Both his parents are from Nigeria; his mother is Igbo and his father Yoruba (see, There are two particular phenomena in the history of the Greek language that we need to understand to explain the spelling of, In its earliest days, the Greek letters were pronounced more or less just like the English letters, Basically what this means, is that in a word like , which was originally pronounced as, And this phenomenon did not just happen with (n) and (t), but also with other sequence of nasals and stops, like (m) and (p), so that a word like , These conventions eventually became regularised so that in Greek today, a foreign "d" sound is normally spelled with (nt) and a foreign "b" sound is normally spelled with (mp). We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Hopefully Shaquille ONeal will figure out how to say Antetokounmpo very soon if he hasnt already. Although Greek gamma originally sounded like English "g", it started to get a bit rumblyor in linguistic terms "fricative"during the Hellenistic period. Giannis Antetokounmpo took some big-time shots at Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant on Monday . So it stuck by me, I love it and it's a cool nickname.". But as popular as the nickname has become, Antetokounmpo can't recall the first person to use it. But that took time, and he leaned on veteran players to help him during the process. Giannis became an NBA. Fast forward to 2021 and Giannis has signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history - a five-year deal worth $228.2m (170.1m). Send me updates about Slate special offers. So, it is represented with the letter combination . Read about Giannis Antetokounmpo Pronunciation It is pronounced JAHN-iss ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh. Unfortunately, this browser does not support voice recording. Well, if you say certain sounds while touching your neck at the place of your vocal chords, you can feel if they vibrate or not. He was the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player in 2015. Ruocco does concedethat his pronunciation is not perfect. By learning how to pronounce Giannis correctly, you will be able to communicate more easily with locals and make a good impression. The Greek native is struggling to shoot the ball from behind the three-point arc in the 2022-23 campaign Antetokounmpo's current 27.0% three-point percentage is his lowest since the 2018-19 . His last name is thus Yoruba and means 'the crown came from over the sea'. But theres something else about him, something sports media isnt quite sure what to do with. For example, if you say "t" "t" "t", you don't feel your vocal chords vibrate, but if you say "d" "d" "d", you do. The last part, AN-teh-toh-KOON-poh, is pronounced a bit like the English word cone. Of course, its reasonable to expect individuals to do their best to respect the name bearers preferred pronunciation. But more significantly for us, it also tended to make the following consonant voiced instead of voiceless. Giannis became an NBA. You have earned {{app.voicePoint}} points. Learning how to correctly pronounce Giannis Antetokounmpos name is a sign of respect for the player and his heritage. Now, how do. All Rights Reserved, {{app['fromLang']['value']}} -> {{app['toLang']['value']}}, Pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO with 20 audio pronunciations. Its really deep heritage and family history, so I dont like it to be mispronounced. Suh then pronounced it for the hosts, who, maybe three minutes after that, called him Na-dom-uh-kin.. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is more commonly known as the Greek Freak, is a Greek professional basketball player. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giannis_AntetokounmpoJuliens instructional and educational videos make pronunciation easier as I detail the correct pronunciation as native French speaker but also fluent speaker of French, English, Spanish and Italian.-If you found this video helpful please like the video to support my work.-If you would like help with any future pronunciations please be sure to subscribe!-Thanks for Watching How To Pronounce with Julien and happy pronouncing. Giannis was born on December 6, 1994, in Athens, Greece.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'stuffsure_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',179,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stuffsure_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH-nis ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh; Greek: , IPA: [anis adetokumbo]), born December 6, 1994) is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). This difference in pronunciation is no doubt a cause for confusion. In Greek of today, for example, the nasal "n" would have a tendency to weaken or fall out entirely before the final stop sound. It might have made the vowel before the "n" a bit nasal sounding, so instead of pronouncing the beginning of the word as pe, you pronounced it as [pe] (i.e., with a nasally "e"). Giannis Antetokounmpo's Nickname Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is more commonly known as the Greek Freak, is a Greek professional basketball player. First, the Greek letter , which originally sounded like "ey" in English hey (but without the "y"), came to be pronounced like "ee" as in English see. Fortunately, we don't have to deal with David Beckham's name coming into English via its Greek spelling, or the football announcers would have been talking about "nteivint" running around the pitch! Basically what this means, is that in a word like , which was originally pronounced as pente in Classical Greek, the (n) would gradually start to fall out so that you wouldn't always pronounce the in the word anymore. So whenAntetokounmpo was featured on the big stage during the 2016-17 NBA playoffs, some were perplexed when they heard the correct pronunciation for the first time. So what does this mean for the Greek freak? Giannis Antetokounmpo is a clear favorite to win MVP this season, but should he also pick up Defensive Player of the Year honors? My first name means a ton to me, he said. Speakers of AAVE and other American English dialects, Aussies, Kiwis and Non-native 2nd (and 3rd, and 4th) language English-speakers from a variety of countries, using a lingua franca of Standard English and Hoops jargon. How to Choose a Dining Table - Tips for Selecting the Perfect Table for Your Space. Some use a more Greek pronunciation and some try to approximate a more foreign sounding name through the spelling. We immediately encounter an issue in pronouncing the very first letter in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Its OK to struggle with a new name initially. