You cannot know the forbidden truth.
What did the creator of the GIF name them? Imagine if a bunch of people read your name wrong, then when you told them how it’s pronounced said that they don’t care, and your mom was wrong to pronounce your name that way.
Eh, I prefer the descriptivist method of language. It’s how language evolves over time.
Comparing it to a personal name is a false equivalence. GIF is an acronym, people could enunciate each letter if they so preferred and it would be more accurate/true to creation than even the creator’s opinion of how to pronounce it.
I just don’t think that usual linguistic rules should apply to a thing that a guy literally invented and named.
The person who invented it gets to name it.
Except he didn’t invent the words used to name what he invented. If he had just named it gif and pronounced it jif and non of those letters stood for anything I would see your point, but he didn’t. He named it graphic interchange format, shortened to gif. That said, who gives a shit pronounce it how you want. Language evolves anyways.
Nobody pronounces it with a hard G because of what the G stands for. Acronyms don’t work like that. They do it because a hard G is more common when starting words in English than a soft one.
Sure, but that doesn’t change anything in my mind. Descriptivism FTW!
You better be consistent, then! Jfeg!
Garage had two Gs, both pronounced different.
Both are correct, imo. However, it’s hard to stand by that when you have to spell it JIF for people to know you are using the J variation of G.
And how do you tell people how to pronounce garage using text?
gə-ˈräZH
but seriously, any time some one says they use the J sound, they explain by spelling it JIF. It’s just a joke though. No one cares how you pronounce it.
Gin? Genetics? Giant?
Do you pronounce Origin like Oregon?
I personally find arguing pronunciation as entirely pointless when there are many words in English that get pronounced different based on a multitude of factors.
People also like to argue it’s an acronym, but do you pronounce NASA the same as you pronounce the first letter of each word of National Aeronautics and Space Administration?
Honestly? Just say it how it makes sense to you.
People also like to argue it’s an acronym, but do you pronounce NASA the same as you pronounce the first letter of each word of National Aeronautics and Space Administration?
Um, yes?
I’m assuming we’re talking about the two A letters here, since nothing comes to mind about a different pronunciation of N or S in American English.
In American English - at least in my experience - the first sound in aeronautics is exactly the same as in “air,” which is also the same as in “administration.” We don’t generally say it as in “ear-onautocs.”
Also, I’m curious - has anyone ever published a study describing whether or not the difference in pronunciation differs between sectors in the computer science community? Particularly, is there a difference between normal developers and those who write in a Lisp?
Not to mention the creator of GIF prefers the JIF pronunciation.
It doesn’t really matter, but I find the hard g folks have a stick up their ass about it.
I understand your point in the creator but I find fault in that argument.
Historically it doesn’t matter what the creator of anything prefers unless it’s an “unveiling” and they name it on the spot. People in general will take something and run with it regardless of the creators intent. The perfect example is “light saber” versus “laser sword.” (Edit forgot to add the word sword after laser)
To be honest I don’t care all that much. If you say jif or gift without the t, either way I know what you are talking about.
Hate to break it to you OP but it’s 100% Jif.
It is infact Graphics Interchange format. Not Jirafics Interchange format.
I know the creator pronounces it Jif, but there are lots of people in the world who pronounce things wrong.
I offer up “niche”. It’s actually not nitch no matter how many people say it like that.
Lookit all the nerds I triggered. Popcorn time!
“There are lots of people in the world who pronounce things wrong”
“Its actually not nitch no matter how many people say it like that”
You’re this close to getting it.