A Reminder on Non-Western Words

Just a friendly reminder to those of us in Western national locales that names drawn from other cultures/other parts of the world do not warrant cute nicknames, just because you have a hard time pronouncing them. So, can’t spell “Scheherazade”? Consider practicing rather than using something like “Charizard.” Can’t remember how to say “Sahasrara”? That’s fine, again, practice instead of calling it “Rah Rah”. Think calling “Panchatantra” something like “Panera” is cute? No, it really makes you sound like the suburban American you probably are.

The names were chosen by Americans, yes, but have histories that are deeply embedded in other cultures. Let’s try to respect that, at least a little, by not using demeaning and erasing alternate names (especially as we get deeper into the Mumbad Cycle). Unless, of course, you just want everyone to think you’re a moron or a jerk, then, by all means, go ahead!