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Re: How to pronounce "Debian"?



On Sun, Oct 20, 2002 at 10:52:07PM -0400, Mark L. Kahnt wrote:
> On Sun, 2002-10-20 at 22:47, Richard Beri wrote:
> > I cannot stop myself from referring to it as deeb-ian.
> > 
> > I think it also has to do with the way I first pronounced it in my head 
> > when I first read about Debian.  Long before I new it had to do with a 
> > guy and his wife, Ian and Deborah.
> 
> From what you said earlier, don't you mean "Deeb-orah"?

:)

it's all in the syllabification:

	de-note
	de-stroy
	de-duce

	de-bi-an => DEE bee un
	deb-i-an => DEB ee un

given the etymology, the latter would seem more apropos; but
without the etymology, standard american usage would lean
towards the former.

for example, how should 'calliope' be prounounced, eh?
CAL-ee-ope? sure looks that way -- but no, it's cal-EYE-o-pee.
so then why isn't 'telephone' pronounced tel-EFF-on-ee?

this is what happens when you have a language designed by
committee. and not even an elected committee, at that.

i, too, thought 'DEE-bee-un' upon seeing the spelling. upon
hearing the etymology, 'DEB-ee-un' seems quite a reasonable
interpretation.

them that gets offended by the minpronunciation of their choice
would do well to find other venues for their free time. :)

point: deb-ee-un isn't guaranteed to be obvious due to
syllabification standards -- but it is reasonable. (and 'round
these parts, expected.)

-- 
I use Debian/GNU Linux version 2.2;
Linux server 2.2.17 #1 Sun Jun 25 09:24:41 EST 2000 i586 unknown
 
DEBIAN NEWBIE TIP #85 from USM Bish <bish@nde.vsnl.net.in>
:
Where should you SEARCH FOR DEBIAN PACKAGES?
	http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages
Also,
	apt-cache search <package>
might get you the info as well.

Also see http://newbieDoc.sourceForge.net/ ...



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