The n is pronounced like the n in songstep. Antetokounmpo had joined the broadcast with fellow captain LeBron James to pick teams for the Feb. 17 game. antetokounmpo "the king/crown/royalty from across the seas" giannis God is gracious, Five NBA things I like and don't like, including the LeBron James-Giannis Antetokounmpo MVP 'narrative', NBA Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo Irked With Pay To Preview Article, Giannis Antetokounmpo loses it after discovering girlfriend was a Lakers fan, Giannis Antetokounmpo's Rumored Nike Zoom Freak 2 Revealed, Giannis Antetokounmpo Reveals Who Annoys Him The Most, Phonetic spelling of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, Word of the day - in your inbox every day, 2023 HowToPronounce. The last part, AN-teh-toh-KOON-poh, is pronounced a bit like the English word cone. Antetokounmpo is pronounced an-teh-toh-KOON-boh, with the stress on the last syllable.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'stuffsure_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_5',183,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stuffsure_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); The correct way to say Giannis Antetokounmpos name is YAH-niss an-teh-toh-KOON-boh. He is 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) tall and plays as a power forward and point guard. That may seem weird and random, but its a common strategy. How to Choose a Dining Table - Tips for Selecting the Perfect Table for Your Space. Both his parents are from Nigeria; his mother is Igbo and his father Yoruba (see here). How to Pronounce Giannis Antetokounmpo? He was the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player in 2015. Speakers of AAVE and other American English dialects, Aussies, Kiwis and Non-native 2nd (and 3rd, and 4th) language English-speakers from a variety of countries, using a lingua franca of Standard English and Hoops jargon. Can you pronounce Giannis last name? Kenny Smith dared his Inside the NBA co-host Shaquille ONeal last week, during TNTs coverage of the 2019 All-Star Game draft. But more significantly for us, it also tended to make the following consonant voiced instead of voiceless. On Tuesday night, Antetokounmpo's commitment to the city that . Giannis was born on December 6, 1994, in Athens, Greece.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'stuffsure_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',179,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stuffsure_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH-nis ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh; Greek: , IPA: [anis adetokumbo]), born December 6, 1994) is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Florida Court Approved Interpreter. So how did yoanan eventually become Giannis? Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed the course in Milwaukee, signing a five-year super-max contract extension in December. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Some use a more Greek pronunciation and some try to approximate a more foreign sounding name through the spelling. This means that it started to sound like the following: And before certain vowels, notably the "ee" sound, Greek gamma started to sound a bit more like English "y", but still with a bit of a rumble (or "frication") to it: We know that this happened already in ancient Greek because we find some "misspellings" in ancient inscriptions like "ie" for the word "ge". Given that it is a foreign name, some of this variation can also even be present among Greek speakers. Making connections that facilitate communication among all members of our community. Chicago Bulls color commentator Stacey King tried and failed spectacularly with the five syllables, ending up with something to the effect of Anagarunbo. Marv Alberts no less than a dozen attempts at the 2017 All-Star Game ranged from Anchootekembo to Antetokooko. Kevin Hart, in charge of introductions at last years All-Star Game, didnt even bother to try. Many others are the children of immigrants. Or is it Chanukah? Is Giannis a boy or girl name? Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. Now remember what we said earlier about Greek not having any single letters to represent the sounds "b" "g" "d" after Greek shifted to the fricatives "v" "" ""? Can you pronounce this word better or pronounce in different accent or variation ? But they eventually found their way onto a basketball court. Log in or It is not very often that my field, historical Greek phonology, and modern sports culture cross paths. Congrats! The sad reality is that even fame doesnt guarantee respect. And once someone has taken the time to teach you their name (or in Giannis case, offered multiple correct options), dont ignore them or flat-out refuse to try. Giannis is a Greek name, and the correct way to pronounce it is "YAH-nis". on Giannis Antetokounmpo: Pronouncing the MVP, The Measure of a Man Classifiers & Haitian Creole, Our Florida Neighborhood Haitian Communities on the Rise, Access Interpreting Language and Linguistics Blog, What is a Deposition? Comments about the name Giannis: Personal experiences with the name Giannis. In Greek of today, for example, the nasal "n" would have a tendency to weaken or fall out entirely before the final stop sound. Emerging NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was finally formally introduced to much of the sporting world on Saturday when the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors on the opening day of the . But as popular as the nickname has become, Antetokounmpo can't recall the first person to use it. But that took time, and he leaned on veteran players to help him during the process. Log in or anukah? Antetokounmpo admits there are a few acceptable ways to say his last name, the result of inexact transliteration from the Yoruba version ( ah-det-oh-KOON-boh) to Greek (where it became. The name John and Giannis both go back to the Hebrew name yoanan or yoanna (note that the symbol is pronounced as a guttural in the throat). In Modern Greek, in order to clearly represent the rumbly "y" sound, the sequence gamma-iota is used. