Re: silly question
On Wed, Mar 02, 2005 at 04:29:15PM +0100, Roel Schroeven wrote:
> Michael Z Daryabeygi wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>> so the correct pronunciation would be deb'ian/deb'ee'an (as opposed
> >>> to dee'be'an)?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian#History
> >
> >
> > Why is it that so many americans have looked at it and said, "Deebian"?
> > I don't get it and thought I was wrong when I first talked to someone
> > about debian.
>
> Beats me too. Here in Belgium, most people I know say "Deebian" for one
> reason or another, are surprised when I tell them it's wrong and why,
> and often keep saying "Deebian" (even though I think it sounds ugly)?
>
According to wikipedia debian is derived from Debra and Ian. Debra and
zebra share 4 out of 5 letters. My Webster's New Collegiate does not
list Debra, but does list zebra for which there are two pronunciations:
zee-breh and zeh-breh. So this doesn't settle the issue. But in America
it is generally accepted that one should pronounce the given name of
an individual the way that that individual wishes to have it pronounced.
By this convention, we should ask Debra, whose last name I do not know,
how she would like to have her first name pronounced. It might be the
way it is pronounced in Belgium. And then it might not. And maybe she
would prefer that Debian be pronounced in a way different from the
way her name should be pronounced.
--
Paul E Condon
pecondon@mesanetworks.net
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