Jim (Frysinger),
The point I would like to emphasize is that SI "Multiples" (and submultiples)
are formed by a Prefix plus a Coherent SI Unit.
Accent on "lom" in kilo-meter to form "lom- eter" diminishes this concept of
"prefix + unit" to form a Multiple.
What should we *teach* the next generation to *speak* in English; "lom-eter" or
kilo-meter? I certainly advocate "kilo-meter."
Indeed, this question arises in this forum every few years, but it does need to
be reviewed occasionally for the benefit of newcomers.
I am not fluent is Chinese, in any of its various dialects, so I am not able to
tell you (plural) where the Chinese should put the accent (with a grin, or not
a grin), but I admire your diligence in informing us about some of the
variations in Chinese.
Neither am I fluent in Italian, in Russian, in Czech, or in any of the other
languages of Eastern Europe or Asia.
What do subscribers who are fluent in any of these languages have to say about
speaking the word for "kilo-meter" in one or more of those languages?
The SI Symbols for Units, although adopted globally in a unique form, can not
always be spoken (as a letter or letters) as a convenient substitute for a word
or words in spoken language.
Eugene Mechtly
________________________________________
From: owner-u...@colostate.edu [owner-u...@colostate.edu] on behalf of James
Frysinger [j...@metricmethods.com]
Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 10:22 PM
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:53574] Re: No Accent on "lom" in kilometer!
Here is an example that is closer to the issue of the "proper" way to
pronounce "kilometer". In Chinese, "kilo" (千) is pronounced "qiān" and
"meter" (米) is pronounced "mi". (But in Taiwan "meter" is 公尺,
pronounced"gōngchǐ".) Perhaps in the PRC they say "qiāngmǐ" (千米 would
be the spelled out unit name) for the unit symbolized with "km". I don't
know their grammar so I'm guessing.*
But perhaps, Gene, you could tell us where the Chinese should put the
accent in "qiānmǐ" or "qiāngōngchǐ". Grin.
BTW, what I've been posting comes from
http://www.metricmethods.com/Resources.php
Please note the references and acknowledgement of contributors at the
bottom of the page.
Jim
*Trusting the never-wrong Web, I just now found the Chinese expression
for "kilometer" as used in physics:
千米, pronounced qiānmǐ
Dang! I was right!
http://en.bab.la/dictionary/english-chinese/kilometer
On 2014-02-17 21:44, James Frysinger wrote:
> Gene,
>
> This argument seems to arise every 3 years on this mailing list. Or it
> has over the last 20 years, anyway. And it never accomplishes anything
> except to let people voice their preferences. It never accomplishes
> anything. That is because there is no "right" way or "wrong" way to
> pronounce "kilometer" except to those who write dictionaries and thus
> appoint themselves as experts.
>
> I think your first statement is entirely correct.
>
> I think your second statement is an unfounded supposition. Secondly, I
> think it flies in the face of the reality that in some languages, the
> unit names, when pronounced, would sound nothing at all like they do in
> English or some of the Romance languages, or even the Teutonic or Slavic
> languages. For example, the Greek name for what we call the "second" (of
> time) is δευτερόλεπτο which transliterates to "deuterolepto". That is
> why the SI symbols are inviolate. The symbol for "second" is the same as
> it is for the δευτερόλεπτο, namely "s".
>
> Not only are the spellings of SI units and prefixes subject to the whims
> of various languages, so also the grammar and pronunciations.
>
> Having said that, this argument devolves down to how we should pronounce
> "kilometer" in English. We will never standardize that; people will
> pronounce it how they wish to. To-MAY-to or to-MAH-to. I, for one, will
> be happy as long as they don't pronounce it so that it sounds like "mile".
>
> Now, let's figure out how to further metricate the US.
>
> Jim
> On 2014-02-17 12:19, mechtly, eugene a wrote:
>> The CGPM does not publish an official "Guide for Pronouncing the Names
>> and Multiples of SI Units."
>>
>> Nevertheless, I am confident that members of the CIPM (and CGPM) would
>> reject an accent on the "lom" in the word kilometer.
>>
>> NBC commentators at the SUCHI Olympic events, *all* seem to have
>> adopted this bad practice of accenting the "lom."
>>
>> Who initiated this *deviation* from the established global practice of
>> enunciating both the prefix "kilo" and the stem "meter"?
>>
>> In spoken French and German there is no accented "lom" in kilometer!
>>
>> Is "lom" accented in any other languages which you might speak?
>>
>> Eugene Mechtly
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
