At 12:04 PM 08/02/2000 -0800, Geoffrey Waigh wrote:
>On Wed, 2 Aug 2000, Alain LaBonté wrote:
>
> > À 07:12 2000-07-11 -0800, Doug Ewell a écrit:
> > >Many English speakers also think ISO is an abbreviation or initialism
> > >(not "acronym"; that term is correct only when the resulting "word"
> > >is actually pronounced, like "AIDS" or "SIDA") of the English name
> > >"International Standards (or Standardization) Organization." Of course,
> > >this is wrong.
> >
> > [Alain] ISO is not pronounced as a word in English but it is in French
>
>Um, I and quite a few people I know pronounce ISO as if it were a word in
>English.
So have I. Most of the spoken usages of it is as I-SO (EYE-SEW) not I-S-O
(EYE-ESS-OH).
> I have no idea on the origins of the name, but given that an
>uncynical view of the function of that body is to produce international
>standards, I doubt the correct etymology will win through.
>
>Geoffrey
