How is Minox pronounced correctly?

<p>Is it short I or long I?</p>

<p>In my neck of the woods it's a short 'I'... mYnox</p>

<p>I found this discussion from 1999:</p>

<p><a href="../minox-camera-forum/003HLG">http://www.photo.net/minox-camera-forum/003HLG</a></p>

<p>Evidently in my neck of the woods they pronounce it wrong... But then I live in Illinois where everything seems to be pronounced wrong (Cairo, like the corn syrup... Des Plaines... Marseilles...) </p>

<p>Long I</p>

<p>Ach, in a haushold that spoke German throughout the years, I haf never heard the term Minox. Our familien kamera was a Voss Diax L1. Meenox, Miinox, Tomatoes, Tomatoes, who cares!!! We know what make the camera is. I shoot with a couple of Nikons (or is that Niikons), and I don't worry about pronunciations. It takes gut pictures, ja?</p>

<p>Very gut!</p>

<p>Should be short "i" like in word "miniature", so "<strong>Mynox</strong>".</p>

<p>This <em>is</em> just like the "How do you pronounce 'Nikon' " game! In my part of the world it's usually "Mine-ox"...</p>

<p>Maciek is right. Not that it matters, since it can be argued that it is like Nikon, a made up trade name. Its not like the constant butchery of the word Porsche which IS a family name and only has one proper pronunciation... but I digress.</p>

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<p> and I don't worry about pronunciations</p>

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<p>At least you can spell it correctly. Many people say and write <em>pronounciation</em>.</p>

<p>Maciek comes very close with "miniature". I would describe it as "a tad shorter than mean - ox". BTW I'm a native german and still live in my home country.</p>

<p>According to Wikipedia, the name was coined by Walter Zapp's friend Nikolai Nylander, an estonian with a russian first name and a swedish last name. The camera was first produced in Riga under three different rulers: first latvian then russian and german. In short, i believe everyone can pronounce "Minox" as he or she wants. I'm an estonian and pronounce it with a short "e". </p>

Lively discussion. I've learned In the German language everything is phonetic and every letter is pronounced. But Pete, that with the family names (Porsche ).. is often spelled one way and pronounced another.. we are always at the discretion of the name carrier.. how they want it said. While one could argue that Porsche is a German name and is therefore pronounced phonetically according to the German grammar, he or she might not want it like that. I love that line in Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein, "that's Franken STIEN" So if .. if . the camera is pronounced following the German pronunciation guidelines than M(e e)nox. But apparently it's a marketing ploy that plays on it's small size. So, "miniature" is MinOX.

<p>Porsche is pronounced regular, nothing special to it. I guess for english/ americans the difficulty lies in the "e" at the end. It is pronouced more like the "e" in Evans or elegant.</p>

<p>I know a cat named Porsche. She is not particularly nimble, hence being easy to photograph. Her owner calls her 'Portia' though.</p>

<p>You can see the alphaghettis that comprise my last name - I neither take offence nor particularly crusade to make people say it "right", especially since I know it is difficult for Anglophone tongues to make those sounds. And I do know that in Germany, like in many countries, regional dialects can make pronunciations seem like two separate languages (and sometimes, words appear that ARE a different language lol). I don't know why, but it seems Bavarians get the worst of the ridicule from other Germans ;) However, I have heard the name Porsche spoken on film by people named Porsche - some guy named Ferry... (and other family members, long time employees, business associates, the list goes on.... I like those cars just a little;)) and I know one thing: its not PORSH. I have no issues with people saying it wrong, I do have an issue with the ignorant reactions to being corrected, like "well, here we say it PORSH"... Well, I guess "here" we don't mind broadcasting our ignorance to the world, then again, to the world, that is no news either... End rant;)</p>

<p>I absolutely don't mind if anyone pronounces german names or whatever wrong. Who am I to critique anyone. Although my english is probably better than average in Germany I still don't know how to pronounce Yosemite. It's more about learning.</p>

Since Pete and Stefan and maybe a few others seem to be from Germany..(I'm just living here!!) My impression is Germans put a lot of weight on knowing your name so they are very embarrassed to ask and feel embarrassed (hurt) when you say their name wrong or treat it lightly. One of my favorite rants quips, anecdotes etc is on names.. This of course can't be properly translated so that's half the fun in explaining why.. but.. Call me what you want ..but don't call me late for supper!

<p>Chuck, my point was that I don't mind or take offense to my name being mispronounced - I expect it and understand it. But the attitude of "I know, and I don't care" is what bugs me, rather than "I know how its supposed to be, but I just can't seem to say it that way", which is (in my books) very much O.K. - I can only imagine what people of, lets say Indian or Chinese backgrounds think of my pathetic attempts to say their names, but the bottom line is whatever mistakes I make are in the process of sincerely trying to say it right. </p>

<p>They do say that when a girl marries a Polish man she usually gets something long and hard... the last name :)</p>