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  3. Why are computers so unpronouncable?

Why are computers so unpronouncable?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
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  • D Dalek Dave

    I think it is from a cultural perspective often very difficult to get pronunciation right. You have to be especially careful in far eastern tonal languages. Even in two close countries like US and UK there is much zealotry in the way we think the other speaks. Although to my dying day I will NEVER use Aluminum!

    ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave

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    Rob Graham
    wrote on last edited by
    #34

    Dalek Dave wrote:

    Although to my dying day I will NEVER use Aluminum!

    Yeah, I prefer stainless steel as well.

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    • S Sandeep Mewara

      french fires! ;)

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      WiGgLr
      wrote on last edited by
      #35

      freedom fires?

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      • M Member 3717204

        After hearing an ad for a computer on TV, I realized that PC names for some reason are ambiguous in their pronunciation? For Example: Acer - is it: (1) "EH" "SIR" or (2) "ACK" "ER" Asus - is it (1) "EH" "SUS" or (2) "AS" "US" ASRock - is it (1) "EH" "S" "ROCK" or (2) "AS" "ROCK" I think they are all (1). Does this apply only to computers starting with "A"? Inquirying minds want to know.

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        PIEBALDconsult
        wrote on last edited by
        #36

        Maybe, if you're from Canada.

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        • G Gregory Gadow

          Yup. Willy the Conqueror was French (Norman, actually, but close enough.) For about 400 years after the Conquest, the language of the royal court was French; this can be seen in in the different words used to describe something when it is alive (pig, cow, sheep, deer and flax are Anglo-Saxon words used by the peasants) and something used (pork, beef, mutton, venison and linen are all French words used by the aristocracy.) It was not until the War of the Roses and the rise of the Tudor dynasty in the early 15th century that English became the royal language. That changed to German with the Hanoveran dynasty and George I. He spoke only German, and while he and his son (the future George II) studied English, they were never fluent in it. George III could speak English passably, but never really learned to read or write it (it is said that when the US Declaration of Independence arrived, he had to have it read to him.) George IV (the Prince Regent to you Black Adder fans) was the first monarch in almost a hundred years who could speak, read and write English as his native tongue.

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          Dr Walt Fair PE
          wrote on last edited by
          #37

          That explains a lot about how the UK screwed up the English language. Good thing we kept it alive in the Colonies! :-\

          CQ de W5ALT

          Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software

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          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

            I think you will find that the English upper class is actually German, not French...

            You should never use standby on an elephant. It always crashes when you lift the ears. - Mark Wallace C/C++ (I dont see a huge difference between them, and the 'benefits' of C++ are questionable, who needs inheritance when you have copy and paste) - fat_boy

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            Lost User
            wrote on last edited by
            #38

            Codswallop.

            Morality is indistinguishable from social proscription

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            • D Dr Walt Fair PE

              That explains a lot about how the UK screwed up the English language. Good thing we kept it alive in the Colonies! :-\

              CQ de W5ALT

              Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software

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              Lost User
              wrote on last edited by
              #39

              Well, having a German twat on the throne was one of the reasons we lost the Americas! Did you kow that up until WW1 people in the UK were talking about taking the US back? I read it in a book by one of the Scott expedition team. WW1 and 2 were an absoloute disaster for the British Empire. It cost us prety much everything, and didnt do much for Germany either.

              Morality is indistinguishable from social proscription

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              • L Lost User

                Codswallop.

                Morality is indistinguishable from social proscription

                OriginalGriffO Offline
                OriginalGriffO Offline
                OriginalGriff
                wrote on last edited by
                #40

                I refer the honourable gentleman to Mr Delek's reply[^], which sums it up perfectly. I have been accepted as Second to Mr Dalek in the matter of a duel, and I must humbly ask for the name of your Second, so that matters may be arranged forthwith, to bring this to an honourable conclusion. I would be most grateful if your Second could contact me with alacrity, so that the necessary can be organised. Your humble servant, OriginalGriff.

                You should never use standby on an elephant. It always crashes when you lift the ears. - Mark Wallace C/C++ (I dont see a huge difference between them, and the 'benefits' of C++ are questionable, who needs inheritance when you have copy and paste) - fat_boy

                "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

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                • P peterchen

                  Potato, potato.

                  Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
                  | FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server.

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                  Jorgen Sigvardsson
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #41

                  Kartoffel, Kartoffel. Hmm... :suss:

                  -- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit

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                  • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                    Kartoffel, Kartoffel. Hmm... :suss:

                    -- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit

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                    peterchen
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #42

                    More like Kartoffel, Abern.

