Hey all,
I have a question as to how the correct way to pronounce KATO is. I say KAY-TOE, and a friend of mine says KAH-TOE. What do you say? Its a little battle I have going with him, so I wanted to see what everyone else pronounces it like.
Alec
It is KAH-TOE – the family name of the Japanese owner.
Thanks Cacole!
Alec
[#ditto] I use to think it was the other way, but after hearing some videos by MR,I realized it was the pronounced KAH-TOE.
This has come up at least twice in the last twenty months!
I say Kay-to based upon the pronunciation of the name when I was introduced to an Air National Guard airman from Hawaii at Keesler Air Force Patch in 1968.
The recent Winter Olympics held in Japan were located at Nagato. This was the name of a famous Japanese battleship; I have always pronunced Nagato as Nah-GÁH-toe but the sports announcers kept calling it NÁH-gah-toe. Apparently I was not the only one confused on this matter of pronunciation because they finally had a guest attempt to resolve it. This guest explained that, like many large nations, Japanese has developed accents and dialects. Locals reside in NÁH-gah-toe: in other areas of Japan Nagato is pronounced Nah-GÁH-toe.
I am sure this is all confusing so you are in perfect understanding of the situation!
And I might bring this up: do you remember the brouhaha over spelling that erupted during the 1992(???) presidential campaign? Well, I hail from Idaho and there is one word I have no trouble spelling and that word is [i]POTATO[/]. When I transfered schools from California to Illinois in 1950 I was informed in no uncertain terms that POTATO was spelled with an -E- and it was expected that I would modify my substandard spelling behavior and spell it POTATOE henceforth and forever. When I moved from Illinois I reverted to all of my bad habits and have continued to languish in them henceforth and forever!
“…expected to modify the substandard…”
Now THAT is a gem!
I pronounced Kato as in Catto with a thick accent.
I recall our fine yankee educators swooning with disbelief and horror when we kids spout the word “AINT” back home in “Bawlimoe” (Baltimore) in the hallowed halls of our fine Public Schools.
It’s pronounced Kay Toe…[:D]
Kah-toe, though many pronounce it Kay-toe.
[#ditto]
But if you insist, I will take it to the Chair of Japanese at the DLI.
Tilden
When you call the company, they answer with Kah-toe.
Remember the little guy who kept “attacking” Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies? He was Kay-toe, and I guess it just stuck with me.
Glad to find out the correct pronunciation.
Jim
I loved the fight scenes those two used to have![(-D]
Here’s another one…How the heck do you pronounce Rivarossi??
Just the way it’s spelled.
I had dinner withthe youger Mr. Cato and he sait it is kah to. I guess he would know.
Dave
Sorry , I did not edit my reply. I was interupted. Kato is kah to
Dave
Is it Paris, or Pah-reee?
Eeee-rock or Eye-rack?
Kay-toe or Kahhh-toe.
Firenze or Florence?
Semper F-eye-dzz, or Semper Fee-days?
Inquiring minds would like to know?
[:D]
So it would be like Ri-VAR-ossi with an accent on the VAR or like River-ossi?
The Japanese pronunciation is with a soft ‘A’ as in KAH-toe.
I suspect it is a holdover from The ‘Green Hornet’ radio episides of our childhood, with “KAY-toe, his ever-faithful Japanese Servant” - (Buzz buzz) to the tune of ‘The flight of the Bumble Bee’.
We seem to do a better job with VOLKS-wah-gen. - Gott und himmel!
“Lets call the whole thing off…” [;)][;)]
Kah-toe or Kay-toe?..I do know they make great running N scale locomotives.[;)]