Tamiya....lets get it right.

[Chuck Most]

Like: "Women are nuts!" Wait.... "Men are bolts!"

Why do they call them 'buildings' when they're done building them? They should call them 'builts'.

[sjordan2]

You should let the Tamiya family know ... they've been mispronouncing their own name for a long, long time.

Just one little thing that's bothered me since you posted this, and I have no reason to believe you're wrong, but what's your reference for this? I've done my best to find out how the Japanese pronounce it and I've posted my findings here, but I'd just like to know. So, how does the Tamiya family pronounce it?

I would add that when I say what I found is closest to "TAHM-YAH,'" it includes the fact the the American pronunciation of the Y includes a slight E sound.

Edited February 18, 2012 by sjordan2

[Scale-Master]

So, how does the Tamiya family pronounce it?

I have spoken with Mr. Tamiya and his son-in-law, also Mr. Tamiya, on several occassions:

Actually... And this is from one of the Mr. Tamiya's...

Ta-me-a

No emphasis on any syllable. It is Japansese, not English so the rules are a little bit different..

[sjordan2]

I have spoken with Mr. Tamiya and his son-in-law, also Mr. Tamiya, on several occasions:

Actually... And this is from one of the Mr. Tamiya's...

Ta-me-a

No emphasis on any syllable. It is Japanese, not English so the rules are a little bit different..

Case closed.

Edited February 18, 2012 by sjordan2

[Pete J.]

I have spoken with Mr. Tamiya and his son-in-law, also Mr. Tamiya, on several occassions:

Ditto - Been there and heard that. All the employees at Tamiya say it the same way. -Tahmeah very flat with no inflection. Very hard for an american to get it just right.

[deja-view]

Hmmmm. I grew up a good part of my youth (or, "yute" as Joe Pesci would say it) in Japanese-American community and I'm pretty sure it would be Tam-ee-yah. But, not Tam-e-YAH.

BTW: I do not live in Nev-AH-dah!

Edited February 19, 2012 by deja-view

[Danno]

Just one little thing that's bothered me since you posted this, and I have no reason to believe you're wrong, but what's your reference for this? I've done my best to find out how the Japanese pronounce it and I've posted my findings here, but I'd just like to know. So, how does the Tamiya family pronounce it?

My reference is Mark D. Jones and a couple of other people I know personally. They are the only people I know who have had personal interactions with members of the Tamiya family on more than one occasion. They independently agree and cross-validate on another on the pronunciation. Thus, I personally place great credibility on their information.

[sjordan2]

People like Harry P and I have tried to get our members to pronounce "Willys" properly for a long time, instead of "Willies." How about getting it right via the way the MANUFACTURER pronounced it (like, "whatcha doin,' Willis")? Even the estimable Donn Yost gets it wrong in his video (which I was just watching and inspired this post). BTW, nice Dagmars.

Edited December 19, 2013 by sjordan2

[JunkPile]

so

[sjordan2]

so

So what? There have been several threads on this subject regarding a lot of Willys models before. It makes sense to see what the manufacturer said about it, and no one else has presented this. So. No need to get snarky, especially when you don't know what's gone before..

Edited December 19, 2013 by sjordan2

[Ryan S.]

Interesting video, cool to see the old stuff like that. Did the '54 really get 500 miles to a tank of gas?

Btw, I've always said "Willies", though now I do try to pronounce it correctly as "Willis". I get that from reading a lot of car mags as a kid, but not getting to talk with many people about cars. I was never straightened out.

Thanks for the post.

[sjordan2]

I'm not trying to be scolding or patronizing, I just think if you want people to take what you say seriously about a subject, you should be informed enough to get the pronunciation right.

Edited December 19, 2013 by sjordan2

[Harry P.]

According to historians and people who actually knew John Willys and /or members of the family, the family name is pronounced "wil-lis"... not "wil-eez."

But... so many people say "wil-eez" by mistake that the incorrect pronunciation has actually become the "accepted" pronunciation among a lot of car guys. But it's wrong.

[Harry P.]

And while we're at it., it's "porsh-uh, not "porsh."

And it's "ow-dee," not "aw-dee."

[Erik Smith]

Sauna: Sow-na and not saw-na (sow as in female pig, not sow as in seeding).

That's the really hot room Finns sit in.

Edited December 19, 2013 by Erik Smith

[Art Anderson]

And while we're at it., it's "porsh-uh, not "porsh."

And it's "ow-dee," not "aw-dee."

And here, all my life long, I was sure it was pronounced "Porch-A"

Art

[LoneWolf15]

Lmao !

Ok. , Skip , I stand corrected ! Harry did state it best . From the time I understood the spoken word , within my family , the word was pronounced " Willys " . Who was I to question WW2 vets about the Jeeps that they drove during and after the war and how the manufacturer's name was pronounced ?

As for knowing the " subject matter " , the DVD was on airbrushing and I think that I covered that subject quite thoroughly and to a high degree !

[Ace-Garageguy]

Bunch of know-it-all smart-azz pronunciation-nazzi experts.

[Brett Barrow]

"I don't care how they say it, as long as they buy my cars." - John North Willys

Even Willys employees and dealers were known to say "Will-eez". This debate went on even when Willys was still in business. Most folks called them "Will-eez", but yes, it is "Will-is".

[wrecker388]

And while we're at it., it's "porsh-uh, not "porsh."

And it's "ow-dee," not "aw-dee."

The "Porsh" pronunciation is fun to use to mess with people. I told a kid for like 20 minutes "It's not a 'Porsh'." He finally said " What do you mean?" I replied, "There's no such thing as a 'Porsh', but there is such a thing as a Porsh-uh."

[Jordan White]

Sauna: Sow-na and not saw-na (sow as in female pig, not sow as in seeding).

That's the really hot room Finns sit in.

Ding ding, we have a winner!

OT: Even though I know the correct pronunciation, I still say "Will-eez" since whenever I see the word "Willy" pronounced it's always "Will-ee" rather than "Will-ih". Yes it is a name, but it's just how I grew up saying it.

[sjordan2]

Lmao !

Ok. , Skip , I stand corrected ! Harry did state it best . From the time I understood the spoken word , within my family , the word was pronounced " Willys " . Who was I to question WW2 vets about the Jeeps that they drove during and after the war and how the manufacturer's name was pronounced ?

As for knowing the " subject matter " , the DVD was on airbrushing and I think that I covered that subject quite thoroughly and to a high degree !

Your video is awesome (I have both) and I mean no disrepect (hey, I called you "estimable.")

[Rob Hall]

I think regardless of how I would pronounce it, most people I know would just respond "What's a Willys'? " Kind of obscure today..

Edited December 19, 2013 by Rob Hall

[drball]

Then we to start saying Chevrolet instead of Chevy and on and on.

[Kustommerc]

This whole thread gives Me the Willys !