[:D]
The name of the Japanese model railroad mfr.: Is it pronounced “Kay-toe” (like the Green Hornet’s sidekick), or “Kah-toe”???
Kah-toe.
Cody Grivno says “Kah-toe”, and since he is in regular communication with the company itself I assume that must be their preferred pronunciation.
It goes against what we were taught in English class about how to pronounce things, but lots of proper nouns (names) seem to disregard those rules, and if I am not mistaken, the company has its origins in Japan which would explain the difference in pronunciation from English standards.
Dave
I usually say Kay-toh, but if Kah-toh is the proper way I suppose I could change it.
LOL, Awesome!!!
When I was a noob, early in the hobby I said Kay-toe.
However, I do believe it is proper to say; Cot - Oh
Although I find myself saying the Kaytoe everyday, Sorry…
Do not mean any disrespect, since they ARE my main line runing gear…
it probably doesn’t matter if people know what you are talking about and they (Kato) don’t care as long as you keep on buying their stuff.
Charlie (from Ill a Noise or is it Ill annoy?)
PS just as i was at peace, you have to bring this crap up and now i will lay awake all night worrying about it,
(Apologizing in advance for the slight thread jack…)
I am reminded of a trip we took when I was a kid living in St. Louis. When had just crossed over the river into Illinois, when my father said, “Hey guys, shhhh. There is no noise in Ill-annoy.”
In phonetic Japanese (katakana or hiragana, known collectively as kana) the name in question is written with two symbols, each representing a dipthong (consonant-vowel combination) rendered in Romaji as:
KA - pronounced kah, proper Bostonian for automobile.
TO - pronounced toe, that thing on the leading edge of a foot.
Confusion arises when people think of the Green Hornet’s chauffeur-valet, Kaytoe. That movie character is now long dead. So, I believe, is the actor who portrayed him. In the meantime, Kato continues to turn out Japanese prototype models in Nj (1:150) and HOj (1:80) scales, and an occasional US prototype item in HO(1:87.1) or N (1:160) scale.
Finally, Kato is a proper name. It should be pronounced as the person bearing it prefers. Unlike Ei-go, those dipthong symbols only have one correct pronunciation.
Chuck (Whose nickname can’t be written in kana, modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
All the years I have been improperly pronouncing Kato! The shame is so great, I’m must now commit Seppuku!
I have always pronounced it Kay-to…like O.J. Simpson’s trusty sidekick, and I will continue to pronounce it as such.
I have worn Nike tennis shoes for 20-30 years and have always pronounced it Nye-k and not the fluffy Nye-key that they say it is now.
I have a Leupold scope on my hunting rifle. I have always said Leo-pold, but now hear them called Loo-pold on tv.
I have used Rapala fishing lures and called them Ra-pala, but now hear it said as Ra-pa-la on tv.
And just what is the difference between a Chev-ro-lay and a Chev-ro-let?
AH-SO ! Rose by any other name, still a rose.
Phil
Priceless! I was in a hobby shop in New Hampshire recently, where I was looking at a KATO CPR RS-2 (ya I bought it) Anyway as I was “inspecting” it I said “Kayto” and proceeded to get a lesson in the correct pronunciation by the lady behind the counter… Oooh I’m sorry and she chuckled as apparently when she called the distributor for “Kah-to” and got the same lesson in Pro-Nun-CiAshun, apparently KAY-to is the way everyone saez-it and it bothers the Distributor!
So all together now “KAHh-toe”… Ya I prefer Kayto too
Fergie
BTW Phil that’s a good way of putting it![;)]
I’ve always called it Kay-Toe, but then I grew up in Warshington so whad u xpect?
Thanks for explaining it Chuck. I suspect I mispronounce many Japanese names, but I still love many of their products.
Enjoy
Paul
I called it KAY-toe for years and I’m to old(or ornery?) to change now.
I always called it KAH-toe. Dunno where I got it form but that is how I thought it should be when I got back into the hobby 7 years ago, before I heard the arguments over it.
Now, lets all practice our Japanese…
Toy-OH-tah
COW-ah-sock-ee
MITT-sue-bee-shee
Sigh-ah-n-ar-ah…
[8-|]
Tomayto, tomahto… whatever. The important thing is communication. Do people know what you mean? Then it doesn’t really matter. Although in fairness, I have to admit that my last name is almost impossible to mispronounce, and yet most people pronounce it incorrectly. I usually let it go, because ifni spent the time to correct everyone…well, I won’t live that long.
Chuck, thanks for the info.
For me it matters very little, since KATO makes so few HO models, and virtually none of them are in my era or area of interest, I have little need to talk about them.
Sheldon
THAT is a “question for the ages”?
THAT?
It seems more like a "question on how to pronounce “Kato”.
Now, the REAL question for the ages is how to pronounce Suydam. Ed, just step in here, if you’re available. Oh, yeah, LOVED the Day and Night water heater company.
A different Ed
Sigh-dum
Kah-toe it is
I was corrected my first year in the hobby by a shop owner. He said people get their feathers in a ruffle when you pronounce it wrong.
I still don’t take offense if I get something wrong. It’s all part of learning about the hobby.