Toyota = Abundance of rice - Toyota Yaris Forums

cali yaris · 07-17-2009, 02:26 AM

The original company name was the family name, "Toyoda". It was changed shortly after they started marketing cars in the USA, but there are a few vintage Toyodas still around.

eTiMaGo · 07-17-2009, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cali yaris

The original company name was the family name, "Toyoda". It was changed shortly after they started marketing cars in the USA, but there are a few vintage Toyodas still around.

+1

Or it's like saying "Linton" means there is a lot of lint on you

Yaris Hilton · 07-17-2009, 04:18 AM

Changing "Toyoda" to "Toyota" was done for the Japanese market when the auto company was separated from the parent Toyoda firm in 1937, not when they started exporting to the U.S.
http://www.toyota-industries.com/cor...tory/1930.html
There are several online references saying it was done because "Toyota" is simpler to write in Japanese, and they thought it looked better.

yarisugi · 07-17-2009, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton

There are several online references saying it was done because "Toyota" is simpler to write in Japanese, and they thought it looked better.

True. And Japanese people in their homeland pronounce it TO-YO-TA. Most westerners pronounce it TO-YO-DA.

Why westerners pronounce "karaoke" as ka-ree-O-kee baffles me.

GeneW · 07-18-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yarisugi

Why westerners pronounce "karaoke" as ka-ree-O-kee baffles me.

There aren't many Japanese words that westerners know well. One of them is "Hara-Kiri", which is pronounced "Hairy Carry" by many Americans. Unfortunately Americans came to know that term because our Veterans from the Pacific theater got to witness this act being carried out, when motivated members of the Imperial Japanese Army exercised their perversion of Budo and killed themselves rather than go home and help lead Japan's recovery.

Could also be that Americans first heard the word "Karaoke" being spoken by drunk folks and the mispronunciation "stuck".

I think this goes both ways.... I've heard some Japanese pronounce "McDonald's", it comes out sounding like "Mac Don-Al-Da". A little patience and respect for the speaker's dignity goes a long way in communicating.

Gene

eTiMaGo · 07-18-2009, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeneW

I think this goes both ways.... I've heard some Japanese pronounce "McDonald's", it comes out sounding like "Mac Don-Al-Da". A little patience and respect for the speaker's dignity goes a long way in communicating.

Gene

Yep, but in this case that's to do with the limitations of their language, if there's no phonetic "DZ" kinda sound in Japanese, they have to approximate with the closest native sound. Same reason why it took me years to pronounce "the" properly (no TH sound in French)

seeing KARAOKE and pronouncing it KARI-OKIE is just... er...

GeneW · 07-18-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eTiMaGo

Yep, but in this case that's to do with the limitations of their language, if there's no phonetic "DZ" kinda sound in Japanese, they have to approximate with the closest native sound. Same reason why it took me years to pronounce "the" properly (no TH sound in French)

seeing KARAOKE and pronouncing it KARI-OKIE is just... er...

....seems kind of natural, ne c'est pas?

French is a great language in which to sneer or curse. It was also once the scientific language of Europe, especially at the turn of the 20th century, when Poincare and others were leaders in Math and Physics. I have two years of University French and two years of Spanish. The two together in one head with marginal fluency in both can cause amazing gaffes.

Gene

mrbond · 07-17-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cali yaris

The original company name was the family name, "Toyoda". It was changed shortly after they started marketing cars in the USA, but there are a few vintage Toyodas still around.

Yup, no denying this.

Yaris Hilton · 07-17-2009, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbond

Yup, no denying this.

I'm denying this. Based on a bunch of reputable appearing sites on Toyota history, starting with the factory link I gave above. The car company was called Toyota in 1937, and it was 10 years or more later before any of their cars were exported to the U.S. Google "Toyota history" and browse for yourself.

GeneW · 07-18-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cali yaris

The original company name was the family name, "Toyoda". It was changed shortly after they started marketing cars in the USA, but there are a few vintage Toyodas still around.

I think that Toyota still makes Looms and Automated Weaving machines. That was how they got their start way back when.

Gene

YarisPR · 07-20-2009, 01:02 PM

Here in P.R. Hondas = Abundance of Rice!!!

View Poll Results: Do you think of Toyota as rice?
Yes	5	14.71%
No	25	73.53%
Undecided	4	11.76%
Voters: 34. You may not vote on this poll

07-17-2009, 02:26 AM	#1
cali yaris ULTIMATE View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Turbo Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canoga Park, CA Posts: 14,859	The original company name was the family name, "Toyoda". It was changed shortly after they started marketing cars in the USA, but there are a few vintage Toyodas still around. __________________ Micro Image forums, online store and shop are now closed. It was a great eight year run, but it was time to focus on other things. I'm still selling parts on eBay under micro*image seller ID and customers can still make requests for anything specific.

07-20-2009, 01:02 PM	#11
YarisPR Drives: Yaris Sedan Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: MayaWest, Puerto Rico Posts: 1,574	Here in P.R. Hondas = Abundance of Rice!!! __________________ I Drive a 129whp Yaris ;)

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07-17-2009, 04:18 AM	#3
Yaris Hilton Half a Bubble Off Plumb Drives: 2009 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bristol, Tennessee, USA Posts: 1,593	Changing "Toyoda" to "Toyota" was done for the Japanese market when the auto company was separated from the parent Toyoda firm in 1937, not when they started exporting to the U.S. http://www.toyota-industries.com/cor...tory/1930.html There are several online references saying it was done because "Toyota" is simpler to write in Japanese, and they thought it looked better.