HEARD OVER THE WIRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 424, 15 November 1930, Page 10

HEARD OVER THE WIRE

“HELLO” IN CHINESE. WORLD'S TELEPHONE TERMS. In London it is, “Arc you there?” In Paris, “J’ecoute, ” in Berlin. “Bitte, Nummer.” In San Francisco, “Number please,” She is a “telephonist” in London; just “mademoiselle,” in Paris; “horn sin luey” in China; and in Berlin and San Francisco, “operator.” Thus do world telephone terms vary.

Translations of the foreign terms are as follows: J’ecoute, “I am listening”; Bitte, Nummer, “Please number”; Day huey bin she ah, “What place do you wish to call”; Hom sio luey, “A telephone girl.” A better term for operator in Chinese is “Din sax sin gay sum,” or “Someone who answers the telephone and takes care of connecting you.” In Italy the operator says “pronto,” or ready. “J’ecoute’’ is used also in Belgium. In both France and Belgium the operators sometimes say, “Hello,” a term officially discarded in America.

In Japan she is “denwa kokanshu,” or “telephone operator,” and she says “Moshi, moshi, nanban, desuka,” or “Hello, hello, number please.” • In Denmark and Norway she is “telefondame,” or “telephone lady,” and she says, “Central,” a term<once used in America. I n Sweden she is ‘ ‘ teleonist”; Amsterdam knows her as “teefonn vufrouw,” and she says, “Uw nummei ’” or “Your number?”