How do you pronounce Leica (1 Viewer)

[NDhunter]

Is it "Leeka" or " Leyeca".
Jerry

 

[Richard D]

Lai kuh

 

[tenex]

Lieca would be "Leeka", Ziess would be "Zees". Always ie = E, ei = I in German.

 

[jring]

Hi,

first part like in like followed by car without the r...

Joachim

 

[Essex Tern]

Lie-kah

 

[moose1991]

See 4m37sec on here.

 

[Patudo]

Don't worry - nobody else in ND will know.

 

[MiddleRiver]

I 'like a' Leica

 

[Ignatius]

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Not so much pronunciation of vowel sounds (as in Lie-ca), but more something I've noticed in many YouTube videos by American photographers, such as Tony Northrup and many more.

When they are discussing teleconverters in particular, but also elsewhere, they seem to confuse a mathematical symbol with a letter of the alphabet. For instance, when I (and I would think any other English speaker on the eastern side of the Atlantic) describe a teleconverter, it's always as a '1.4 times' converter, or a '2 times' converter, since that small diagonal cross after the number on the barrel is a multiplication sign, rather than a letter, indicating that you should multiply the focal length of the lens in use by either 1.4 or 2. These photography 'influencers' on the western side of the Atlantic invariably say '1.4 ecks' (X), reading the symbol as a letter, rather than a multiplication sign.

Why is this? In algebra at school when I was a lad, we usually substituted a dot (full stop, or 'point') rather than the x symbol, to avoid confusion with 'X', the 'unknown quantity'. Do Americans use the x as a multiplication symbol in general use, or do they use the algebraic dot, hence the confusion that they don't seem to express the 'times' on the converter as a function, but as a letter?

 

[NDhunter]

Years back I posted the same about Nikon, that developed a fun discussion.
Jerry

 

[Binastro]

Except in Danish and Finnish. Leica is pronounced differently.

The name Tycho Brahe, his first name is pronounced quite differently in different languages.
At least three different versions.
There is a large rayed crater on the Moon named Tycho, so I suppose that has multiple versions.

I don't suppose Leica care, so long as they sell Leicas.

Regards,
B.

 

[AlphaFan]

With few exceptions Americans will default to the most common product pronunciation they hear from other Americans, especially influencers. A noted exception is someone with a surname not originally generated in English (mine is a disaster in English). I can attest that when referring to persons most will attempt to use the correct non-English pronunciation (not certain if that is generally out of normative cultural courtesy, or maybe it is because that version sounds much better/correct).

Automobile brands are commonly pronounced differently in USA as in their native tongue. Here is one that isn’t exactly a tongue-twister that we commonly get wrong.

@Barred Wobbler is also onto something in the teleconverter discussion. We use the “x” very imprecisely and interchangeably as an indicator of function or just as a model name designation. In simple mathematical expressions I see the “x” or parenthetical used quite often and far less often the algebraic dot.

 

[YuShan]

Like-ah

 

[jafritten]

View attachment Leica Zeiss.mp3 This is how I pronounce Leica and Zeiss. I am a native speaker.

 

[tenex]

The name Tycho Brahe...

So the Danish name is actually Tyge, and the question here is really whether to Latinize it or not (as is common since he wrote in Latin).

This is how I pronounce Leica and Zeiss. I am a native speaker.

Very nice. Note the subtle "ah" in "Laikah" and "T" in "Tseiss".

a surname not originally generated in English (mine is a disaster in English)...

Yes, Americans are often unsure how and whether (or when) to pronounce such names "authentically". Brits on the other hand are proud enough to consistently refuse, viz. the poor country "Nik-uh-rag-yu-uh" etc.

These photography 'influencers' on the western side of the Atlantic invariably say '1.4 ecks' (X), reading the symbol as a letter, rather than a multiplication sign.
Why is this?

Right, people who go around saying "zed" are the authority on these matters, and my forum handle should be "tentimes", as if I repeat myself? To me "a 1.4 times converter" is grammatical gibberish that sounds like you began to say something else and changed your mind midway; one would have to say "a converter that magnifies 1.4 times" which is just too clunky. Saying "1.4 ecks" is simpler and clearer.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

So the Danish name is actually Tyge, and the question here is really whether to Latinize it or not (as is common since he wrote in Latin).


Very nice. Note the subtle "ah" in "Laikah" and "T" in "Tseiss".


Yes, Americans are often unsure how and whether (or when) to pronounce such names "authentically". Brits on the other hand are proud enough to consistently refuse, viz. the poor country "Nik-uh-rag-yu-uh" etc.


Right, people who go around saying "zed" are the authority on these matters, and my forum handle should be "tentimes", as if I repeat myself? To me "a 1.4 times converter" is grammatical gibberish that sounds like you began to say something else and changed your mind midway; one would have to say "a converter that magnifies 1.4 times" which is just too clunky. Saying "1.4 ecks" is simpler and clearer.

Why the sneering? I just asked a genuine question, explained in the best way I could, not any attempt at one-upmanship.

 

[jBdub]

I pronounce it like a champ!

 

[Foss]

Automobile brands are commonly pronounced differently in USA as in their native tongue. Here is one that isn’t exactly a tongue-twister that we commonly get wrong.

This reminds me of Chevrolet's "Nova" automobile. In Spanish, "no va" can be taken to mean "doesn't go."

 

[quincy88]

Lai-CAAAAWWW. Where I caw like a crow.