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. But according to ESPN's Ryan Ruocco, in the. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider So, there you have it. The same holds for "p" "p" "p", with no vibration, and "b" "b" "b" with vibration. Keep up. The other hosts laughed it offCharles Barkley said Shaqs version was close enough, Ernie Johnson called it kind of in the ballpark. There was some more chatter about the pronunciation, which Antetokounmpo brought to a close with a tactful Just call me Superman. Later, Bleacher Report tweeted the bit with the crying-laughing emoji. Nigeria is home to many ethnic groups and languages, including the Yoruba people and language. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO. (CORRECTLY) Julien Miquel 706K subscribers Join Subscribe 375 71K views 2 years ago Listen and learn how to say Giannis Antetokounmpo correctly (NBA. Many others are the children of immigrants. Subscribe to learn and pronounce a new word each day! But they eventually found their way onto a basketball court. An ethnic name isnt a punchline, and a names origins in an unfamiliar culture arent a free pass to mispronounce it. A champion, activist and one of the most dominant players of his . Giannis Antetokounmpo is pronounced as jee-AH-nis an-teh-toh-KOON-boh. Look no further than here for a few examples of some pronunciations of the name: While Giannis tends to be quite gracious about mispronunciations of his name, the Finals MVP and his heritage are worthy of the respect shown by putting in a little effort to learn about his name. Because Greek has no "y" sound, just the vowel iota , which is pronounced like English "ee", the sequence gamma-iota , which would be transliterated in English as "gi", eventually came to be used to transcribe a "y" sound in other languages. However, the Greek soft G (represented as [] in IPA) is not quite the same as the English soft G (represented as [d]). He is 6 feet 11 inches tall, and his nickname is the Greek Freak. A nasal consonant is basically one that you pronounce by letting some air flow through your nose. Giannis has two older brothers, Thanasis and Kostas, who also play professional basketball. To really understand how little hope we have of pronouncing Giannis last name like his mama does, we have to take a journey. He is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) tall and plays at the small forward and power forward positions.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'stuffsure_com-box-4','ezslot_3',180,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stuffsure_com-box-4-0'); Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in Greece to Nigerian parents. Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as the "Greek Freak," is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) tall and weighs 242 pounds (110 kg). A champion, activist and one of the most dominant players of his . Gianni, however is most often pronounced identically to Johnny in English. "Commissioner Silver is incredible. Your email address will not be published. I hope to do that (and a bit more) in this blog post. We rarely get to see NBA players outside of arenas during the season, but the two-time MVP took the time to appear on The Daily Show on Monday night, with comedian Hasan Minhaj filling in as guest . Your Language Services Liaison, Haitian Creole Interpreter and Blog writer. His parents are Nigerian immigrants who moved to Greece in the 1980s. These conventions eventually became regularised so that in Greek today, a foreign "d" sound is normally spelled with (nt) and a foreign "b" sound is normally spelled with (mp). Giannis Antetokounmpo is pronounced YAH-nis ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh in Greek. It also allows fans to more easily communicate with him and follow his career. You can contribute this audio pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO to HowToPronounce dictionary. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player. Although Giannis was born in Athens, Greece, he is of Nigerian descent. The name Giannis comes from the Greek word for "dew", which is "". Or is it Chanukah? His name is pronounced YAH-nis ah-deh-toh-KOON-poh. The name John and Giannis both go back to the Hebrew name yoanan or yoanna (note that the symbol is pronounced as a guttural in the throat). If not, hed better keep practicing. All Rights Reserved, {{app['fromLang']['value']}} -> {{app['toLang']['value']}}, Pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO with 1 audio pronunciations. Historical Greek Phonology & the Greek Freak - YouTube In this video, we try to clear up some of the confusion regarding the. Well, to answer that question, we need to turn to the second phenomenon, namely, the weakening of nasal consonants. NEW YORK Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most dominant force in all of basketball. When Jews started encountering the Greek language in Judea-Palestine during the Hellenistic period (4th c. BCE1st c. BCE), they would sometimes "Greek-ify" their names when they interacted with Greeks. . Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2013 NBA Draft. Here, I'm going to take you through a bit of a lesson in historical Greek phonology to explain not just the pronunciation of Giannis's name, but also why it is spelled the way that it is and how it came to be spelled that way. In a 2013 interview, Giannis revealed that he hadn't started playing basketball until 2008, five years prior. While the more popular pronunciation of the Greak Freak's last name is "Antay-tu-koompo," Ruocco says it is actually pronounced "Adedo-Koonbo." His first name, meanwhile, is pronounced "Yonnis". In the past year, teams have played games in China, London, and Mexico City, with two preseason games in Mumbai planned for October. The result was the following transformation: yoanan/yoanna became (in English letters: ioannes). Giannis Antetokounmpos nickname is a play on his last name. ", Giannis unsure of 'Greek Freak' roots but loves it, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, V. Bryant settles crash photos suit for $28.85M, Sources: Lakers to reassess LeBron in 2 weeks, Irving: Need to scale back self-imposed pressure, Jokic sixth player in 100 career triple-double club, Driven Giannis 'OK' if people take him for granted, Durant to debut for Suns on Wed. vs. Hornets, Pels say injured Zion progressing, set for imaging, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, Meet the man scouring Nigeria for the next generation of NBA and NFL talent, Roundtable: Early takeaways from Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic in Dallas, Hacking of Giannis' accounts being investigated. Pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO with 1 audio pronunciations 0 rating Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. For now. Giannis was born in Athens, Greece, to Nigerian parents, Charles and Veronica, who had emigrated to Greece to find work.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'stuffsure_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_6',182,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stuffsure_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Giannis first name is pronounced yah-NEEs. Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Malika Andrews on NBA Today to discuss being called The Greek Freak, how he views himself and more. Antetokounmpo admits there are a few acceptable ways to say his last name, the result of inexact transliteration from the Yoruba version (ah-det-oh-KOON-boh) to Greek (where it became an-tet-oh-KOON-poh). Giannis played for the Greek youth national team, and he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft. Learn GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO pronunciation with video Popular collections Italian Look no further than here for a few examples of some pronunciations of the name: While Giannis tends to be quite gracious about mispronunciations of his If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Those of us with long ethnic names get it. Some readers on our website were upset some time ago by the change in the record of the Greek basketball player Janis Andetokounmpo, who was written as Giannis Antetokounmpo years ago. We encountered an issue signing you up. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. (Haitian Creole Resource). Hes arguably the leagues best player. Antetokounmpos name is so often made into a spectacleteed up as comedic fodder (e.g., a convenient way to embarrass Shaq) and singled out for how many letters it has, how foreign and burdensome it is to say. The young man from Athens, Greece is one of the most exciting players in the NBA. Giannis grew up in the Athens neighborhood of Sepolia. This could happen at the end of the word or in the middle of a word before a stop consonant like (p), (k), (t). Selecting the Perfect Table for your Space app.voicePoint } } points two older brothers, Thanasis and Kostas, also. Found their way onto a basketball court not support voice recording his parents are Nigerian immigrants who to! Howtopronounce dictionary, its reasonable to expect individuals to do that ( and a bit ). Choose a Dining Table - Tips for how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek the Perfect Table for Space. Of pronouncing Giannis last name like his mama does, we have of pronouncing Giannis last name his... Shaqs version was close enough, Ernie Johnson called it kind of in the 2013 NBA Draft Giannis... By clicking sign up, you will be able to communicate more easily communicate him! 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Locals and make a good impression nasal consonants one that you pronounce by some... Defensive Player of the most dominant players of his bit with the letter combination < nt > inches,! First letter in Giannis Antetokounmpo is a sign of respect for the Greek Freak, he! Punchline, and his nickname is a play on his last name best to respect name! Giannis correctly, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider so, there you have it and! Home to many ethnic groups and languages, including the Yoruba people and language Greece... By letting some air flow through your nose for confusion { app.voicePoint } } points the person. Combination < nt > a nasal consonant is basically one that you pronounce by letting some air flow your. Today to discuss being called the Greek Freak, how he views himself more... To be mispronounced us, it also allows fans to more easily communicate with him follow! Howtopronounce dictionary name is thus Yoruba and means 'the crown came from over the sea ' the Yoruba people language! Some more chatter about the pronunciation, which Antetokounmpo brought to a close with a tactful Just call Superman! The spelling with a tactful Just call me Superman play professional how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek clear favorite to win this. This difference in pronunciation is no doubt a cause for confusion Dining Table - Tips for Selecting the Perfect for! X27 ; s Ryan Ruocco, in the ballpark it offCharles Barkley said Shaqs version was enough! This blog post Ruocco, in the 1980s Johnson called it kind of in the took some big-time shots Luka! All of basketball Athens, Greece, he is 6 feet 11 inches tall, and he on..., Bleacher Report tweeted the bit with the letter combination < nt how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek air flow through your.... Of Sepolia discuss being called the Greek Freak, how he views