Buh-jor or BAY-jor?

[Photon]

Picard referred to the planet a few times as the former but on DS9 it was the later.

Minutia, yes but it bothered me.....yes I need a life

 

[Timo]

Could be that Bahjor was wrong but Picard didn't realize it yet, it only being another dime-in-a-dozen planet for him. Sisko, being more involved, might have learned that Bayjor was more correct.

Alternately, Bahjor might be the correct pronunciation in the Bajoran language, but Bayjor might be the correct pronunciation in the English language. Much like the correct spelling of München in English is Munich, or that of Milano in German is Mailand, contrary to the customs of the native inhabitants. Picard would use the local version, but again Sisko, being more involved in this business, would adopt the (perhaps newly developed) version that better suited his native tongue.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Michael]

Could be that Bahjor was wrong but Picard didn't realize it yet, it only being another dime-in-a-dozen planet for him. Sisko, being more involved, might have learned that Bayjor was more correct.

Alternately, Bahjor might be the correct pronunciation in the Bajoran language, but Bayjor might be the correct pronunciation in the English language. Much like the correct spelling of München in English is Munich, or that of Milano in German is Mailand, contrary to the customs of the native inhabitants. Picard would use the local version, but again Sisko, being more involved in this business, would adopt the (perhaps newly developed) version that better suited his native tongue.

I really like your theorizing, Timo. Both theories would make the Trek universe much more interesting.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Maybe it's Picard's accent.

After all, he call the Terrellians "Tuh-RAIL-ians".

Also, "Mr. Dater" for Data.

And so on.

 

[Amaris]

Could be that Bahjor was wrong but Picard didn't realize it yet, it only being another dime-in-a-dozen planet for him. Sisko, being more involved, might have learned that Bayjor was more correct.

Alternately, Bahjor might be the correct pronunciation in the Bajoran language, but Bayjor might be the correct pronunciation in the English language. Much like the correct spelling of München in English is Munich, or that of Milano in German is Mailand, contrary to the customs of the native inhabitants. Picard would use the local version, but again Sisko, being more involved in this business, would adopt the (perhaps newly developed) version that better suited his native tongue.

Timo Saloniemi

I swear, you need to write a book called "The Glue That Holds It All Together".

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I think the former "Ba-JOR" is actually the planet's name pronounced with a Cardassian accent. Listen to the way Gul Dukat often pronounces it, and you can hear him put more weight on the last syllable.

It would actually make sense--during the Occupation, the world might be known in the Cardassian way (and knowing Picard, too, he would opt for the Cardassian pronunciation out of some weird sort of "political correctness" even though the Cardassians are OCCUPIERS). But as soon as we get to DS9 and the Bajorans are free, people abide by the native pronunciation of their world's name instead of the Cardassian one.

 

[iguana_tonante]

(and knowing Picard, too, he would opt for the Cardassian pronunciation out of some weird sort of "political correctness" even though the Cardassians are OCCUPIERS)

 

[Rush Limborg]

^Translation: Being a diplomacy-minded individual, he'd defer to the big foreign power so as not to "insult" or "offend" them.

 

[Thor Damar]

^Or it could be that the British punctuation is very similar to the Cardassian since I also say it as Ba-jor. Just not in the same Shakespearean diction as Captain Picard.

(french? My arse!)

 

[Marie1]

I go with Bay-jor, because that seems like it's the way most Bajorans (or their actors) did it? Kira and Winn etc?

 

[Photon]

^Or it could be that the British punctuation is very similar to the Cardassian since I also say it as Ba-jor. Just not in the same Shakespearean diction as Captain Picard.

(french? My arse!)

But Pee-KAHRD was from France, how can this be?

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

^Translation: Being a diplomacy-minded individual, he'd defer to the big foreign power so as no to "insult" or "offend" them.

Exactly. It's all politics. And I wouldn't even use the word "diplomacy"...I think "political expediency" says it much better.

 

[Rush Limborg]

^Or it could be that the British punctuation is very similar to the Cardassian since I also say it as Ba-jor. Just not in the same Shakespearean diction as Captain Picard.

(french? My arse!)

That was my first thought.

 

[I am not Spock]

I think the former "Ba-JOR" is actually the planet's name pronounced with a Cardassian accent. Listen to the way Gul Dukat often pronounces it, and you can hear him put more weight on the last syllable.

It would actually make sense--during the Occupation, the world might be known in the Cardassian way (and knowing Picard, too, he would opt for the Cardassian pronunciation out of some weird sort of "political correctness" even though the Cardassians are OCCUPIERS). But as soon as we get to DS9 and the Bajorans are free, people abide by the native pronunciation of their world's name instead of the Cardassian one.

I like your theory. BaJOR being the Cardie way of saying it. And BAjor being the native way.

 

[FormerLurker]

I only remember one Bajoran pronouncing it BaJOR, anyway. Some guy in the first season of DS9. Before that, i.e. on TNG, I don't think anyone even referred to the planet itself, just the displaced people. If I'm incorrect, I will accept any evidence to support such.

 

[Admiral Shran]

Personally, I say BAY-jor when referring to the planet. But when I refer to the race, I say Ba-JOR-an. Why? I don't know, I just do it.

Of course, this all brings up the point of what the race is actually called. Is it "Bajoran" or "Bajora," as they were referred to when they were first introduced on TNG, in "Ensign Ro."

 

[iguana_tonante]

^Translation: Being a diplomacy-minded individual, he'd defer to the big foreign power so as no to "insult" or "offend" them.

Exactly. It's all politics. And I wouldn't even use the word "diplomacy"...I think "political expediency" says it much better.

If would make sense if he was speaking with Cardassians only, but since he talked also with Bajorans, pronouncing it "the Cardassian way" would be a major fuck-up, not "political expediency". Sorry, but you idea doesn't make sense.

 

[Timo]

I think it does, a lot. Picard was speaking with Cardassians almost exclusively. With them, and with Bajorans who had been subjugated by Cardassians and probably even told to use Cardassian phrases or else. (Say, "Don't say massacre, say police action, or we'll perform a police action on you. Oh, and remember to smile.")

As for "Bajorans" vs. "Bajora", the latter (chronologically the former) could easily be the name of the separatist group fighting for the Bajoran cause in "Ensign Ro".

Timo Saloniemi

 

[iguana_tonante]

I think it does, a lot. Picard was speaking with Cardassians almost exclusively. With them, and with Bajorans who had been subjugated by Cardassians and probably even told to use Cardassian phrases or else. (Say, "Don't say massacre, say police action, or we'll perform a police action on you. Oh, and remember to smile.")

I easily remember Picard talking with Bajorans in "Ensign Ro" and with Ro herself quite a few times, and they were definitively not subjugated by Cardassians.

 

[jaspertjie]

I really don't think it matters that much. And if it does, they should get used to it! Otherwise Bay-jor or whatever Buh-jor gets wiped clean!