"Sorority Wars" on Lifetime this Saturday

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by pearlbubbles

I think it's "ee" after a vowel and "eye" after a consonant. That's what I was told when I asked. But then I don't really know what to do about Alpha Phi Delta, for instance, because I've always heard it pronounced "pheye," but it comes after a vowel.

That's a Greek Urban Legend. I did a ridiculously long response but for some reason it disappeared. Everyone is probably better off.

I'll just refer to this old post of mine.

Originally Posted by thetygerlily

Is "zeye" a regional thing perhaps? Kind of like pronouncing Italian as "it-alian" vs. "eye-talian"? I was completely thrown off when I heard some people say that in college (in the midwest), I had no idea anyone said that (had never heard it in the northwest).... maybe it's like that?

I wouldn't consider it a regional thing. The pledge manual for Theta Xi Fraternity gives zzEYE as the pronunciation. So do the websites of lots of Greek Life offices. (My fraternity's manual does as well, FWIW.)

It's a matter of preference. Alpha Xi Delta prefers zee. Theta Xi apparently prefers zeye. Alpha Phi prefers fee, while almost all other orgs that use F prefer fie.

[pearlbubbles]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

That's a Greek Urban Legend. I did a ridiculously long response but for some reason it disappeared. Everyone is probably better off.

I'll just refer to this old post of mine.

Well, I guess that makes a lot more sense than pronunciation changing based on being behind a consonant or a vowel, lol. I wonder why different organizations choose the different pronunciations though...

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

That's a Greek Urban Legend. I did a ridiculously long response but for some reason it disappeared. Everyone is probably better off.

I'll just refer to this old post of mine.

I wouldn't consider it a regional thing. The pledge manual for Theta Xi Fraternity gives zzEYE as the pronunciation. So do the websites of lots of Greek Life offices. (My fraternity's manual does as well, FWIW.)

It's a matter of preference. Alpha Xi Delta prefers zee. Theta Xi apparently prefers zeye. Alpha Phi prefers fee, while almost all other orgs that use F prefer fie.

Awesome- thank you MysticCat! I didn't realize that all of the "eye" letters are "ee" in Greek, such as Pi and Chi. Now comes the fun part of remembering how everyone says it.

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I now have the almost uncontrollable urge to go get every Greek (GLO-style Greek, that is) movie, tv show, and book and make a massive marathon. But alas I will finish off the workday instead like a good girl.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

I would like to mention I noticed the same thing with Upsilon. Psi U learns to pronounce it Yoop-Si-Lon while most greeks I have met pronounce it Up-Si-Lon

Right. Meanwhile, in Greek, the U is more like the German ü, so that it comes out sounding like a cross between OO-psi-lon and EE-psi-lon.

Originally Posted by pearlbubbles

Well, I guess that makes a lot more sense than pronunciation changing based on being behind a consonant or a vowel, lol. I wonder why different organizations choose the different pronunciations though...

Preference as to whether they wanted to use the American or Greek pronunciation. I've always imagined some good Greek professor telling the founders of Alpha Phi, "you know, the correct way to pronounce that letter is . . . ."

Originally Posted by thetygerlily

Awesome- thank you MysticCat! I didn't realize that all of the "eye" letters are "ee" in Greek, such as Pi and Chi. Now comes the fun part of remembering how everyone says it.

You can include in the "ee" letters I, which the sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota would tell you is EE-ota. (In Greek, it's actually closer to Yota.)

You'd be surprised how many names of Greek letters are not pronounced in Greek like they are in English.