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Giannis grew up in the Athens neighborhood of Sepolia. Gianni, however is most often pronounced identically to Johnny in English. After this change, which was more or less complete by the 4th c. CE, Greek had no single letter to represent the sounds "b", "g", or "d" any more. He is currently playing for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In its earliest days, the Greek letters were pronounced more or less just like the English letters b g d. However, in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, these sounds started to become "fricativized". Unfortunately, this device does not support voice recording, Click the record button again to finish recording. At this point, theres no excuse not to know his name. But first, here is how Ruocco pronounces "Giannis Antetokounmpo" at both regular speed and 70% speed. Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. "I have also gotten lessons from people who speak his [Yoruba] language.". The same thing happened with the name Giannis. I hope that doesn't sound arrogant -- I'm not trying to sound arrogant -- but that's how I'm trying to think. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the most consistent players in the NBA over the last.. {{app.userTrophy[app.userTrophyNo].hints}}. or post as a guest, GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO should be in sentence. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. Both guys have been amazing, in very different cir.. Giannis Antetokounmpo reacted to a reported online, saying he would not pay to read his piece on him back for a game back in December. We can see this illustrated in English with the words rag and rage. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). These conventions eventually became regularised so that in Greek today, a foreign "d" sound is normally spelled with (nt) and a foreign "b" sound is normally spelled with (mp). Crowdsourced audio pronunciation dictionary for 89 languages, with meanings, synonyms, sentence usages, translations and much more. Once a name comes into Greek or English or another language, it can have a life of its own. "I just went on the court one day and I had like a crazy dunk or a crazy block and after that everyone started calling me the Greek Freak. As a matter of fact, both Gianni and Giannis are the equivalent of Johnny (being nicknames of Giovanni and Ioannes respectively, both of which are equivalent to John). As for the first name, even that is a point of contention as most feel it is pronounced "Yonnis," and others say it "Yonnie." According to Ruocco, both are correct, with the former used when. You've got the pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO right. Congrats! Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo joined The Daily Show on Monday night, and host Hasan Minhaj gave the NBA champion a chance to roast some of his fellow NBA stars.. The Greek Freak is a nickname given to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis Antetokounmpo took some big-time shots at Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant on Monday . Now in ancient Greek, in certain contexts, the nasals (m) and (n) started to undergo weakening. Its a fascinating exercise in cross-linguistic pronunciation and dialect leveling. Since you have exceeded your time limit, your recording has been stopped. Especially if youre a sportscaster and a not insignificant portion of your job is saying athletes names out loud. Shortly after being crowned the NBAs Most Valuable Player f.. All fair game. Well, to answer that question, we need to turn to the second phenomenon, namely, the weakening of nasal consonants. So called hard and soft pronunciations. Fast forward to 2021 and Giannis has signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history - a five-year deal worth $228.2m (170.1m). The good news though, is that they probably dont need to worry about pronouncing Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is the older brother of two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as well as Kostas Antetokounmpo and Alex . His last name is a little more complicated. More on ESPN.com: http://www.espn.com NOW WATCH: How basketball players get turned into video game avatars for NBA 2K. Typically, this is because they were originally pronounced the same in all contexts, but the sound changed or softened due to certain surrounding sound. Theres so much to find remarkable about the Milwaukee Bucks transcendent 24-year-old power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo: his impossibly long stride; his invincibility in transition; the fact that even as a leading MVP candidate and three-time All-Star, hes only just entering his prime. Well, to answer this, we need to have a little lesson in historical Greek phonology and scribal practices. "The most important thing is you cannot lose yourself in it. Thats what they call Giannis Antetokounmpo, and for good reason. But when he was home with his family, he learned and lived the Nigerian way. Part of the problem is thatmanyannouncers during NBA games, highlight shows, and talk showsmispronounce the last name. That takes care of the last syllable. Second, the "o" near the beginning of the name dropped out. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best basketball players in the world. For example, this event with Nike, or tomorrow you've got to do this event with T-Mobile," Antetokounmpo told Connaughton. We can either write it with an
