would be " Hü " (ü sounds like the y in "gym")
lot would be " loht " (so a long "o")
l would be " ell " (well.. just the letter I guess)

Seems I was wrong and have to learn it right. I am not surprised.

 

I always to said it Hi-low-teal

 

Huh, I didn't realize that there were so many different pronunciations. Still, it can never get as bad as "Suicune"...

 

YUS! I WAS RIGHT.

 

Oh my god... The number of times I have tried to pronounce that word... what does it even mean?!

 

It's a name of a pokemon. Possibly the worst pronounced name in the entire franchise, for some reason. As I understand it to be, it's "Swee-", as in like "sweet", and "-coon", as in like "racoon". Swee-coon. Rayquaza is pretty badly done too.