Why is the phi in alpha phi pronounced fee and not fye

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

See, I knew about I(ee)ota . . .

Well, of course you did, my dear SAI. Although in Greek, the Iota and the Omega form a "rising diphthong" (two vowel sounds pronounced together with the emphasis on the second vowel sound), so that the Iota becomes a gliding semivowel and the word is pronounced "YOTA."

Now, if that wasn't enough Greek letter trivia of the day:

Did you know that Omega and Omicron simply mean "Big O" or "Great O" (O mega) and "Little O" (O mikron)?

[amanda6035]

Soooo....

according to what you guys are saying, my chapter is calling our chapter designation "wrong"? Hahah. Iota Theta, but we pronounce it eye-oh-ta.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

See, I knew about I(ee)ota, but I didn't know about X, P, C and Y. So, it's really, Chee Omega. And Kappa Kappa Ksee. And Phee Sigma Pee. You know a friend of mine told me that P but I thought he was just making a joke cuz he's a little anti greek.

Not necessarily. If your GLO is accustomed to using the English pronounciation, then that's fine. If they prefer the Greek, that's fine, too. Think of it as an accent - just because you know an (American) sweater is an (English) jumper, it would sound affected if you said "jump-ah", wouldn't it?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by amanda6035

Soooo....

according to what you guys are saying, my chapter is calling our chapter designation "wrong"? Hahah. Iota Theta, but we pronounce it eye-oh-ta.

Nah. You may not be using accepted Greek pronunciation, but (like most GLOs), you're using accepted anglicized/American pronunciation.

Most GLOs pronounce it "eye-o-ta." As AlwaysSAI alludes to, however, SAI does not.

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Not necessarily. If your GLO is accustomed to using the English pronounciation, then that's fine. If they prefer the Greek, that's fine, too. Think of it as an accent - just because you know an (American) sweater is an (English) jumper, it would sound affected if you said "jump-ah", wouldn't it?

I was refering to speaking it correctly, in greek. I understand the anglecan-asion of it, but like, to really speak the greek.

[RaggedyAnn]

It can vary by campus as well.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

See, I knew about I(ee)ota, but I didn't know about X, P, C and Y. So, it's really, Chee Omega. And Kappa Kappa Ksee. And Phee Sigma Pee. You know a friend of mine told me that P but I thought he was just making a joke cuz he's a little anti greek.

Iota sounds more like Yota than EEota. Alpha Omicron Pee sounds funny, so I'm glad we use the anglicized version!

[rufio]

didn't we have a big discussion about this before. Taw vs Tau, Fye vs Fee, OoPsilon vs Yoopsilon.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by rufio

didn't we have a big discussion about this before. Taw vs Tau, Fye vs Fee, OoPsilon vs Yoopsilon.

Many times we've had this discussion. I fear we will have it many more times.

Originally Posted by amanda6035

this is what I've always heard too. Same with the letter Xi. Alpha *Zee* Delta, but for example,

Are you saying when you say Alpha Xi Delta you pronounce Zee not Xi? Just asking becasue at my school they say Alpha Xi Delta but when saying the letters they say it as AZD but write AXD. Always had wondered why they said Zee instead of Xi. Same with Alpha Phi.

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by PhiKapSkulls

Are you saying when you say Alpha Xi Delta you pronounce Zee not Xi? Just asking becasue at my school they say Alpha Xi Delta but when saying the letters they say it as AZD but write AXD. Always had wondered why they said Zee instead of Xi. Same with Alpha Phi.

ummm....we pronounce the Xi as "zee" not "zye."

Yes, we say AZD, because Xi is pronounced Zee. AZD is the pronounced the same was a AXiD (Ay Zee Dee) but we are not Alpha 'Zeta' Delta so when we write it out we write wither AXD or AXiD. (or better yet, use the actual greek letters).


ETA: Wanted to share my FAVORITE Alpha Xi song....It'll clear some of this up (haha)

*To the tune of the Oscar Mayer song...*

My sorority has a first name.....It's A-L-P-H-A
My sorority has a last name.....It's D-E-L-T-A
The middle name is hard, you see
It's spelled X-I, pronounced ZEEEEEEE
*fast* A-L-P-H-A-X-I, D-E-L-T-A, goodbye!

[AnchorAlumna]

For chapter namess, we sometimes pronounce Xi "Zye" and sometimes "Zee." And many of our our Michigan chapter members seem to pronounce their chapter name name "Beta Eks-zye." Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.

MystiCat, thanks so much for the lesson. Fascinating!

Originally Posted by amanda6035

ummm....we pronounce the Xi as "zee" not "zye."

Yes, we say AZD, because Xi is pronounced Zee. AZD is the pronounced the same was a AXiD (Ay Zee Dee) but we are not Alpha 'Zeta' Delta so when we write it out we write wither AXD or AXiD. (or better yet, use the actual greek letters).


ETA: Wanted to share my FAVORITE Alpha Xi song....It'll clear some of this up (haha)

*To the tune of the Oscar Mayer song...*

My sorority has a first name.....It's A-L-P-H-A
My sorority has a last name.....It's D-E-L-T-A
The middle name is hard, you see
It's spelled X-I, pronounced ZEEEEEEE
*fast* A-L-P-H-A-X-I, D-E-L-T-A, goodbye!

I understood the whole AXD not AZD thing. I was just giving background info as to my school. I actually meet AXD's at another school and they pronounced it Zye as well. In bot cases they say A Zee D for short but Alpha Zye Delta in the long form. Just found it interesting that your chapter pronounces it different.

What is the official pronounciation and shouldn't all chapters pronounce it the same?

[AZ-AlphaXi]

The official pronuncation of Alpha Xi Delta is Alpha KSEE Delta .. but usually said Alpha ZEE Delta and as far as I know every chapter of Alpha Xi Delta says ZEE ... some do say Zye for their chapter name - as in Zeta Zye for the chapter at Auburn but it was Zee chapter at the University of Kentucky.

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by PhiKapSkulls

I understood the whole AXD not AZD thing. I was just giving background info as to my school. I actually meet AXD's at another school and they pronounced it Zye as well. In bot cases they say A Zee D for short but Alpha Zye Delta in the long form. Just found it interesting that your chapter pronounces it different.

What is the official pronounciation and shouldn't all chapters pronounce it the same?

If they were pronouncing it Alpha Zye Delta, someone needs to wack 'em upside the head.... Maybe they were just being funny? I hope so anyway...I really hope I don't have sisters out there that are that...um, uninformed.

To be honest, the first time I saw the fliers around campus when we were colonizing...that's what I thought it was called. Then one of the national VPs who I interviewed with corrected me.