Muslim/Islam

Bucky

(55,334 posts) Tue Jun 15, 2021, 12:05 PM Jun 2021

I wonder why so many scholars of Islam pronounce Caliph as "CAY-liff" & not "cah-LEEF"

Have I been saying it wrong all these years? I'm asking as World History teacher for over 20 years. I've always assumed it was just a British eccentricity, like the way they mispronounce "con-TRAH-vuh-see" or "SHED-jule" (don't even remind me what they do to "Junta'')

But recently I've see a few videos on YouTube where accredited scholars, normal American scholars mind you, some of Middle Eastern origin, use this sure-sounds-eurocentric pronunciation of "CAY-liff" for Caliph. Does anyone here know what's the correct way to say this? (I seriously don't need to repeat my infamous "purrogative" incident of 2003)

6 replies

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I wonder why so many scholars of Islam pronounce Caliph as "CAY-liff" & not "cah-LEEF" (Original Post) Bucky Jun 2021 OP

I always thought it was the same as you do Kali Jun 2021 #1

So does Wikipedia, sort of Bucky Jun 2021 #5

Looked in Google. One site gives UK pron. as califf, long a...US pron. With short a, both with the Karadeniz Jun 2021 #2

Going with the Wikipedia pronuciation guide Bucky Jun 2021 #4

I'll go with The Clash pronunciation. Midnight Writer Jun 2021 #3

nice Bucky Jun 2021 #6

Kali

(55,735 posts)

1. I always thought it was the same as you do

Reply to Bucky (Original post)

Tue Jun 15, 2021, 12:11 PM

Jun 2021

Bucky

(55,334 posts)

5. So does Wikipedia, sort of

Reply to Kali (Reply #1)

Tue Jun 15, 2021, 03:36 PM

Jun 2021

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ar-khalifa.ogg gives the sound I expected

Mispronoucing it is just Britons being British

Karadeniz

(23,414 posts)

2. Looked in Google. One site gives UK pron. as califf, long a...US pron. With short a, both with the

Reply to Bucky (Original post)

Tue Jun 15, 2021, 01:09 PM

Jun 2021

Accent on first syllable. One site said the Urdu pronunciation was khaleefa, closer to your version.

Bucky

(55,334 posts)

4. Going with the Wikipedia pronuciation guide

Reply to Karadeniz (Reply #2)

Tue Jun 15, 2021, 03:34 PM

Jun 2021

They give the Anglo-centric mispronciation (Cay-liff) as how to say it in English, but then the Arabic work "khalifa" emphasizes the second syllable ==> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ar-khalifa.ogg

Midnight Writer

(22,969 posts)

3. I'll go with The Clash pronunciation.

Reply to Bucky (Original post)

Tue Jun 15, 2021, 02:00 PM

Jun 2021

Bucky

(55,334 posts)

6. nice

Reply to Midnight Writer (Reply #3)

Tue Jun 15, 2021, 03:37 PM

Jun 2021

But when you ask a Brit to pronounce foreign words correctly, they're all like "I really don't like it"

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