On GWB’s pronunciation of Abu Ghraib. And for what it is worth, I had a Kuwaiti tell me that GWB’s pronunciation was the closest to correct. The media kept it.
Jun 18, 2004 at 11 mispronouncing:45 am
Abu Grah-Eeb is the correct pronunciation of the name of the prison. The words were transliterated from Arabic, wh/ like many languages does not combine vowels to make a new sound but rather assigns each a consistent value. A is always “ah” and I is always “ee.”
If the vowel were meant to sound like A in fate they’d have written it Grabe.
That said, it’d probably have been simpler to transliterate it Grah-Eeb for us. I’ve noticed many reporters are aware the word has two syllables but can’t bring themselves to break in the middle so say Guh-Rabe.
Remember how everyone in the media (and many on here) slapped their heads every time GW said Nuclear? The way he pronounces the word is no different than a million others in Texas and other parts of the South.
Hubby is born and bred E. Texas and a Reactor Operator - while he says nuclear “correctly” now, it took him YEARS to break his Texas accent.
Dear Leader can butcher the language, butcher the economy, butcher our military and the media gives him a pass.