Language is a funny thing! What sounds perfectly right to us might be nowhere close to the correct pronunciation! And it turns out many Indians have been mispronouncing the names of eateries that are clearly rooted in Indian languages. Content creator Nirmal Pillai recently highlighted this in a video, calling out a few popular spots we’ve all been saying wrong, and the last one has left everyone baffled!
Have We Been Mispronouncing Indian Cafe Names?
In a video, content creator Nirmal Pillai (@mahlyf_mahrulez) hilariously pointed out how people often mispronounce cafe names that are unmistakably Indian. “My favourite cafe names in India are the ones that try to be Indian, but we don’t let them be Indian,” he started with what was going to be an eye-opening rant!.
He starts by highlighting how people mispronounce the name of Bengaluru’s famous Nenapu eatery. After a hilarious imitation of the commonly misused version, he clarifies that the correct pronunciation is “Nenapuda.” The word means “memory” in Kannada and “thought” in Tamil.
Next up is something all Mumbaikars are going to be guilty of! Amma Kai by Bastian has quickly become a favourite among South Indian food lovers. However, many have apparently been getting the name wrong. According to him, the correct pronunciation is simply amma (अम्मा), and Amma Kai translates to “mother’s hand.” So no, it’s not dramatically stretched as “AMMA” — it’s simply “Amma,” meaning mother in several South Indian languages.
If you thought those were bad enough, this one might truly shock you! “It’s everywhere, every day you hear it: ‘I’m ordering Blue Tokai. Do you want Blue Tokai? Blue Tokai has great beans!” he says in frustration. “It’s Blue Togai! Feather, feather in Tamil! Togai, it’s right there in the logo!” he rants.
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Netizens Baffled By Blue Tokai’s Pronunciation!
Watching the content creator’s hilarious rant about mispronounced eatery names left many viewers both amused and guilty. Unsurprisingly, the biggest revelation for most was Blue Tokai, and the comments section was flooded with shocked and amazed reactions.
“Blue Tokai!!!! Are you serious? I thought it was some Japanese word!” one user said.
Another added, “I never knew Blue Tokai was Blue Togai!”
A clearly frustrated netizen wrote, “They deserve a tight one from Amma Kai!”
“As a fellow South Indian, I am ashamed that I was today years old when I found this out,” one user wrote in the comments.
Someone in the comments also pointed out, “Same thing with Nappa Dori, it’s ‘naap’ like measure and dori like string.”
Many even thanked him for this clarification, “Much-needed education, thank you!”
However, many pointed out how Blue Tokai actually pronounces itself as Takai. “Blue Tokai clearly pronounces themselves as ‘To-Kai’ itself, as seen in their Hindi translation,” one of the many comments read.
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Have you been pronouncing these names wrong, too? Well, you weren’t alone!
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/mahlyf_mahrulez
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