                    Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
                    | FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server.

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                    • M Member 3717204

                      After hearing an ad for a computer on TV, I realized that PC names for some reason are ambiguous in their pronunciation? For Example: Acer - is it: (1) "EH" "SIR" or (2) "ACK" "ER" Asus - is it (1) "EH" "SUS" or (2) "AS" "US" ASRock - is it (1) "EH" "S" "ROCK" or (2) "AS" "ROCK" I think they are all (1). Does this apply only to computers starting with "A"? Inquirying minds want to know.

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                      cgh1977
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #43

                      When it comes to pronouncing computers, the most common instance for me has been to pronounce it..... DEAD.

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                      • M Member 3717204

                        After hearing an ad for a computer on TV, I realized that PC names for some reason are ambiguous in their pronunciation? For Example: Acer - is it: (1) "EH" "SIR" or (2) "ACK" "ER" Asus - is it (1) "EH" "SUS" or (2) "AS" "US" ASRock - is it (1) "EH" "S" "ROCK" or (2) "AS" "ROCK" I think they are all (1). Does this apply only to computers starting with "A"? Inquirying minds want to know.

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                        patbob
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #44

                        They use non-words as names to avoid conflicts with other trademarks and languages on a global scale. That's why Exxon isn't Esso anymore. Nobody knows how to pronounce non words, and there's isn't some sort of dictionary to look the pronunciation up in, so interpretations vary.

                        patbob

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                        • M Michael Schubert

                          Dalek Dave wrote:

                          Although to my dying day I will NEVER use Aluminum!

                          Same here but who knows, maybe the Yanks managed to remove one of the 9 isotopes and therefore had to rename it.

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                          ed311r
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #45

                          how the name changed after reading that, i know agree that the UK is spelling it correctly.

                          -Ed

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                          • D Dalek Dave

                            Elizabeth Alexandra Schlesweg-Holstein Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Battenberg, or as we know it, The Queen, is German? Mein Gott In Himmel! Where will it end?

                            ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave

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                            Euhemerus
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #46

                            Dalek Dave wrote:

                            Elizabeth Alexandra Schlesweg-Holstein Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Battenberg, or as we know it, The Queen, is German?

                            Aye, and married to Phil the Greek.

                            No trees were harmed in the posting of this missive; however, a large number of quantum states were changed.

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                            • R R Giskard Reventlov

                              Dalek Dave wrote:

                              Although to my dying day I will NEVER use Aluminum!

                              If you lived over there you would have to or no one would know what you were talking about! The hardest one is water. If you ask for water with an English accent they don't have a clue: you have to draw it out, slowly with the emphasis on the 'a'. And they still don't know what a wanker is! :-)

                              me, me, me "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program. And if we become extinct because we don't have a space program, it'll serve us right!" Larry Niven

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                              GStrad
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #47

                              surely it is someone from this lovely little village - Wank, Bayern, Germany[^]

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                              • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                I think you will find that the English upper class is actually German, not French...

                                You should never use standby on an elephant. It always crashes when you lift the ears. - Mark Wallace C/C++ (I dont see a huge difference between them, and the 'benefits' of C++ are questionable, who needs inheritance when you have copy and paste) - fat_boy

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                                LenaBr
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #48

                                but in 1066 they became French/Norman. Those germans came later because they kept looking a the ceiling and thinking of England or maybe they didn't.

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                                • D Dalek Dave

                                  Elizabeth Alexandra Schlesweg-Holstein Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Battenberg, or as we know it, The Queen, is German? Mein Gott In Himmel! Where will it end?

                                  ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave

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                                  arcb
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #49

                                  No, the Queen is English. Her family has some Germans in it. (Albert was the last actual German, the first was brought in to replace Anne). It also has Scots, French, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Greek... There's greek before Phil even. And Phil was prince of Greece and Denmark, due to his parents. And then there's Harry, who's probably Irish...

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                                  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                    Dalek Dave wrote:

                                    Pistols at dawn

                                    Do you require a second, sir?

                                    You should never use standby on an elephant. It always crashes when you lift the ears. - Mark Wallace C/C++ (I dont see a huge difference between them, and the 'benefits' of C++ are questionable, who needs inheritance when you have copy and paste) - fat_boy

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                                    James Lonero
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #50

                                    Yes, call him sir twice. Sir sir. Now, back to Jay Leno.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
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