this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2025
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I always felt like this was a weird argument. Language is always in flux. It's why the definition of "literally" now includes a definition that it's a synonym of "figuratively" since people used it that was so much.
If enough people think gif should be pronounced like "god", then it should. If the "jif" pronunciation has enough people who use it, then that's valid, too. Hell, if a bunch of people started legitimately saying it should be a homonym with the word "plankton," even that'd be valid.
Words are about conveying meaning; the same meaning is intended with both pronunciations, and understood by the people hearing it. There's nothing to argue about.
the "literally means figuratively now" argument is stupid, saying it in non literal scenarios is used as hyperbole. You would never say "I'm figuratively dying of thirst"
I have literally said "I'm figuratively dying of thirst" but im also a massive smart ass.
Well not before I read this post, I wouldn't have
I wasn't trying to discredit the validity of its use, I was trying to say that it's valid specifically because it's used. It doesn't matter if you want to say "I'm figuratively dying of thirst." or "I'm literally dying of thirst." since they convey the same meaning, and are interpreted as such by the listener.
Gif is a proper noun and a computer product. It’s not a simple word like “arse”. This would be like people saying Nike should be pronounced “Nick” and the company “Nike” is yelling “no it’s Nike! Like the god!” And people are just like, “nah I don’t care what you want your company to be called, I’m calling it something else.”
If enough people pronounce it differently, then it's a valid way to pronounce it.
It doesn't matter if it's a proper noun, the word is still meant to convey meaning and as long as it effectively does that for the population in general, it's valid.
There exist countries where Nike rhymes with the name Mike in their language. I'm unwilling to tell people they're not allowed to pronounce it the way their majority does.
We’ve solidly been talking about English this whole time, since the entire basis for the pronunciation is that it’s a play on an English advertisement “choosy developers choose gif”. I’m not going to argue with other languages. Just like with the dude that is pulling out Ancient Greek, if anyone still speaks that they yeah they can pronounce Nike differently, otherwise it’s a translation to English.
Even English doesn't have one size fits all rules. Language is social and regional. If one English speaking country pronounces zebra as "zee-bra" and another pronounces it as "zeh-bra" they're both right.
In English the word "Island" has an 's' in it. This was originally done by someone purposely adding the 's' to make the word look more Latin, even though the English word "eiland" has no Latin root.
So if the original intended usage matters I hope you also correct everyone who uses "island" and tell them "you know it's spelled eiland right?"
Island isn’t a proper noun, nor a product.
Neither is .gif, it's a file type. Demonstrated by the fact that you haven't capitalized it in any of your posts.
Proper nouns have no requirement to be capitalized in modern English. It’s a proper noun and a product.
https://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/capital_letters_proper_and_common_nouns.htm
So in this example, are they yelling it like their namesake is actually pronounced ( [niː́kɛː] , the i like in "flee", the e like in "bad"), or in the english pronounciation (i like in "die", e like in "flee")?
Oh good! Someone that thinks there’s multiple ways to pronounce it. Thankfully wiktionary only has a single IPA pronunciation for both the shoe and the brand and they’re the same.
ˈnaɪkiː. Though I do appreciate you pulling out the Ancient Greek pronunciation as a “gotcha”.In English. It's not even an english word though.
My point, which you seem to not understand, is that the company doesn't define how the name is pronounced (especially if they would go "like the godess"). It was a word before they used it. And "gif" is an acronym first, regardless of what the creator of the image format might think.
They do. They created the product they get to create the pronunciation.
Are you talking about Nike or gif, cause gif was not a word before.
… this has no bearing on the pronunciation at all.
Okay, so common consensus is a valid source then?
Your arguments are inane. Please stop talking to me.
Generally "sane" people just stop talking to people they do not wish to hear from. When you don't reply to people they tend to not reply back.
Talking to someone in order to say you don't want to talk to them is...
I didn’t say insane, I said “inane”. Please learn to read.
Been working on that for 3 days have you? And decided that was worth talking to someone you previously indicated you don't want to talk to?
I think most people who argue this either way aren't actually serious about it. You do have solid points, however.
Regardless, I will continue to argue about this point (opposite of whatever side whoever I'm talking to is taking) until it feels more annoying than fun to me.
Yeah, I dont care how people pronounce it. It's when people get serious and militant on how it should be pronounced where I just laugh at them.
I bet people have always argued about language like this and people have been killed over some pronunciation before. Ce la vie?