Pronunciation

[Fen]

Now we are even.....or does that mean we are one up on you?

Nope, it just means that you don't understand the English Language

[Barney]

1) What do some UK-ers pronounce a name or thing that has an "A" or A sound at the end as if it were an "er" sound?
IE.....the Obamer Administration.

2) Even though you spell it "colour"....we don't pronounce
it as ca-lour(as in "our language is strange")...we say it the same as you.

Now we are even.....or does that mean we are one up on you?

Onw word ... aluminium.

[Nod]

Not sure Aluminum is a good example. Davy first called it Alumium then revised it to Aluminum and it was "an anonymous contributor to the Quarterly Review, a British political-literary journal, objected to aluminum and proposed the name aluminium, "for so we shall take the liberty of writing the word, in preference to aluminum, which has a less classical sound."" (from Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium )

[Barney]

Not sure Aluminum is a good example.

Yeah, I know about Davy, but lets face it, aluminum just sounds stupid.

[Benchista]

Now we are even.....or does that mean we are one up on you?

Nope, it just means that you don't understand the English Language

Yup - there's a clue in their - it's the English Language, so however we speak it is right.

[Barney]

Now we are even.....or does that mean we are one up on you?

Nope, it just means that you don't understand the English Language

Yup - there's a clue in their - it's the English Language, so however we speak it is right.

Unless you come from the Thames Estuary, but these people and their accents exist only to make our American cousins feel less worse about themselves.

[Benchista]

Now we are even.....or does that mean we are one up on you?

Nope, it just means that you don't understand the English Language

Yup - there's a clue in their - it's the English Language, so however we speak it is right.

Unless you come from the Thames Estuary, but these people and their accents exist only to make our American cousins feel less worse about themselves.

As far as I'm concerned, they're French.

[weasley]

Not sure Aluminum is a good example.

Yeah, I know about Davy, but lets face it, aluminum just sounds stupid.

And furthermore the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), who actually decide what is called what (in chemistry), say it's aluminium.... officially! However, If we take that route we Brits must then concede that element 16 is officially sulfur.

As for the pre-eminent camera brand, for me it's "Nickon" with the knowledge that in Japan it would more likely be "Neekon" or maybe even "Neekonu", since not many Japanese words end with a consonant and are typically created with a near-silent final vowel. Just a guess though.

[Zou]

maybe even "Neekonu", since not many Japanese words end with a consonant and are typically created with a near-silent final vowel. Just a guess though.

No, there is a 'n' sound without the 'u' - it doesn't sit with the na ni nu ne no series, rather at the bottom of the standard katakana chart, down with wo (which is pretty much a silent w). In simple terms, the w exists just to change the shape the mouth makes when you say it, differentiating 'wo' and the normal 'o'. But I digress.

[Guitarist]

maybe even "Neekonu", since not many Japanese words end with a consonant and are typically created with a near-silent final vowel. Just a guess though.

No, there is a 'n' sound without the 'u' - it doesn't sit with the na ni nu ne no series, rather at the bottom of the standard katakana chart, down with wo (which is pretty much a silent w). In simple terms, the w exists just to change the shape the mouth makes when you say it, differentiating 'wo' and the normal 'o'. But I digress.

By Gum! Absolutely fascinating! So how is Nikon written in Japanese characters?

[Steve_F]

A common language seperated by an ocean.
Working with our cousins from across 'the pond' leads to some amusing times.
When I said I was going to "Pop into the chippy" a translation was needed and it became "Swing by the french fries store"
or my favourite was a bloke / guy who hadn't been in the UK very long and wanted to know where 'Loo-Ga-Ba-Roo-Ga' was. Apparently he was looking for Loughborough, and I'm sure we've all heard the one about the guy looking for 'Hi-Wy-Com-Bee'

All good fun that helps my day go quicker.

Steve.

[Zou]

maybe even "Neekonu", since not many Japanese words end with a consonant and are typically created with a near-silent final vowel. Just a guess though.

No, there is a 'n' sound without the 'u' - it doesn't sit with the na ni nu ne no series, rather at the bottom of the standard katakana chart, down with wo (which is pretty much a silent w). In simple terms, the w exists just to change the shape the mouth makes when you say it, differentiating 'wo' and the normal 'o'. But I digress.

By Gum! Absolutely fascinating! So how is Nikon written in Japanese characters?

Ni ko n (three characters of katakana, but just two sounds, ni and kon). The k isn't hard as such (not like you'd get with a ck/kk for example) so not like nick, pick, sick etc.

The best guide I can think of right now is Ni as in 'a<u>ny</u>' and kon as in '<u>con</u>venience' - but I am sure there are better ways of describing it.

[Learning]

It won't matter how Nikon should have been pronounced if Nikon don't give us anything more interesting to discuss than how to pronouce their name.
D400?, D700x?, something portable but not a compact or bridge? Of the latter two, Canon beat Nikon all the way on compacts. Panasonic have killed the bridge with their interchangeable lens mft. Oly have come up with something new with their mft. As a long time Nikon user I despair and wonder whether I should be prepared to change allegiance sometime in the next year.
If you really want to know what pronunciation is acceptable (although not correct) then go onto the tutor site and hear how the Nikon tutors pronounce it. (Unfortuneately they all speak a pidgeon English defined by Webster.)

[Zou]

It won't matter how Nikon should have been pronounced if Nikon don't give us anything more interesting to discuss than how to pronouce their name.

Beg to differ. Any company that brought us cameras such as the F series, the SP rangefinder, and the D3 will be talked about long after they disappear having been bought out/bankrupted by a Chinese upstart video manufacturer.

[Barney]

As a long time Nikon user I despair

Give over. In the last two years we've seen the D3, D300, D700, D3x, D90 and D5000 launched and yet you're complaining that they haven't launched a D400 or D700x.

I really think that companies just can't win sometimes, either they release too many cameras, or they don't release enough.

[parisian]

You really cannot please some folk can you?
Nikon have a range that covers all standards and experience levels. Given current technology they lead the field in many areas - what else could they do?

[Barney]

Quite obviously Peter what they're failing to do is offer a camera design and manufacture process bespoke to the customer's exactly individual requirements, all for under £300.

[Manofolympus]

Quite obviously Peter what they're failing to do is offer a camera design and manufacture process bespoke to the customer's exactly individual requirements, all for under £300.

£300! That's a bit steep. No wonder they're on their last legs

[Nod]

A common language seperated by an ocean.
Working with our cousins from across 'the pond' leads to some amusing times.
When I said I was going to "Pop into the chippy" a translation was needed and it became "Swing by the french fries store"

Then there's the tale of the English visitor to a film studio in the '70s. When he asked if he could "bum a fag", he was told "Hey, this is Hollywood, you can do anything!".

[parisian]

Quite obviously Peter what they're failing to do is offer a camera design and manufacture process bespoke to the customer's exactly individual requirements, all for under £300.

Ah, these would be the requirements for long, very fast zooms at under £200 would they?
I thought so.
Of course Leica will build an 'A la carte' model for you at anything between £3k and £6k