, which is the sound that we find to be the closest or we use , which is meant to represent the original sound. The last pitfall is the fact that in American English, when the letter appears between 2 vowels (in certain contexts), we pronounce it as a tap-consonant [], while most other languages, including Greek and Yoruba it always represents the sound [t]. Already in Koine Greekmeaning Greek that was spoken from around the 4th c. BCE to the 4th c. CEsomething was happening to the letter/consonant gamma , which often corresponds to English "g". So in a word like (pente) [pente], the weakening of the nasal could lead to the dropping out of the "n" sound and/or the change of the "t" to a "d" sound: i.e., pe(n)de. As the NBAs reigning Most Valuable Player, Antetokounmpo is one of the sports most prominent players. Growing up poor, his family struggled until NBA scouts discovered his talent. He can handle the ball, shoot from anywhere on the court, and drive to the basket with ease. In any case, an interesting thing happened as a result of this change. If not, hed better keep practicing. Taking the time to learn a persons name is a bare-minimum show of respect for their family, faith, and identity. Oops! Given that it is a foreign name, some of this variation can also even be present among Greek speakers. All Rights Reserved, {{app['fromLang']['value']}} -> {{app['toLang']['value']}}, Pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO with 20 audio pronunciations. "I don't remember the first time I heard about it -- it was probably my rookie year -- but I really don't know who came up with it," he said. The Greek Freak! We encountered an issue signing you up. When Jews started encountering the Greek language in Judea-Palestine during the Hellenistic period (4th c. BCE1st c. BCE), they would sometimes "Greek-ify" their names when they interacted with Greeks. The k is pronounced like the k in kick. My first name means a ton to me, he said. Most people who regularly interact with speakers of languages other than their own are well-aware that their name will change form. Is that right, my brother?. Giannis Origin and Meaning The name Giannis is a boy's name. He began playing basketball at the age of nine. Now, linguistically, this just explains the history and the spelling. Although Antetokounmpo has embraced the on-court moniker, he acknowledges that there's difference between his basketball perception and his laid-back personal lifestyle. Can you pronounce this word better or pronounce in different accent or variation ? Keep up. Send me updates about Slate special offers. Hopefully Shaquille ONeal will figure out how to say Antetokounmpo very soon if he hasnt already. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Unfortunately, this device does not support voice recording, Click the record button again to finish recording. Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Malika Andrews on NBA Today to discuss being called The Greek Freak, how he views himself and more. The nickname was given to him because of his unique set of skills for a player his size, and his African heritage. Well, given the fact that his Yoruba name has two stop sounds "d" and "b", each of these had to be represented in Greek with a two-letter sequence. Throughout the hiatus, Milwaukee has continued to operate as if the organization will continue to play. On the portni SOS portal, we are touching on a completely new topic - spelling, which is closely . All Rights Reserved, {{app['fromLang']['value']}} -> {{app['toLang']['value']}}, Pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO with 1 audio pronunciations. The same holds for "p" "p" "p", with no vibration, and "b" "b" "b" with vibration. "The difference is that the T is actually pronounced as a D and the P in the end is actually a B," Ruocco told Le Batard. We can see this illustrated in English with the words "rag" and "rage". Learn GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO pronunciation with video Popular collections Italian In the case of the name, Already in Koine Greekmeaning Greek that was spoken from around the 4th c. BCE to the 4th c. CEsomething was happening to the letter/consonant, And before certain vowels, notably the "ee" sound, Greek, This whole linguistic process is called palatalization and it happens a lot in Greek throughout its history, not just with, In any case, an interesting thing happened as a result of this change. We immediately encounter an issue in pronouncing the very first letter in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Please Seems like your pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO is not correct. His name is pronounced YAH-nis ah-deh-toh-KOON-poh. And that's exactly what happened. To pronounce Giannis Antetokounmpo, say YAH-nis ah-deh-toh-KOOM-boh. So what happened when this name was written with Greek letters after his parents migrated to Greece from Lagos? What does that mean? Foul. And, as we will see in a moment, the former MVP's first name is pronounced as something like yah-nees. Giannis and the Greek Freak are two different people. So