Re: How do you say "gnus"?

[Phil Stripling]

David Sumbler <david@aeolia.co.uk> writes:

> Now for the trivial question: how do you say "Gnus"?  Is it pronounced
> like "News", or do the cognoscienti pronounce it in some other way?

Do you know what a schwa is? If not, see 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwa

Since I can't type the upside down e that is the symbol for schwa, let me
use uh. 'uh' cannot be accented, so gnus is pronounced 
guh 'noose
with the accent on noose.

>SNIP<
> For that matter, how do people usually say "Emacs"?  I say "Ee-macs",
> but perhaps it should be "Em-axe".

'ee macs
 
> On the very rare occasions when I have managed to get to a local Linux
> user group (my work schedule doesn't usually allow it) I've realized
> that most people seem to say "Line-ux" for what I think of as
> "Linn-ux".  I suppose none of it matters much, especially if I never
> get to talk to anyone about these things!

It's a coined word, as are gnus (in this instance) and emacs, so
pronunciation is not governed by standard rules (gif, for example is
supposed to be pronounced using the hard g found in golf, but American
English proposes that it should be jiff. C'est la vie.) In American
English, Linus is pronounced so that the first syllable rhymes with
eye. There are people who pronounce linux that way, too. Others try to ape
Linus Torvalds's pronunciation and say something like linn ooooooks. Others
go for lee nooks. Still others Americanize it as 'lin ucks.

My suggestion is that when you fall in with a group that uses linux, just
say it as they do.

For the official pronunciation, hear 
http://www.paul.sladen.org/pronunciation/torvalds-says-linux.wav

No matter how you say any of the words, have fun. Okay?
-- 
Phil Stripling           | email to the replyto address is presumed
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