Seven Worlds One Planet....

[ToraToraTora]

when did an orangutan become an orang-oo-tun?

[Mamyalynne]

First two programmes brilliant so far.

I imagine many pronounce it their own way, doesn't matter.

[Old_Geezer]

We all know it's an orange-ooo-tang

[wolf63]

Orangutan babies are mega-cute but the adults are less so.

[Ken4155]

It would appear that's the way Attenborough has always pronounced it. In the clip going back to his first encounter with them, he pronounced it exactly the same.
The poor animal must have the most unfortunate scientific name; Pongo:-(

[ToraToraTora]

i've always known it as or ang a tang

[Mamyalynne]

This made me smile...

[pixie374]

I think your first pronunciation was right. I have recorded, but not watched them yet.

[Mozz71]

I don't know if anyone watched both SWOP and His Dark Materials later the same day, but there was a nice bit of juxtaposition by the Beeb in it. Mrs Coulter's daemon in the latter was one of-) the blue faced snow monkeys that featured in the former. I'm sure that was no coincidence. :-)

[Ken4155]

Noticed that too, Mozz. Bit like buses. Never seen a golden haired, snub nosed, blue faced snow monkey before then two come along almost simultaneously:-)

[Hopkirk]

I suspect your question should be the other way round.

[Quizmonster]

"Man of the woods" in Malay, - the language from which orang utan(g) comes - has the stress on the first syllable of both words...thus Orang OOtan. The upper-case letters indicate where the emphasis is placed. Malays themselves do NOT use this as the name of the animal, but anyone fluent in the language will doubtless be able to provide a more authoritative answer!
We used to have a Queen Boa-di-cea who is now usually called Boo-dick-a, so plus ca change!

[Ken4155]

^
I learned all about Boadecia, Queen of the Iceni, in school, QM. Years later, i heard it pronounced as Boodika as an answer on some quiz show or other. Must admit to having questioned my own power of recall, at the time.

[Quizmonster]

As you say, Ken, it's a trifle disconcerting when we discover things, even actual names, aren't as they've always been!

[jim360]

Your power of recall was correct, Ken, but it's now understood that Boadicea is likely to arise from a copying error in the Middle Ages, and Boudica is the correct spelling (or the nearest modern equivalent).

[douglas9401]

^A bit like Canute being adopted in an effort to keep order in history lessons. ^ :-)