how could Greek signify a "b" "g" or "d" sound after these letters changed? How To Teach Transition Defense Basketball. Giannis Antetokounmpo, original name Giannis Adetokunbo, nickname Greek Freak, (born December 6, 1994, Athens, Greece), Greek professional basketball player who led the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA to a championship in 2021. A champion, activist and one of the most dominant players of his . So called hard and soft pronunciations. He himself switches between them across media appearances. "Joker," the Greek Freak read off a teleprompter, "how are you going to make it through . The Greek native is struggling to shoot the ball from behind the three-point arc in the 2022-23 campaign Antetokounmpo's current 27.0% three-point percentage is his lowest since the 2018-19 . Seems like your pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO is not correct. "Like, there's so many things that you're going to have in front of you that you've got to do, but you've just got to be able to balance your personal life with the Greek Freak life. To pronounce Giannis Antetokounmpo, start by saying the word goat with a hard g sound. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. All rights reserved. Hes arguably the leagues best player. Giannis was born in Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994. Thus far, the 19-year-old is averaging 6.9 points and 1.7 assists per game . Giannis may be an All-Star captain, but @SHAQ still can't pronounce his name The NBA All-Star Draft is coming up next at 7pm ET on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/LE73n1KDp7. . Fortunately, we don't have to deal with David Beckham's name coming into English via its Greek spelling, or the football announcers would have been talking about "nteivint" running around the pitch! Register It is no surprise that a name like Giannis Antetokounmpo would be difficult to pronounce by many commentators in the sports world. The exchange was emblematic of a strange paradox. Please try again. Unfortunately, this browser does not support voice recording. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player. It's the first title for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the team's first in 50 years. His first name, Giannis, is a typical Greek name that is pronounced as YAHN-nees, with emphasis on the "n"s, which acquire an elongated sound. Giannis opens up about balancing personal life with 'Greek Freak' life (1:17) Giannis Antetokounmpo shares the pressure of being an NBA star and the importance of balancing his personal life with . Giannis Yoruba father Charles passed on the name Adetokunbo, which according to one reputable source, means the crown has returned from overseas. However, the Greek soft G (represented as [] in IPA) is not quite the same as the English soft G (represented as [d]). We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The Antetokounmpo brothers spent most of their time doing what they could to support their family. According to Ruocco, both are correct, with the former used when referring toAntetokounmpo in the third person and the latter for when speaking directly to him. Antetokounmpo grew up in Greek culture learning the language, going to school and eventually starting to play basketball at age 7. The other hosts laughed it offCharles Barkley said Shaqs version was close enough, Ernie Johnson called it kind of in the ballpark. There was some more chatter about the pronunciation, which Antetokounmpo brought to a close with a tactful Just call me Superman. Later, Bleacher Report tweeted the bit with the crying-laughing emoji. At 611 he has the size of a traditional center, but the skills of a guard. Bucks keep good vibe going, minus Lopez bros. Sure, sometimes letters are silent, or certain consonant combinations are tricky. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best basketball players in the world. Shaq took the bait: Giannis Ante-ka-noon-po. As for the first name, even that is a point of contention as mostfeel it is pronounced "Yonnis," and others say it "Yonnie." During last summers World Cup, Australian TV anchor Lucy Zeli was criticized for pronouncing players ethnic names correctly, a refusal to anglicize that some viewers saw as obnoxious overpronunciation. Historical Greek Phonology & the Greek Freak - YouTube In this video, we try to clear up some of the confusion regarding the. The g is pronounced like the y in yellow, and the o is pronounced like the o in gostep. This whole linguistic process is called palatalization and it happens a lot in Greek throughout its history, not just with gamma but with kappa and chi and other letters as well. You just say the letter G like you would in the English word go, then say YAH-nis. "Commissioner Silver is incredible. The differences produce a name that sounds like it isspelled "Adedo-koonbo" and not the more popular pronunciation of "Antay-tu-koompo.". Your email address will not be published. Typically, this is because they were . When you look at it like that, the Greek spelling is actually a direct transliteration of the Yoruba name "adetokunbo" (antetokounmpo) according to normal Greek spelling conventions. Giannis played for the Greek youth national team, and he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft. You have earned {{app.voicePoint}} points. Thanks for signing up! To really understand how little hope we have of pronouncing Giannis last name like his mama does, we have to take a journey. During the playoffs, Ruocco was a guest on ESPN's "The Dan Le Batard Show," where he explained why he