Usama instead of Osama

So, i was watching the news and i saw a report that used Usama instead of Osama. In the media i have always seen them use Osama, since when have they stated using Usama?

Do you think that they don't want a correlation between Osama and Obama? hmmm....is this more media trying to make influence?

I have heard both U and O used.

When the gov't releases tapes from UBL that have been interpreted, they always use UBL and then the words afterwards like this ..

UBL - 'I say death to America'.

That's been going on for at least 5 years that I can remember.

I know that Fox News has been using Usama for years. I'm not sure the reason, but I bet that it has something to do with the transliteration of the Arabic name. Yeah, I just looked at the Wikipedia page and it has the transliteration of the Arabic as Usāma. With the "U", it would mean that the first vowel makes an "oo" sound, like in boot. Maybe initally Osama was choosen instead of Usama because Osama is a bit easier to say, at least for an English speaker.

If more media is doing this now, I don't think that it has anything to do with Osama being close to the spelling of Obama. They may simply be doing it because Usama is technically more correct. I wouldn't be surprised if they start saying his name "Usahma" [with a long a were the "a" has a dash over it, as that is what the dash indicates].

It funny you should mention this, He accepted my friend request a few weeks ago

reply to post by deadoralive


Haha. Man, that's pretty funny! I bet you're on every terror watch list imaginable now!

reply to post by Goradd


Maybe this is the USA's way of 'personalising' their enemy.....USA MA. Surely having their own country's ID in the name of their largest threat does something to the psyche of the citizens of the US....

Is it possible that by using Usama as opposed to Osama, some kind of word association is set off? After all, the American PTB are not at all shy in reminding their people (and the rest of the world) just who their number one enemy is. This would be one way of drumming it into them, over and over ..... just a thought.

reply to post by deadoralive


Looks like he's going to The Delahays on August 1st. Let's nab him then.
haha
cute.

But in most middle eastern languages, vowels don't transfer directly to English vowels. The pronounciation for both is probably correct.