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Discussion Groups / English Usage / April 2009Whyr 'WII'?
The only thing I know about Nintendo is that it has a work station referred to as 'WII,' and the only reason I know that is that it stumped me in a crossword puzzle and left me with a slight curiosity to know where the designation came from. Would someone please tell me? The reason I was stumped was that the second 'I' was in the crossing word 'amin.' The clue said it was 'the last king of Scotland subject,' and I don't know anything about that either. My dictionaries don't have 'amin.' > The only thing I know about Nintendo is that it has a work station > referred to as 'WII,' and the only reason I know that is that it [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > subject,' and I don't know anything about that either. My > dictionaries don't have 'amin.' Idi Amin Dada styled himself "The Last King of Scotland" I gather you missed the movie about him from a few years back. On Apr 13, 2:14 am, "Raymond O'Hara" <raymond-oh...@hotmail.com> wrote: > > The only thing I know about Nintendo is that it has a work station > > referred to as 'WII,' and the only reason I know that is that it [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Idi Amin Dada styled himself "The Last King of Scotland" > I gather you missed the movie about him from a few years back. Not to mention the book of the same name upon which the film was based. Wiill. > The only thing I know about Nintendo is that it has a work station > referred to as 'WII,' and the only reason I know that is that it > stumped me in a crossword puzzle and left me with a slight curiosity > to know where the designation came from. Would someone please tell > me? Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii > The reason I was stumped was that the second 'I' was in the crossing > word 'amin.' The clue said it was 'the last king of Scotland > subject,' and I don't know anything about that either. My > dictionaries don't have 'amin.' Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_king_of_scotland  SignatureSkitt (AmE) > The only thing I know about Nintendo is that it has a work station > referred to as 'WII,' and the only reason I know that is that it > stumped me in a crossword puzzle and left me with a slight curiosity > to know where the designation came from. Would someone please tell > me? Usually written 'Wii' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii#Name "Nintendo's spelling of "Wii" with two lower-case "i" characters is meant to resemble two people standing side by side, representing players gathering together, as well as to represent the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.[16] The company has given many reasons for this choice of name since the announcement; however, the best known is: " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.[16] " " SignatureJohn "Not to be confused with Cat Wii" Dean Oxford > " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. > Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what > language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.[16] " " But it's "Wi" that would sound like "we". "Wii" sounds like "wee", to great hilarity and mirth. SignatureOnline waterways route planner: http://canalplan.org.uk development version: http://canalplan.eu > > " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. > > Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what > > language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.[16] " " > > But it's "Wi" that would sound like "we". "Wii" sounds like "wee", to > great hilarity and mirth. To this AmE speaker, there is no distinction between the pronounciations of "we", "Wii" and "wee" whatsoever. OTOH, "Wi" would be distinct from them all, if it were a word. Not being familiar with IPA, I would "transliterate" "Wi" as "Wih". Jim Deutch (JimboCat) -- "A bad analogy is like a leaky screwdriver." -- Boon In article <fa8118b0-556f-4b06-949c-ccd0ac14ebf2 @c12g2000yqc.googlegroups.com>, 103134.3516@compuserve.com says... > > > " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. > > > Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > To this AmE speaker, there is no distinction between the > pronounciations of "we", "Wii" and "wee" whatsoever. To this BrE speaker also. > OTOH, "Wi" would be distinct from them all, if it were a word. Not > being familiar with IPA, I would "transliterate" "Wi" as "Wih". Agreement, again. SignatureLinz Wet Yorks via Cambridge, York, London and Watford My accent may vary >In article <fa8118b0-556f-4b06-949c-ccd0ac14ebf2 >@c12g2000yqc.googlegroups.com>, 103134.3516@compuserve.com says... [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >To this BrE speaker also. I think that I would pronounce the stressed forms of "we" (pronoun) and "wee" ("small") slightly differently from each other. Apart from that I would not be surprised to hear a very slight difference beween "we" on the one hand and "Wii" and "wee" on the other. However, the difference would be well within the range of differences of pronunciation that one hears from individuals speaking with the same accent. >> OTOH, "Wi" would be distinct from them all, if it were a word. Not >> being familiar with IPA, I would "transliterate" "Wi" as "Wih". > >Agreement, again. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >> > " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. >> > Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > OTOH, "Wi" would be distinct from them all, if it were a word. Not > being familiar with IPA, I would "transliterate" "Wi" as "Wih". Sorry (to you and the others). My invisible smiley was too invisible. SignatureOnline waterways route planner: http://canalplan.org.uk development version: http://canalplan.eu >> " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for >> everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > But it's "Wi" that would sound like "we". "Wii" sounds like "wee", to > great hilarity and mirth. And baffled looks on the part of those of us who pronounce "we" and "wee" identically? SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |To find the end of Middle English, 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |you discover the exact date and Palo Alto, CA 94304 |time the Great Vowel Shift took |place (the morning of May 5, 1450, kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com |at some time between neenuh fiftehn (650)857-7572 |and nahyn twenty-fahyv). | Kevin Wald http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ Evan wrote on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:17:01 -0700: >>> " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is >>> for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> But it's "Wi" that would sound like "we". "Wii" sounds like >> "wee", to great hilarity and mirth. > And baffled looks on the part of those of us who pronounce > "we" and "wee" identically? I've just said those two words several times and I cannot detect any distinction when I say them. SignatureJames Silverton Potomac, Maryland Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not > Evan wrote on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:17:01 -0700: >>>> " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is >>>> for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around >>>> the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. >>>> No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.