2708: Lesson from Ramen and Lo Mein May 19, 2024

While there are some differences, the Chinese lo mein and Japanese ramen are based off the same thing, originating in China, but the words reflect this as well, along with other dishes like lamian and Korean ramyeon all meaning ‘pulled noodles’. In both Chinese and Japanese, the  /r/ sound varies widely depending on the linguistic environment, and dialect, generally leaning towards a tap [ɾ] (as in Standard American pronunciation of butter) or [l], or one of many other liquid consonants. This poses an obvious problem in transliterating into English, with more R’s from Japanese and more L’s from Chinese as seen in food- and place names etc..