X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f996b,9e51ecc1ea7bb41b X-Google-Attributes: gidf996b,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 1994-12-28 17:22:47 PST Path: nntp.gmd.de!newsserver.jvnc.net!howland.reston.ans.net!nntp.crl.com!crl3.crl.com!not-for-mail From: sirdyst@crl.com (Josh Buchbinder) Newsgroups: alt.ascii-art Subject: Re: GIF? Date: 28 Dec 1994 16:45:40 -0800 Organization: Burning Electric Death Lines: 34 Message-ID: <3dt0rk$l0i@crl3.crl.com> References: <94331.142743DWM7@psuvm.psu.edu> <3bovks$9er@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu> <3c3oiu$6i7@potogold.rmii.com> <3drrt2$4lq@Mars.mcs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: crl3.crl.com X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] On 28 Dec 1994 08:14:57 -0600, Diki Shamlian Gust (dikig@MCS.COM) said: :>Benjamin Ledsham (bledsham@shore.net) wrote: :>: In article , inaba@primenet.com wrote: :>: > You can't trust anyone now adays! It doesn't make sense to be :>: > pronounced 'jif'! Graphic is a hard G, why would you change it to :>: > a soft G in the abreviation? :>: The "g" is pronounced as a "j" because it is followed by an "i" as in :>: "giraffe" or "ginger". The same holds true if the "g" is followed by an :>: "e" as in "gelatin" or "gem". There are exceptions, but this is the :>: general rule. :>My suspicion is that it has nothing to do with the general rules of :>pronunciation. (Or that "Graphic" is a hard "G".) I presume that :>initially people just said "gee" "eye" "eff", and the more familiar :>they became with it and the faster they said it, the more it elided :>into "jif". I think the main problem, and a common one, is that you all are trying to pronounce an acronym! You wouldn't say "Siyah", you say "C.I.A.". Just because this particualy acronym happens to make a pronouncable word doesn't mean that it should be pronounced, but if you are going to pronounce it, it should be pronounced as it's SPELLED, completely ignoring the original words that it is shortened from. That's what I think anyway. -sd -- "Better weapons lead to better and better weapons, until the earth is a grenade with the fuse burning." -WSB