XPost: sci.lang.japan, sci.lang, alt.usage.english

HenHanna@NewsGrouper <user4055@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

Dimitris Tzortzakakis <noone@nospam.com> posted:

Στις 27/6/2025 12:26 π.μ., ο/η HenHanna έγραψε:

On 6/26/2025 2:19 PM, HenHanna wrote:

On 11/17/2024 7:52 AM, Dimitris Tzortzakakis wrote:

Hi everyone, how's this proverb please in japanese, I'd like to eat
fugu and I want to live? meaning of course eating the (in)famous
pufferfish? (Furigana please. Thanks a lot. also romaji would work.

Related Japanese Proverb :
            A proverb that reflects the risk and reward you’re talking
about (since eating fugu can be dangerous if not prepared properly):

Japanese: 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず  (こけつにいらずんば こじをえず)

Romaji: Koketsu ni irazunba koji o ezu

Translation: If you do not enter the tiger’s den, you cannot get the >>                tiger’s cub. (Meaning: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.)

SH also talks about  [tiger cub]

_____________________________
There isn’t a set proverb about wanting to eat fugu and wanting to
live, but you could invent a playful saying to fit your idea:

Japanese: フグを食べたいけど、死にたくない。
            (Fugu o tabetai kedo, shinitakunai.)

Translation: I want to eat fugu, but I don’t want to die.

Dimitris Tzortzakakis wrote:

どうもありがとうございました！！
BTW, my name in japanese is デミチリ・ジョジ
In Scotland, nobody could pronounce my surname, so they just called me Dimitris!!! Even native speakers of greek have difficulties with my surname.

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In Scotland, ppl call each otehr by given names anyway(s)?

Tzortzakakis -- Even native speakers of greek have difficulties with pronouncing this surname.

You’re absolutely right—**Tzortzakakis** (Τζορτζακάκης) is a Greek surname that can be tricky to pronounce, even for native Greek speakers! Let’s break down why, and how to say it correctly.

## Why is "Tzortzakakis" Difficult to Pronounce?

1. **Consonant Clusters:**
The initial "Tz" (Τζ) is not common in many languages. Even in Greek, it’s a somewhat unusual sound combination at the start of a word.

2. **Double "z" Sound:**
The "tz" appears twice in the name, which can trip people up.

3. **Length and Rhythm:**
The name is long and has a rhythm that’s not immediately intuitive.

4. **Regional Variation:**
Greek surnames often reflect regional dialects (in this case, likely Cretan), which may use sounds or patterns unfamiliar to speakers from other parts of Greece.

## How to Pronounce "Tzortzakakis"

Here’s a phonetic breakdown:

- **Tz**: Like the "ds" in "kids" or the "ts" in "cats", but voiced.
- **or**: As in "or".
- **tz**: Again, like "ds" in "kids".
- **a**: Like "a" in "car".
- **ka**: "ka" as in "car".
- **kis**: "kis" as in "kiss".

**Phonetic spelling:**
**Tzor-tza-KA-kis**
(Stress on the "KA")

**IPA:**
[t͡zor.t͡zaˈka.kis]

## Tips for Pronouncing It

- Say it slowly at first:
**Tzor-tza-KA-kis**
- Emphasize the third syllable:
The stress is on the "KA".
- Practice the "tz" sound:
It’s a voiced "ts"—try saying "dz" quickly.

## Fun Fact

Many Greek surnames ending in **-akis** are of Cretan origin. The "-akis" suffix is a diminutive, often meaning "little" or "son of."

If you want to hear it, you can find pronunciation clips online by searching for "Τζορτζακάκης pronunciation" or using language apps with Greek name databases.

___________________________

-Poulos, -Polos (?) at the end of surnames mean CIty?

The Greek surname suffix -poulos (Greek: -όπουλος) does not mean "city." Instead, it is a patronymic suffix meaning "son of" or "descendant of." The origin of the suffix is from Byzantine Greek -ποῦλος, which itself comes from the Latin

pullus (“young, chick”)—so it denotes lineage, not location. For example, "Papadopoulos" means "son of the priest" (from papás, "priest").

_______________

Is there a suffix (in Greek surnames) that means [City]?

There is no standard suffix in Greek surnames that directly means "city," "town," or "village." The Greek words for these are:

πόλη (poli) for "city" or "town"

χωριό (choriό) for "village"

------- intresting... Many Jp surnames end with Machi or Mura.

__________________


Many Japanese surnames end with elements that refer to geographic features or locations.

Common endings include -yama or -san (mountain), as in Takayama or Sugiyama; -kawa or -gawa (river), as in Ogawa or Kawakami; -mura (village), as in Nakamura; -machi or -chō (town), as in Omachi; -shima or -jima (island), as in Kojima; -ta or -da (rice
field), as in Tanaka or Honda; -hara or -bara (plain/field), as in Ohara; -saki or -zaki (cape), as in Kawasaki; -no (field), as in Nakano; and -mori (forest), as in Morimoto.

These endings often combine with other words to describe a family's ancestral location or the landscape where they lived.

__________________


You are correct that many Japanese surnames end with -machi (町) or -mura (村), and these suffixes have specific meanings tied to places:

-machi (町) means "town" or "city district" in Japanese. It is commonly used in both place names and, less frequently, in surnames. When it appears in a surname, it often indicates an ancestral connection to a specific town or urban area. The kanji 町
is read as machi and conveys the sense of a community or neighborhood.

-mura (村) means "village." Like -machi, it is primarily a place name suffix but can also appear in surnames, suggesting origin from or association with a particular village.

These suffixes reflect the historical and geographic roots of Japanese families, linking them to specific types of settlements.

__________________


(removed 2 Fj groups)

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