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On the GIF/JIF debate: Every word (except gin) that starts with G, then a vowel, then an F, is pronounced with a hard G. For example: Gaffe. Gift. Guff. Guffaw
by Daneel_ 5y ago
On the GIF/JIF debate:
Every word (except gin) that starts with G, then a vowel, then an F, is pronounced with a hard G. For example:
Gaffe. Gift. Guff. Guffaw.
Most one-syllable words that start with G have a hard G (not an exhaustive list):
Gab. Gad. Gag. Gal. Gam. Gap. Gas. Gay. Get. Gig. Gill. Gimp. Gird. Girl. Git! Give. Go. Goal. Gob. God. Gone. Gore. Got. Guide. Guild. Guilt. Gull. Gulp. Gum. Gun. Gust. Gut. Guy.
The word "gift" is the closest word to GIF, and it has a hard G. To pronounce GIF, just say "gift" without the "t".
- cafard 5y agoAn argument of pure genius!
- jwiz 5y agoThe thing is, he named it. So he gets to say how it is spelled and how it is pronounced. You don't call the Spanish exchange student "Gee-Suss", you call him "Hey-soos", because it's a name.
- zzleeper 5y agoNah, once it's out there people can do whatever they want with it, in the same way that once "xerox" became a common word, it wouldn't matter if Xerox Corp. came and said "hey btw it's pronounced as ZEROZ".
- jwiz 5y ago"I don't care what you say your name is, I seen how you spells it, yer Gee-suss."
- necovek 5y agoExcept that GIF is not a personal name, and all those meme GIFs won't be mad if we call them "jifs" or "gifs". Names for things get lives of their own. Similarly, I don't think it merits looking at similar words for the "proper" pronounciation. If anything, it makes sense to look at expanded acronym (Graphics Interchange Format) which still points at the hard G (unless it's Jraphics Interchange Format :)). But hearing it from whoever coined the term is definitely similarly applicable. Still, I would reiterate, names for things that get wide adoption get their own lives, and we'd face an uphill battle to stop people from using them how they want. As long as we can understand each other, we are golden. And when we can't, it's not that hard to get back on the same page.
- asciii 5y ago> If anything, it makes sense to look at expanded acronym (Graphics Interchange Format) which still points at the hard G (unless it's Jraphics Interchange Format :)). But hearing it from whoever coined the term is definitely similarly applicable. This. I first learned what the acronym came from and assumed the G was a hard G from Graphics. I just assume anyone who pronounces it with a hard G learned it on their own.
- jwiz 5y ago> Except that GIF is not a personal name, and all those meme GIFs won't be mad if we call them "jifs" or "gifs". Well, I guess you can say it how you want, but it still seems disrespectful to insist that majority rules over the inventor's wishes.
- ar_lan 5y agoCan't you make this argument to just bully people you don't like? If you get a majority of people to say "zzleeper" is actually pronounced "crap bag", then majority rule wins, right, and you must acknowledge people when they call out "crap bag"? I just don't really see how majority rule should follow. I'm also curious to what extent we allow this to function. Is it just limited to names?
- RamblingCTO 5y agoBut "Hey-soos" is wrong as well ... Listen to it here: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+do+you+pronounce+spanish+jesus https://www.google.com/search?q=how+do+you+pronounce+spanish...
- int0x20 5y agoBut GIF is an acronym
- drdeadringer 5y agoSo is ASAP, and there are people who say it as a word ["A-Sap"] as well as people who verbally spell it out ["A-S-A-P"].
- int0x20 5y agoSure, but OPs whole argument was filled with non-acronyms, so IMO it's a bit different
- veltas 5y ago> except gin Gin is all I need to be convinced honestly, and where I come from that's a more frequently used, relevant word than everything else you listed.
- m463 5y agoI wonder if we should let "git" follow this rule, sometimes.
- keithnz 5y agomaybe you should put your thoughts into a gist :)
- JKCalhoun 5y agoGit outta here.
- alexb_ 5y agonot gonna lie I definitely used a soft G before learning otherwise
- hardg 5y agoGlobal Information Tracker, so no
- brudgers 5y ago"Did you mean 'just in time?'"
- layer8 5y agoI have a coworker who does.
- davidjytang 5y agoWhat would Mel Gibson think?
- charcircuit 5y ago
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- chaboud 5y agoWould you pronounce it “Grin-drrrrr” because you just want to normalize to a hooked-on-phonics view of pronunciation while using a language that is a crash-merge of proto-Germanic and French with a sprinkling of centuries of colonial cultural appropriation? “GIF” is like a brand. It’s a spec; a proper noun. As such, it has a clearly intended pronunciation that was unambiguously provided by the creator. That guy is dead now, so he may not notice, but try honoring his intentions for a day. Everyone who gets dogmatic about “I don’t care what the spec is like” just comes off seeming to me like old Englishmen who quite clearly intentionally mispronounce non-English words (except French, which they relish…). It used to be that the only folks I knew who pronounced this out of spec were my parents and grandparents (because the didn’t know better and were computer illiterate). Now, somehow, we have rafts of people who have adopted the posture of my parents in the 90s with pride. I imagine that the next 24 hours will see a lot of these sorts of discussions…
- deelowe 5y agoThe pronunciation is intentionally odd. It’s a play on an old advertising tagline. It was “choosy developers choose gif”
- agloeregrets 5y agoFor those who don't know: "Choosy Moms choose Jif" (Peanut Butter) Obviously, they don't use that marketing anymore.
- keithnz 5y agothe word gin is closest to grin, maybe we should say gin without the "r".... these arguments are really bad, there is no real rule to follow, especially for an acronym. Anyways... this gent was a gem, a real gentle giant and genius.... these debates are like germs and generate generic retorts, lets be more genuine.... I hope you are getting the gist of this comment.
- paul_f 5y agoGIF is an acronym pronounced as a single word. Jee-Eye-Eff. Hence, 'jiff'. You can tell who knows what GIF means by how they pronounce it.
- pclmulqdq 5y agoMy SCUBA gear begs to disagree with you. So does my LASER pointer.
- makeitdouble 5y agoYou make it sound like word pronunciations are logical, follow rules, behave similarly to other words that are close in origin or in writing. That’s not how it works. That’s like trying to convince someone who names his son “Richard” how the last letters are supposed to be pronounced. There’s no amount of debate you could have that actually makes any progress one way or another.
- 51Cards 5y agoFrom the man himself: There has been a huge debate about the real pronunciation of GIF over the years and many users have continued to offer their own arguments. But in 2013, Steve settled the debate once and for all during his acceptance speech of his lifetime achievement Webby Award, revealing that GIF is pronounced with a soft “g”. “It’s pronounced JIF, not GIF,” the beloved creator revealed to the crowd.
- donohoe 5y agoWhile I ascribe a lot of respect and authority to the creator (Stephen, not Jod), the community that uses it now has (mostly) determined otherwise.
- pohl 5y agosettled the debate once and for all That's hilarious. The bulk of the debate happened after he weighed in. Giraffix Interchange Format.
- cryptonym 5y ago> Every word (except gin) that starts with G, then a vowel, then an F, is pronounced with a hard G. No F in gin. Giraffe, no hard G. Closest word doesn't work for many reasons. It's an endless debate. Thank you for this Stephen!
- Andrew_nenakhov 5y agoIn Russian, it is decisively "гиф", with hard g, like gift.
- ar_lan 5y agoThe word "wine" is the closest word to "win", and it has a strong "i". To pronounce "win", just say "wine" without the "e".