[16] " " >>> But it's "Wi" that would sound like "we". "Wii" sounds like >>> "wee", to great hilarity and mirth. >> And baffled looks on the part of those of us who pronounce >> "we" and "wee" identically? > I've just said those two words several times and I cannot detect any > distinction when I say them. How about "whee"? It's identical to the others for many people, apart from tone in some contexts, and I can't think they didn't intend it. CDB wrote on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:57:13 -0400: >> Evan wrote on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:17:01 -0700: >>>>> " Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for >>>>> everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people >>>>> around the world, no matter what language they speak. No >>>>> confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.[16] " " >>>> But it's "Wi" that would sound like "we". "Wii" sounds >>>> like "wee", to great hilarity and mirth. >>> And baffled looks on the part of those of us who pronounce >>> "we" and "wee" identically? >> I've just said those two words several times and I cannot >> detect any distinction when I say them. >How about "whee"? It's identical to the others for many people, apart >from tone in some contexts, and I can't think they didn't intend it. Having been brought up in Scotland, I pronounce "H" as the intitial sound in "whee" just as I do in "whale" or "which" etc. SignatureJames Silverton Potomac, Maryland Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not [gie's a wee whee] > Having been brought up in Scotland, I pronounce "H" as the intitial > sound in "whee" just as I do in "whale" or "which" etc. AOL, except for the Scotland part. I think we're in the minority, though. CDB filted: >[gie's a wee whee] > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >AOL, except for the Scotland part. I think we're in the minority, >though. Whe aspirators should stick together....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >CDB filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Whe aspirators should stick together....r That reminds me. I was listening to a podcast about Alex the acronymic, talking parrot and the speaker (his trainer from, I think, Arizona) persistently dropped the "h" from "humans", calling them "umans". Is this the same as the dropped "h" in US "erbs" or something less common over there? SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. Richard Bollard filted: >I was listening to a podcast about Alex the acronymic, talking parrot >and the speaker (his trainer from, I think, Arizona) persistently >dropped the "h" from "humans", calling them "umans". > >Is this the same as the dropped "h" in US "erbs" or something less >common over there? Yes, Dr Irene Pepperberg *is* from the University of Arizona in Tucson...perhaps she's referring specifically to people from the city of Yuma in the southwestern corner of the state....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >Richard Bollard filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >she's referring specifically to people from the city of Yuma in the southwestern >corner of the state....r Perhaps. Can I take it that the missing aspirant is not usual? A pepperpot she was not. The stridency of her voice was in a totally nother register. SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. Richard Bollard filted: >>Richard Bollard filted: >>> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Perhaps. Can I take it that the missing aspirant is not usual? Yes, you can take that....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >> Richard Bollard filted: >>> I was listening to a podcast about Alex the acronymic, talking parrot [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > A pepperpot she was not. The stridency of her voice was in a totally > nother register. I'd have thought that "yuman" was quite common not only in some American dialects, but also in a some British ones. I think my own grandmother said a few words like that. SignatureRob Bannister >>> Richard Bollard filted: >>>> I was listening to a podcast about Alex the acronymic, talking parrot [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >dialects, but also in a some British ones. I think my own grandmother >said a few words like that. It sounded just as strange as "erbs" and given the American accent, I wondered if the same thing was going on. Other droppers notwithstanding. You can hear her here: the show is On Topic. The first "(y)uman" is at 3:13. (The sound quality was a lot better on the iPod but that may be my computer.) http://www.abc.net.au/rn/linguafranca/stories/2009/2543615.htm SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. >>>> Richard Bollard filted: >>>>> I was listening to a podcast about Alex the acronymic, talking [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > http://www.abc.net.au/rn/linguafranca/stories/2009/2543615.htm I heard a lecturer yesterday talking about "transhumance". He pronounced it as "-yumance". I couldn't believe the meaning he gave, but he got it right. Mainly. Pronunciation as well. Dictionary.com says "hyu-". Richard Bollard: > I was listening to a podcast about Alex the acronymic, talking parrot > and the speaker (his trainer from, I think, Arizona) persistently > dropped the "h" from "humans", calling them "umans". That's "yumans", right? Roger Ebert does that too, or at least he did when he could speak, and he's from Illinois. But no, it's not a widespread pronunciation. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto "A cow-orker of mine used to ood dogs." msb@vex.net -- Steve Hayes > Evan wrote on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:17:01 -0700: > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >I've just said those two words several times and I cannot detect any >distinction when I say them. The pobble who had no toes had once as many as we when they said one day "You may lose them all" he replied, "Fish-fiddle-dee-dee". SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk |
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