wilder (she/her)
hOrniThe P in JPEG stands for photographic so I guess we shall pronounce it “jayfeg” based on that logic.
/s
Descriptive linguistic opinion: both the hard and soft G pronunciations are used, with the hard G being more common, but I like the soft G and use it myself.
puppycat (she/her)The only argument is that the guy who invented and named the GIF originally pronounced it that way, but he was a computer scientist, not a linguist. Thankfully the inevitable and uncontrollable evolution of language corrected that mistake fairly quickly.
Because at the origin of the format, “choosy graphic designers choose .GIF”. Which is a direct reference to JIF, the brand of peanut butter, and their tagline.
The pronunciation of an acronym often has little to nothing to do with the words themselves they represent, and more to do with the acronym itself as though it were a word.
If you pronounce gif based on the word itself, it would clearly have a hard “G”. I don’t think it’s decided by the creator anymore then by the words making up the acronym either.
Imo, word pronunciation and meaning depends on whatever “takes” in society. Most just say it like it would sound, the creators pronunciation clearly lost.
I don’t think it’s decided by the creator anymore then by the words making up the acronym either.
I mean, they got to name it… How it sounds is part of that…
Most just say it like it would sound, the creators pronunciation clearly lost.
How long have people been talking about how to pronounce gif?
I don’t think there are any winners or losers here.
I mean, they got to name it… How it sounds is part of that
How it sounds is a lot more related to basic prononciation rules then the arbitrary whims of the inventor.
In this case, he chose to name it GIF which is, believe it or not, pronounced gif in the English language. If he wanted to have it sound like jif, he should have named it JIF.
Not to say that we don’t sometimes disregard the rules for certain words. Ultimately a words meaning and prononciation is collectively decided through usage. I think collectively, we have chosen to ignore the creators lack of basic linguistic skills and prononce the word how it’s written.
let’s focus on the whole “who gets to choose how a name is pronounced”
A words meaning and prononciation is collectively decided through usage.
So the creator, the way a soft vs hard g is used in the English language, etc, none of that matters.
Noted, enjoy your day.
Girl, gift, gig, giggle, giddy, gizzard, gibbon, girth, girdle.
It’s not uncommon.
But yes, what matters most is how people prononce it. Even if this goes against what the creator wants.
The main dictionary websites wouldn’t have the hard g prononciation if the creators will was the defining factor.
A words meaning and prononciation is collectively decided through usage.
I agree. I know a ton of people that say it one way, and a ton of people who say it the other. At this point, like many English words in a similar scenario, both pronunciations are valid. I prefer to use the creator’s pronunciation, but I think saying it the other way is acceptable. At this point, everyone will know what you’re talking about regardless of pronunciation.