Talk:mbira

A/an

How do words like mbira and mridangam work with "a/an" in English? A mbira, an mbira? 2A00:23C5:FE0C:2100:3595:ED8C:26CB:87A6 12:19, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Both are attested. —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 16:43, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Should Wiktionary have a way to indicate which one (or both) is used with a given word? At the moment the entry doesn't show it. Equinox ◑ 17:33, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Meh. It just depends on whether you pronounce it "right" (with a prenasalised consonant, which most English speakers don't know how to produce), or "wrong" (with an initial vowel). —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 17:50, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

@Metaknowledge: I'd think English is likely to adapt borrowed words to its own phonology, e.g. our ingenue ends in /u/, not /y/. Do you happen to know if this prenasalisation thing also applies to (say) mpret from Albanian? Again our entry has no way to show "a" or "an". Equinox ◑ 15:42, 22 May 2020 (UTC)

Well, to nobody's surprise, a lot of people talking about mbiras in the first place already speak Shona, so they don't need to adapt the word at all. It doesn't apply to Albanian. —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 15:53, 22 May 2020 (UTC)

Are we sure "marimba" is a hyponym as stated?

I didn't think a marimba was played with the thumbs. Equinox ◑ 16:49, 4 July 2022 (UTC)