The Story Behind Manchaca Rd misspelling/pronunciation

[rosic]

Over the last 30 years I have "noted" that Texans actually Love and get a big charge out of spelling and Mispronouncing Spanish surnames. For example, "Manchaca" Road should be Menchaca, the first three letters are the key problem.
How do I know which is correct? I am the granddaughter of Maria Antonia MENchaca. She came to Texas
from Mexico in 1924. But even before she got here, there were other MENchacas living here. Take for example, Jose Antonio MENchaca, a Hero of The Alamo. He is now the subject of a new book about his
Recollections of Tejano life. I don't know about him, but our Surname is spelled MENchaca in Castillian.
The "Original" spelling comes from the BASQUE REGION of Spain, where it is spelled Mentxaka in Euskera,
the language of the Spanish Basques. My research has taken me to the city of Bilbao, where the original Menchaca/Mentxaka was born. So I wish Texans would make an effort (as they do pronouncing French) to spell and pronounce MENchaca (Mentxaka) Correctly!

[scm53]

Originally Posted by rosic

So I wish Texans would make an effort (as they do pronouncing French) to spell and pronounce MENchaca (Mentxaka) Correctly!

You're kidding, right? If so, I refer you to the following Texas place names, of French origin:

Beaumont
Burnet County
Castroville
Colmesnil
Doucette
Dumas
Duval County
Fayette County (named after the Marquis de Lafayette)
La Grange
La Marque
La Porte
La Salle County
Lamar County (named after early Texas leader Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar)
Marion County
Mauriceville
Menard
Mont Belvieu
Montague County

I doubt the common Texas pronunciation of any of those places would pass muster with the French.

[787]

Manchaca is actually derived from the Chinese word Manchukuo, which is better known as Manchuria, and has a very complicated past:


"Manchuria" is a translation of the Japanese word Manshū, which dates from the 19th century. The name Manju was invented and given to the Jurchen people by Nurhaci, however, the name "Manchuria" was never used by the Manchus or the Qing dynasty itself to refer to their homeland. A Japanese, Takahashi Kageyasu invented the name Manchuria in 1809 in the Nippon Henkai Ryakuzu, from where Westerners adopted the name.[5][6] Manchuria was converted into three provinces by the late Qing government. Since then, the "Three Northeast Provinces" (traditional Chinese: 東北三省; simplified Chinese: 东北三省; pinyin: Dōngběi Sānshěng) was officially used by the Qing government in China to refer to this region, and the post of Viceroy of Three Northeast Provinces was established to take charge of these provinces. After the 1911 revolution, which resulted in the collapse of the Manchu-established Qing Dynasty, the name of the region where the Manchus originated was known as the Northeast in official documents in the newly founded Republic of China, in addition to the "Three Northeast Provinces".
In current Chinese parlance, an inhabitant of "the Northeast", or Northeast China, is a "Northeasterner" (Dōngběi rén). "The Northeast" is a term that expresses the entire region, encompassing its history, culture, traditions, dialects, cuisines and so forth, as well as the "Three East Provinces" or "Three Northeast Provinces", which replaced the concept of "Manchuria" in the early 20th century. In China, the term Manchuria (traditional Chinese: 滿洲; simplified Chinese: 满洲; pinyin: Mǎnzhōu) is rarely used today and the term is often negatively associated with the Japanese imperial legacy in the puppet state of Manchukuo (traditional Chinese: 滿洲國; simplified Chinese: 满洲国; pinyin: Mǎnzhōuguó).[7] [8]
Manchuria has historically also been referred to as Guandong (traditional Chinese: 關東; simplified Chinese: 关东; pinyin: Guāndōng), which literally means "east of the pass", a reference to Shanhai Pass in Qinhuangdao in today's Hebei province, at the eastern end of the Great Wall of China. This usage is seen in the expression Chuǎng Guāndōng (literally "Rushing into Guandong") referring to the mass migration of Han Chinese to Manchuria in the 19th and 20th centuries. An alternate name, Guanwai (關外; 关外; Guānwài; "outside of the pass"), was also used for the region. The name Guandong later came to be used more narrowly for the area of the Kwantung Leased Territory on the Liaodong Peninsula.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by 787

Manchaca is actually derived from the Chinese word Manchukuo, which is better known as Manchuria, and has a very complicated past:


