How to pronounce hummus

  • Thread starter Thread starter Leonidas
  • Start date Start date
L

Leonidas

Guest
I see most websites instruct you to say the 'h' as you would normally use the letter in English but I've often heard people pronounce the 'h' as a more gutteral sound like 'gh'.

I also hear it with words like 'Hamas' and 'Hezbollah'.

Does it come down to a difference between Jewish and Arabic pronunications?
 
Yes like Hamas. But you're probably saying Hamas incorrectly too. It's not a gh sound, a throaty H rather.
What does Jewish pronunciation have to do with an Arabic word?
 
Leonidas said:
I see most websites instruct you to say the 'h' as you would normally use the letter in English but I've often heard people pronounce the 'h' as a more gutteral sound like 'gh'.

I also hear it with words like 'Hamas' and 'Hezbollah'.

Does it come down to a difference between Jewish and Arabic pronunications?
Click to expand...

English pronunciation, just like Paris is said differently in French or Mexico in Spanish. If saying Hummus in Yiddish, I assume its with the guttural h.
 
abzo said:
Yes like Hamas. But you're probably saying Hamas incorrectly too. It's not a gh sound, a throaty H rather.
What does Jewish pronunciation have to do with an Arabic word?
Click to expand...

They are pretty much at each others throats more often than not. I'm sure the enemy's military entities are part of the Jews' vocabulary.
 
Hoemoes (like the Afrikaans 'hoe'). That's how I say it.

I'm not too bothered about the right way to say words. I know you're meant to say Xhosa with the click in it but I feel more comfortable saying Khoza (with a 'k').
 
Its Gumus like Afrikaans naam Gerhard.....

In Herbrew anyway... and in Arabic its about the same...
 
herbertk said:
Its Gumus like Afrikaans naam Gerhard.....
Click to expand...

But is the 'g' sound from all the Semitic languages or just from some?

Why doesn't this forum automatically resize pics. I've seen it on other forums.

2000px-Semitic_1st_AD.svg.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Leonidas said:
But is the 'g' sound from all the Semitic languages or just from some?

2000px-Semitic_1st_AD.svg.png
Click to expand...

I only know of Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic and the g sound is the same... was a distinct advantage for me learning as the pronunciation was much easier for me as I am Afrikaans speaking. Caught me out a few times when I could pronounce perfectly and was mistaken for a native speaker and pulled into a conversation I did not understand half of! haha
 
I've always pronounced it *prepares phlegm in throat* "Gggghhhgghghgggghhummus".

It's very important to prepare the phlegm, you use it to vibrate and get the "Gggghhhgghghggggh" part just right. After pronouncing the word you should spit the phlegm out, as it's vocal assistance capabilities are now spent.

You're welcome for the mental picture.
 
TehStranger said:
I've always pronounced it *prepares phlegm in throat* "Gggghhhgghghgggghhummus".

It's very important to prepare the phlegm, you use it to vibrate and get the "Gggghhhgghghggggh" part just right. After pronouncing the word you should spit the phlegm out, as it's vocal assistance capabilities are now spent.

You're welcome for the mental picture.
Click to expand...

Goeie Gross Gawie hahaha
 
Correct pronunciation, I would say, phonetically, is Ghoemiss.

Gh as in the Afrikaans geel (yelllow). Oe, with more emphasis on the o then the e almost as in "sjoe". Miss as in miss.
 
PostmanPot said:
Correct pronunciation, I would say, phonetically, is Ghoemiss.

Gh as in the Afrikaans geel (yelllow). Oe, with more emphasis on the o then the e almost as in "sjoe". Miss as in miss.
Click to expand...

Yup sounds about right, the way I heard it most in Israel (fom Herbrew speakers) was with the end also an oe sound like in sjoe...
 
Leonidas said:
I see most websites instruct you to say the 'h' as you would normally use the letter in English but I've often heard people pronounce the 'h' as a more gutteral sound like 'gh'.

I also hear it with words like 'Hamas' and 'Hezbollah'.

Does it come down to a difference between Jewish and Arabic pronunications?
Click to expand...

Humus (its pronunciation and otherwise) is one of the few things that Jews and Arabs seem to universally agree upon ;)
Apart from that, to hear its correct pronunciation and uses, just watch You Don't Mess With The Zohan - Sandler has it down.
 
herbertk said:
Yup sounds about right, the way I heard it most in Israel (fom Herbrew speakers) was with the end also an oe sound like in sjoe...
Click to expand...

True about the end with an [sj]'oe' sound, more that than [m]'i'[ss]. I would imagine the latter 'oe' emphasis would be more like the Israeli/Middle Eastern way of pronunciation...?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X