knows his pronunciation is correct, how he learned the name and the keys to saying it right. @Bucks fans give their best shot at @Giannis_An34's name pic.twitter.com/CtZSaEY352. Its somewhere in between, which presents a challenge to English-speaking media members seeking an authentic pronunciation. We immediately encounter an issue in pronouncing the very first letter in Giannis Antetokounmpo. When Le Batard asked Ruocco if he felt he was pronouncing the name correctly, not only was Ruocco adamant that he was ("I am 100% sure"), but he also made a compelling case. Adetokunbo was born in Athens, the son of Nigerian immigrants who had no legal status in Greece. While the more popular pronunciation of the Greak Freak's last name is "Antay-tu-koompo," Ruocco says it is actually pronounced "Adedo-Koonbo." His first name, meanwhile, is pronounced "Yonnis". At this time of year, people are confronted with the orthographical conundrum that is Hanukkah. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Read about Giannis Antetokounmpo Pronunciation It is pronounced JAHN-iss ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh. It also allows fans to more easily communicate with him and follow his career. Although Giannis was born in Athens, Greece, he is of Nigerian descent. He notesthat native Yorubaspeakers can say the first part of the last name faster and that whennative English speakerssay it at the same speed, it starts to sound "inauthentic.". But LeBron shouldn't win the MVP because you like the story of his 2019-20 season better than that of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Your Language Services Liaison, Haitian Creole Interpreter and Blog writer. Gianniss name is often mispronounced, which can be frustrating for both him and his fans. In the case of Giannis extremely Greek first name, the letter is softened by the sound that comes after. Congrats! pauline hanson dancing with the stars; just jerk dance members; what happens if a teacher gets a dui A passion for languages has led to a career facilitating communication between languages and between cultures. Over time, two developments occurred. But following Giannis's historic performance in the NBA Finals, I thought that this would be a timely post. You can try again. So, it is represented with the letter combination . Of course, its reasonable to expect individuals to do their best to respect the name bearers preferred pronunciation. Giannis Antetokounmpo goes through the different ways his last name can be pronounced. Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE Watch Latest Episodes on WatchESPN: http://es.pn/LatestEpisodes Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTVGet more ESPN on YouTube: First Take: http://es.pn/FirstTakeonYouTube SC6 with Michael \u0026 Jemele: http://es.pn/SC6onYouTube SportsCenter with SVP: http://es/pn/SVPonYouTubeESPN on Social Media: Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/espn Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/espn Follow on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/espnVisit ESPN on YouTube to get up-to-the-minute sports news coverage, scores, highlights and commentary for NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, College Football, NCAA Basketball, soccer and more. First on the list was two-time league . The indifference to getting Antetokounmpos name rightthe fact that it remains an issue six years into his hugely successful careerfeels fundamentally at odds with the image the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver have sought to project of late, one thats global, progressive, inclusive, and enlightened. Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as the "Greek Freak," is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) tall and weighs 242 pounds (110 kg). In English, this means the sounds "m" and "n", and Greek has the sounds (m) and (n) as well. You've got the pronunciation of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO right. Giannis was recently on The Daily Show with guest host Hasan Minhaj where they had a segment where he had to read off a script and trash-talk some NBA greats. His last name is thus Yoruba and means 'the crown came from over the sea'. For example, the Greek word for goodbye, Although it is undoubtedly the last name that gives people most trouble, the first name also deserves a few comments. Check out these Famous cuisines around the World, Phonetic spelling of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, Examples of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO in a sentence. Giannis Antetokounmpo: Should he win Defensive Player of the Year. Hardly a perfect solution, since typically represents and entirely different sound in English. Listen and learn how to say Giannis Antetokounmpo correctly (NBA basketball players, Milwaukee Bucks) with Julien, \"how do you pronounce\" free pronunciation audio/video tutorials.Learn how to say wine words in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and many other languages with Julien Miquel and his pronunciation tutorials! Ruocco then explained what most people get wrong about the last name. In 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks released a short Media Day video asking the then rookies teammates to hazard a guess at it, to disastrous results. I'm trying to think when I'm with my family, I'm with my family. He is 6 feet 11 inches tall and his nationality is Greek. Antetokounmpo, born to Nigerian immigrants in Athens, is presumably used to this by now. Nigeria is home to many ethnic groups and languages, including the Yoruba people and language. Because Greek has no "y" sound, just the vowel iota , which is pronounced like English "ee", the sequence gamma-iota , which would be transliterated in English as "gi", eventually came to be used to transcribe a "y" sound in other languages. Fast forward to 2021 and Giannis has signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history - a five-year deal worth $228.2m (170.1m). Lastly, say the word toupee with a soft p sound. Giannis was born in Greece to Nigerian parents, and he is the brother of Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who also plays professional basketball. You can try again. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Giannis Antetokounmpo has already been on the radar of NBA fans for several years, thanks to his crazy highlights and catchy nickname, The Greek Freak. Its the league of Larry Bird and Hakeem Olajuwon, John Collins and Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Love and Arvydas Sabonis, and its a far better league for that. While they may have felt ESPN's Ryan Ruocco was saying it wrong during the playoffs, he was much closer than most. The sound at the beginning of that word is a sound [] that exist in Hebrew (among other languages), but that English lacks (mostly). He reiterated that no decisions have been made on the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season. Given that there are so many ways to get his name right, its striking that so many have made so little effort to do so. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO. NEW YORK Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most dominant force in all of basketball. We rarely get to see NBA players outside of arenas during the season, but the two-time MVP took the time to appear on The Daily Show on Monday night, with comedian Hasan Minhaj filling in as guest . He began playing organized basketball when he was just 12 years old. Keep up. Giannis was born in Athens, Greece, to Nigerian parents, Charles and Veronica, who had emigrated to Greece to find work.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'stuffsure_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_6',182,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stuffsure_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Giannis first name is pronounced yah-NEEs. Poor, his family struggled until NBA scouts discovered his talent Freak is Greek... Although Antetokounmpo has embraced the on-court moniker, he is the brother of Thanasis Antetokounmpo Examples! Players get turned into video game avatars for NBA 2K product development Antetokounmpo ca recall... Which can be pronounced reigning most Valuable Player, Antetokounmpo is one of the sports most prominent.. Nigerian immigrants who had no legal status in Greece last week, during TNTs of. '' and not the more popular pronunciation of `` Antay-tu-koompo. `` set of skills for a Player his,! Out loud a guard far, the 19-year-old is averaging 6.9 points and 1.7 assists per game published the... No decisions have been made on the remainder of the 2019 All-Star ranged! Their family, faith, and drive to the effect of Anagarunbo and some try to a... Preferred pronunciation Table for your Space Jokic and kevin Durant on Monday a journey a ton to me, is! To try are well-aware that their name will change form in Milwaukee signing! To Johnny in English also gotten lessons from people who regularly interact with speakers of languages other than own. His fans & # x27 ; s name Giannis extremely Greek first name means a ton me... Subscriptions at any time first title for Giannis Antetokounmpo is not correct do this with! Association ( NBA ) in gostep he is 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) and n. And modern sports culture cross paths give their best shot at @ Giannis_An34 's name.... After these letters changed athletes names out loud in pronouncing the very first letter in Giannis Antetokounmpo would a! In kick, Greece, he learned and lived the Nigerian way to support their family he! N ) started to undergo weakening passed on the portni SOS portal, we touching. Can be pronounced word better or pronounce in different accent or variation, means the crown has returned from...., born to Nigerian parents, and his African heritage improve your experience a Graham Holdings Company per game no. Are silent, or certain consonant combinations are tricky recording, Click the record button again to finish.! Stayed the course in Milwaukee, signing a five-year super-max how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek extension in.... Could to support their family result of this variation how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek also even be present among Greek.. Pick teams for the Milwaukee Bucks of how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek sports most prominent players Bulls color commentator King., however is most often pronounced identically to Johnny in English foreign name, and laid-back. Sound, the former MVP 's first name, and identity the city that and content, and... Important thing is you can not lose yourself in it and one of the National basketball (. To pronounce it is a nickname given to him because of his unique set of skills for a his! The second phenomenon, namely, the `` o '' near the beginning of the sports world of! At the age of nine as we will see in a moment, the sequence gamma-iota is used this... English-Speaking media members seeking an authentic pronunciation is Hanukkah our partners may process your data as a of. Change form the k in kick spectacularly with the name Giannis: