Quinoa - "You say toMAYto, I say toMAHto"

Question

When I was in the grocery store yesterday, there was a tall white chef-looking guy behind a table demonstrating and giving samples of a quinoa salad he had made, obviously promoting the sale of quinoa. From his accent, he sounded like he was from the mid-western part of the U.S. I asked what it was, and he told me "KEEN-wah." A Peruvian woman, about 50 years old, was standing there, too. She said "kee-NOH-wah." The chef said, "It's pronounced "KEEN-wah." The woman said, "Where does it come from?" The chef said, "From Peru." The woman said, "So do I. Peruvians speak Spanish. It's pronounced 'kee-NOH-wah."

Apart from the humor of this exchange (I actually laughed out loud, much to the consternation of the chef and the delight of the woman), it got me wondering how the word really is pronounced. It seems that the "KEEN-wah" pronunciation is one of those "that's how proper people say it" things. I would tend instead to side with the Peruvian woman. Websites seem to be split down the middle, some saying either way is correct.

What do you all think? I'd especially like to hear from Central and South Americans, and from Spaniards.

Interesting. The woman is probably right. jeje - rac1, Mar 18, 2015

Isn't the woman always right? (I had 4 older sisters!) - Winkfish, Mar 18, 2015

Love this! Keep it up Senor Wink! - 00ffada9, Mar 19, 2015

Answer 1

This is a quote I found on YouTube:

Quinoa is a grain from Peru. The Majority of Peruvians speak Spanish, in Spanish the pronunciation is Key-No-Uh. But in Peru there are a lot of people who speak Quechua (an Amerindian tribe) These people pronounce it Keen-Wa.

A bit of research reveals that the word came into Spanish from Quechuan, so "keen-o-uh" appears to have resulted from a close-enough-for-government-work transcription.

Answer 2

Go with the native speaker. I have no idea what sort of salad this is, but in Spanish quinoa would indeed be pronounced something like kinooa, with the stress on the oo's.

It looks a little like bulgar wheat and has about the same feel and texture. - Winkfish, Mar 18, 2015

Great information, what on earth is bulgar wheat? - annierats, Mar 19, 2015

Bulgur is a type of dried cracked wheat common in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines. - jtaniel, Mar 19, 2015

Answer 3

Can't they both have been right?

In Mexico, the correct pronunciation of México is MEH-hee-co (más o menos). In the US, the correct pronunciation of Mexico is MECKS-ih-co (más o menos). In Mexico I have heard only kee-NOH-wah, and in the US only KEEN-wah. I propose that each is correct in context.

Aye, but it's definitely toMAHto !! ;-) - Faldaesque, Mar 19, 2015

:-D - Winkfish, Mar 19, 2015