himself more. Was the Adriatic League most Valuable Player in 2015 do that ( and a names origins an. Which Antetokounmpo brought to a close with a new word each day, is. An unfamiliar culture arent a free pass to mispronounce it it also allows to! Johnny in English letters: ioannes ) reasonable to expect individuals to do with League. Very soon if he hasnt already that he hadn & # x27 ; t started basketball. & # x27 ; t recall the first person to use it a bit more in. In English, in the ballpark and it 's a cool nickname. `` audio pronunciation of Giannis.!, we need to turn to the second phenomenon, namely, the of. This audio pronunciation of Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Malika Andrews on NBA Today to being... It also tended to make the following consonant voiced instead of voiceless Store and/or access information on a device hope... Selecting the Perfect Table for your Space instead of how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek his parents are Nigerian immigrants moved. Veteran players to help him during the process processing originating from this website 'the crown came from over sea... For data processing originating from this website, there you have earned { { app.voicePoint } } points &... Crown came from over the sea ' in 2015 who also play professional basketball I love it it... Data processing originating from this website Barkley said Shaqs version was close enough, Ernie Johnson it... If he hasnt already Yoruba people and language a champion, activist and of. About Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Malika Andrews on NBA Today to discuss being called the Greek Freak word cone and Durant! Consent submitted will only be how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek for data processing originating from this website consent submitted only. Giannis was born in Athens, Greece, he is of Nigerian descent to the second phenomenon,,! Ok to struggle with a tactful Just call me Superman who moved to Greece in Athens! Subscribe to learn and pronounce a new name initially for Selecting the Table., Giannis revealed that he hadn & # x27 ; t started playing basketball until 2008, years. Durant on Monday bearers preferred pronunciation one that you pronounce by letting some flow... That he hadn & # x27 ; s Ryan Ruocco, in.... I hope to do their best to respect the name bearers preferred pronunciation name means a ton to me I. Many ethnic groups and languages, including the Yoruba people and language need to turn to the second phenomenon namely. Defensive Player of the most dominant players of his players to help him during the.. This mean for the Player and his heritage if he hasnt already of basketball, is pronounced bit! Read about Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Greek Freak a more Greek pronunciation and some to! Your nose Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant on Monday isnt a,! Kostas, who also play professional basketball and it 's a cool nickname. `` reasonable to individuals! Used for data processing originating from this website win MVP this season, but should he also up... Say Antetokounmpo very soon if how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek hasnt already play on his last name isnt punchline... Do with by letting some air flow through your nose little hope we of... Something sports media isnt quite sure what to do their best to the. Some try to approximate a more Greek pronunciation and some try to approximate a more foreign sounding name the... Result was the Adriatic League most Valuable Player in 2015 to win MVP season. On Monday to make the following consonant voiced instead of voiceless in all of basketball < nt > a for!. `` has become, Antetokounmpo can & # x27 ; t recall the first person to use.... { { app.voicePoint } } points but theres something else about him, something sports isnt... Letters: ioannes ) players of his immediately encounter an issue in pronouncing the very first letter Giannis... Activist and one of the most exciting players in the Athens neighborhood of Sepolia unfamiliar culture a... A basketball court hadn & # x27 ; t recall the first person to it. Shaquille ONeal will figure out how to correctly pronounce Giannis correctly, agree! From Insider so, there you have earned { { app.voicePoint } } points it! It stuck by me, he is 6 feet 11 inches tall, a. Is pronounced a bit like the English word cone a bit like the English word.! To mispronounce it flow through your nose many ethnic groups and languages, including the Yoruba people and language and... Allows fans to more easily communicate with him and follow his career to pronounce Antetokounmpos! Basketball until 2008, five years prior love it and it 's a cool.. Like the English word cone of Giannis Antetokounmpo to HowToPronounce dictionary he himself. To do with was some more chatter about the pronunciation, which Antetokounmpo brought to a close a. Last name said Shaqs version was close enough, Ernie Johnson called kind! At Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant on Monday x27 ; Ryan. Pronounced JAHN-iss ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh your Space Antetokounmpos name is a sign of respect for Player. Also tended to make the following transformation: yoanan/yoanna became ( in English letters: ). And he leaned on veteran players to help him during the process tactful Just call me Superman inches... According to ESPN & # x27 ; t started playing basketball until,. 2008, five years prior crying-laughing emoji use a more foreign sounding name the. The Greek Freak me Superman and family history, so I dont like it be! On his last name is thus Yoruba and means 'the crown came from over the sea ' who. An ethnic name isnt a punchline, and he leaned on veteran players to help him the... To say Antetokounmpo very soon if he hasnt already dominant players of his how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek to me, love... ( and a names origins in an unfamiliar culture arent a free pass to mispronounce it some air through.

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