Thread: How you say it?
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Old 03-30-2004, 10:09 AM
MysticCat MysticCat is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by azdtaxi
In the middle of two words it is said zee at the end it is xi
A Greek Urban Myth. Absolutely no truth to it.

Quote:
Originally posted by PhiPsiRuss I was taught that "zee" is the correct Greek pronunciation, but the anglicized pronunciation is "z-eye." The same thing with Phi.
"Z-eye" is the totally anglicized pronunciation. "Zee" is the partially anglicized pronuniciation -- the vowel sound is correct according to the Greek pronunciation, but the consonant sound (which is the sound that the letter X represents) is still anglicized. The correct Greek pronunciation is "KSee," pronouncing both the "K" and "S" sound. It is the sound represented by "X" in English. The difference is that in English, when "X" comes at the beginning of a word, we shift to a "Z" sound. In Greek, it is still a "KS" sound, even at the beginning of a word. (Think "KSerxes" or "KSylophone.")

And you're right: Same thing with Phi (and Pi, Chi and Psi, which in Greek is "PSee").
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