All off topic discussions go here. Everything from the funny thing your cat did to your favorite tv shows. Non-programming computer questions are ok too.
Mostly, when something English sounds better in Slovak, I change my pronouncation. I've formed the Slovak pronouncation to a english word that sounds similarly (but not close).
Linux: Lee-nooks
beta: beh-tah
Windows: Veendoze (the original english word Windows is pronouncated in Slovak as "Vindous"... )
Microsoft: Meekroa-soft
monitor: moa-nee-tor
MP3: em-peh-tree
mobil: mo-beel
Vista: vee-stah
Other words like "software", "hardware" say I as in English.
Being the first Englishman to post here I might as well give my views...
Beta = "Bee-tah"
Linux = "Lyn-ux" as in the girl's name. But some make a soft I, as in "Line-ux".
GNU = "Gunoo" or "Gee-Enn-Yoo" depending on who you are!
I *heavily* dislike hearing beta said "Bay-tah" - it makes me shudder inside and want to pick up a heavy implement...
I can't just get the fact, that on some forums they are calling me as "inflator". But I'm not a tire pump or a supercharger! ... Does it sound good in English? I pronounce my nick as "een-flah-thaer" with accentuated T and longer "ae". (Tested on Microsoft Sam speech synthesizer)
Also I have problems understanding some natives. For example a 80's song Kids in America from Kim wilde... I actually didn't knew what she's singing about (except the line "we're kids in america whoah") until I've downloaded the lyrics.
It's pronounced (in Home Counties English, or Queen's English):
"In-flay-tuh", with a short "I" as in the word "ShoppIng", and the "flay" rhyming with "plane". The end syllable would more properly be "ter", or "tuhr" - same pronunciation, i'm just trying to get the correct sound across!
Linux: Lin-icks (Lin rhymes Win from Windows)
sometimes Line-nucks but I changed after I heard Linus pronounce it his way on a webcast.
Inflater - In-flay-ter (flay rhymes with play, tor rhymes with her)
Sometimes I would pronounce -or ending words with -er (vector turns into vecter) if I'm talking fast, less often if I talk slow.
I grew up on the south coast and went to a Catholic school, but I've noticed in eastern Australia around Sydney and Brisbane (where I'm living now) a lot more people substitute -er and -or sounds for -uh, so water because wat-uh, and they say words like plant as pl-ant instead of pl-aunt. Some times I try to say words their way so I fit in, but most of the time I just subconsciously say words the way I'm use to.
JamesM wrote:It's pronounced (in Home Counties English, or Queen's English)
I didn't think anyone in York used Queen's English
...OK - I know, that's rich coming from someone who lives in Devon...
Pah! I went to a private school in Newcastle, lived in Durham most of my life, I'm at uni in York (have been for 2 years) and am currently in work placement in Manchester. Oh, and my GF lives in Essex. So I have a northern tinged accent but nothing to specific.
and MessiahAndrw: "Pl-ant" is the correct way of saying it! as is "Bath" better than "Barth" with an "ah" sound rather than an "arrr" sound.
I am biased because that is the way words are pronounced in northern England