Strange question - Kona name pronunciation - sensitive issue

Hi!

I know this may seem a strange question, but in fact it has some relevance for Kona owners in a Portuguese speaking country...

You see, Kona in Portuguese and read in the Portuguese way sounds exactly like the C word referring to the female genitalia, in the exact same slang meaning as the English counterpart. Not the anatomical and less offensive way... :shock:

In fact, the name in the frame only differs from the written form by replacing the C with a K, which means that the (few) Kona owners proudly show-off that "elegant" word wherever they go!

So, I'd like to ask if anyone knows the correct way the Kona name is pronounced when it comes to the O letter regarding the Hawaiian accent.

Is the O pronounced like in the word "Go", or as in the word "Top"?

I've heard it both ways and I'm unsure and I'm tired of whispering the name of my bike in the middle of a conversation when non-mtbikers are around.

Yet, it's a great name for jokes! From a female MTB friend saying that now she owned two of them! :shock:

Or a little kid in a world XC held in the Algarve in the late 90's almost provoking an heart attack to his mother and grandmother by constantly saying loud and proud (in not a very innocent way...): Look mother another Kona, and there's another Kona!

When my group passed him he said it about 5 or 6 times!

His mother and grandmother constantly told him to shut up menacing him with punishments, to what he replied he didn't understand why as he was just naming the bikes!

His father, was walking a few meters in front of him thrying to disguise the laugh with tears in the eyes!

Re:

Not sure if the bike was named after the area in Hawaii but if so, you would say it like 'cone-a' if you're from the mainland or 'Ko-nah' if you're a Hawaiian native (which I'm not).

Re:

I don't know how you would pronouce it, as often is the way with a lot of names, some people say it one way, some another.

It is funny how a widely used name can mean nothing to 95% of the world, yet mean something very different to the other 5%
Like the mitsubishi pajero ;-)

or VW Vento....

Re: Slightly Inappropriate Names

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Re: Re:

SF Klein":8tw0ofn3 said:

Not sure if the bike was named after the area in Hawaii but if so, you would say it like 'cone-a' if you're from the mainland or 'Ko-nah' if you're a Hawaiian native (which I'm not).

Click to expand...

Taking the model names like "Kilauea", "Muni Mula", "Kula", "Kikapu" and so on into consideration, I think it's safe to assume that make is named after the area in Hawaii.

In German the pronounication is pretty straight forward: with a dry and sort "o" like in "shot" I'd say.

Cheers,
Thomas

Re: Slightly Inappropriate Names

MND":1kie6vlg said:

I was mildly amused by an early 90s Giant Butte, while perusing my local CL for old MTBs. Not sure of its correct pronunciation though. (But, Boot, Bootay?)

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A Butte is a very steep mountain with a slightly flat top. It is pronounced the same as the first syllable of beautiful. I can see how Giant Butte could look quite funny!

Re:

Pajero is w*nker in Spanish.
Isuzu had a 4x4 called Bighorn.
Wang`s top of the line computer was the Wang King.
Nothing to do with your Kona problem but amusing none the less....

Re: Slightly Inappropriate Names

Smithjss70":3kepayfk said:

A Butte is a very steep mountain with a slightly flat top. It is pronounced the same as the first syllable of beautiful.

Click to expand...

No.

beau·ti·ful

Saying beauty and dropping the Y or saying it phonetically (byoot) would be better.

And everyone I've met from Kona at the dealer shows pronounce it properly (koh-nah). It's a District in Hawaii, and means leeward or dry side of the island.

Re:

Thanks for all your answers so far, despite I think I'll have to continue to whisper the name of Kona. Better that, than to invent a strange pronounce and look even goofier.

There's a particular Kona model that sounds like a MEGA-MEGA insult in Portuguese, which is the KU. So, a Kona KU will read as:

C*nt Ass!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:



The Kona Hot, for the Portuguese speakers who also speak English, easily sounds as: C*nt Hot

And the following models you can guess what it sounds for the Portuguese speakers. Just replace Kona with the previously mentioned word:

Kona Sex
Kona For Play (1996)
Kona Scratch and Sniff tires
Or even the Kona Explosif

Since Kona has the meaning I've mentioned it's very hard to ignore what it sounds and means in Portuguese and simply assume it as a foreign word. Even when mixing with English words it pulls our mind in that direction...

The Kona brand is a very rich topic of conversation between Portuguese owners. I even use to say when I meet new people, just to watch someone blush: Hey, nobody mocks my bike name!



Some great examples on this thread too.

I may add a 70/80's Opel (Vauxhall in UK I think) that was called the Ascona. Since nobody wanted Cona in the name the car was renamed as Asco. The problem is that Asco in Portuguese means... "Disgusting"!

Needless to say it was never a sales success...