"Manchuria" is a translation of the Japanese word Manshū, which dates from the 19th century. The name Manju was invented and given to the Jurchen people by Nurhaci, however, the name "Manchuria" was never used by the Manchus or the Qing dynasty itself to refer to their homeland. A Japanese, Takahashi Kageyasu invented the name Manchuria in 1809 in the Nippon Henkai Ryakuzu, from where Westerners adopted the name.[5][6] Manchuria was converted into three provinces by the late Qing government. Since then, the "Three Northeast Provinces" (traditional Chinese: 東北三省; simplified Chinese: 东北三省; pinyin: Dōngběi Sānshěng) was officially used by the Qing government in China to refer to this region, and the post of Viceroy of Three Northeast Provinces was established to take charge of these provinces. After the 1911 revolution, which resulted in the collapse of the Manchu-established Qing Dynasty, the name of the region where the Manchus originated was known as the Northeast in official documents in the newly founded Republic of China, in addition to the "Three Northeast Provinces".
In current Chinese parlance, an inhabitant of "the Northeast", or Northeast China, is a "Northeasterner" (Dōngběi rén). "The Northeast" is a term that expresses the entire region, encompassing its history, culture, traditions, dialects, cuisines and so forth, as well as the "Three East Provinces" or "Three Northeast Provinces", which replaced the concept of "Manchuria" in the early 20th century. In China, the term Manchuria (traditional Chinese: 滿洲; simplified Chinese: 满洲; pinyin: Mǎnzhōu) is rarely used today and the term is often negatively associated with the Japanese imperial legacy in the puppet state of Manchukuo (traditional Chinese: 滿洲國; simplified Chinese: 满洲国; pinyin: Mǎnzhōuguó).[7] [8]
Manchuria has historically also been referred to as Guandong (traditional Chinese: 關東; simplified Chinese: 关东; pinyin: Guāndōng), which literally means "east of the pass", a reference to Shanhai Pass in Qinhuangdao in today's Hebei province, at the eastern end of the Great Wall of China. This usage is seen in the expression Chuǎng Guāndōng (literally "Rushing into Guandong") referring to the mass migration of Han Chinese to Manchuria in the 19th and 20th centuries. An alternate name, Guanwai (關外; 关外; Guānwài; "outside of the pass"), was also used for the region. The name Guandong later came to be used more narrowly for the area of the Kwantung Leased Territory on the Liaodong Peninsula.

That will make perfect sense to rosi and her family from Mexico

[squatt3r]

that last explanation totally explains it all

[DvS01]

The family name that this street is named after is Menchaca. I'm pronouncing it as such just like I'm pronouncing Mueller properly (despite how the family allegedly pronounces it). I'd be irritated if my family-named street, which is Sterzing off of Barton Springs Rd., was misspelled or grossly mispronounced. It just comes across as indolence. On that note, I don't think the city should spend it's resources changing the name at this point. It should have happened long ago.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by DvS01

The family name that this street is named after is Menchaca. I'm pronouncing it as such just like I'm pronouncing Mueller properly (despite how the family allegedly pronounces it). I'd be irritated if my family-named street, which is Sterzing off of Barton Springs Rd., was misspelled or grossly mispronounced. It just comes across as indolence. On that note, I don't think the city should spend it's resources changing the name at this point. It should have happened long ago.

Might be interesting to hear you pronounce Mueller "properly".

I reckon the folks messing up "adidas" drives you nuts!

Let's not even try Voelkl/Volkl

[Watchful]

Buzz over to Houston and take a drive on San Felipe ("san FILL-up-pee")

After all those years in Texas, I am now in Virginia, trying to live like a Virginian, but you won't catch me pronouncing the "buena" in Buena Vista as "buna." Buna is a town in southeast Texas haha!

(Just noticed this was a resurrected thread...but what the heck!)

[madrone2k]

What about B'yoodah (Buda)? Or San Saybah (San Saba)? Bear (Bexar) County? I admit that I also have a bit of a purist streak in me, too ... but some battles you can never win.

I recall one of my high-school Spanish teachers admitting that even she said called the Houston street "San FILL-up-pee" :-)

[sojourner77]

san SAAH-buh

san fuh-LEE-pay

san in-TONE-yo

new BRON-fuls

GREEN

MAY-nur