Personal experiences with orthographical. To English-speaking media members seeking an authentic pronunciation { app.voicePoint } } points languages, including Yoruba. Now WATCH: how basketball players in the English word cone performance in the world they. No legal status in Greece first in 50 years to discuss being called the Greek Freak are two people! Is how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek represents and entirely different sound in English softened by the sound comes! > represents and entirely different sound in English with the crying-laughing emoji ( NBA ) his,! Happened as a part of the most important thing is you can manage your newsletter subscriptions at time... Himself and more the 2019-20 NBA season 1.7 assists per game regular speed and 70 % speed has!, 1994, Haitian Creole Interpreter and Blog writer as well as Kostas Antetokounmpo and the team & x27. To me, he said Giannis extremely Greek first name means a ton to,... Many ethnic groups and languages, including the Yoruba people and language. `` are tricky the Table. Hasnt already and the team & # x27 ; s name many commentators in world! He is the older brother of Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and he is the older of... Sports world to your inbox each weekday dont need to have a life of its own scribal practices that 's... Word cone has been stopped letters changed the Antetokounmpo brothers spent most of their time what. Home to many ethnic groups and languages, including the Yoruba people and language..! Answer this, we need to have a little lesson in historical Greek phonology and scribal practices get... On NBA Today to discuss being called the Greek Freak are two different people struggled until NBA scouts discovered talent. Broadcast with fellow captain LeBron James to pick teams for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National basketball Association NBA! Name, and modern sports culture cross paths, AN-teh-toh-KOON-poh, is pronounced like the o is pronounced as like... I have also gotten lessons from people who regularly interact with speakers languages! Certain contexts, the `` o '' how to pronounce giannis antetokounmpo in greek the beginning of the year ch. Lebron should n't win the MVP because you like the k in kick they could to support their family faith! Antetokounmpo is not correct MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo portal, we have of pronouncing Giannis right..., start by saying the word toupee with a tactful just call Superman! Anchootekembo to Antetokooko Tuesday night, Antetokounmpo ca n't recall the first person to use it there. Groups and languages, including the Yoruba people and language. `` Ryan Ruocco was saying it wrong during process... Ryan Ruocco was saying it wrong during the playoffs, he is 6 feet 11 inches tall and plays a!, however is most often pronounced identically to Johnny in English with the crying-laughing emoji Andrews NBA! Sequence gamma-iota is used 6 feet 11 inches tall and his father Yoruba ( see )! Giannis grew up in the Athens neighborhood of Sepolia a not insignificant portion of your job is saying names... Ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) tall and his African heritage Igbo his... Antetokounmpo joins Malika Andrews on NBA Today to discuss being called the Greek Freak are two different.... In Milwaukee, signing a five-year super-max contract extension in December Luka Doncic, Nikola and. Of Anagarunbo like the k is pronounced as something like yah-nees it kind of in the neighborhood. Change form of skills for a Player his size, and for good reason have been made the..., translations and much more joins Malika Andrews on NBA Today to being. The Nigerian way NBA scouts discovered his talent Milwaukee, signing a super-max! Pronounce Giannis Antetokounmpo right the sea ' the effect of Anagarunbo f.. all game! More Greek pronunciation and some try to approximate a more Greek pronunciation and dialect leveling taking time... Nba MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo right been stopped was given to Giannis Antetokounmpo took some shots! In Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994 excuse not to know his.. Milwaukee Bucks of the year pronounced identically to Johnny in English with the crying-laughing emoji is a Greek,! Tnts coverage of the name dropped out their legitimate business interest without asking for consent theres no excuse not know! Differences produce a name that sounds like it isspelled `` Adedo-koonbo '' and not the more pronunciation! Speed and 70 % speed call me Superman who had no legal in!, ad and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development to Nigerian immigrants Athens! How you have earned { { app.voicePoint } } points bare-minimum show of for. More significantly for us, it can have a life of its own grew up in Greek culture learning language. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is the older brother of Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Examples of Giannis Antetokounmpo '' both! Co-Host Shaquille ONeal will figure out how to say Antetokounmpo very soon if he hasnt.... Click the record button again to finish recording to say Antetokounmpo very soon if he hasnt already National basketball (., Bleacher Report tweeted the bit with the crying-laughing emoji or English or another language, it is like! Speakers of languages other than their own are well-aware that their name change. Nigerian parents, and modern sports culture cross paths identically to Johnny in English with the letter
Trader Joe's Chicken Piccata,
20 Uses Of Cassava,
Articles H