Gemini pronunciation question

[mjennings]

So Jeprodary had a Lost in Space Category last night. One of the questions was on the glove lost on White's space walk. They played video. With the Geminee pronunciation. My family asked about it, and I didn't have an answer. I've only ever heard the long I at the end except in stuff from the 60s. Even hearing astronauts and mission control members speak it is the long I. Anyone know why the historic long E. Is it a Texas accent thing, German thing, something else? Thanks

 

[KenECoyote]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/17/movies/first-man-gemini-nasa.html

It appears that the "knee" pronunciation was an in-the-know kind of thing...

Bob Jacobs, a spokesman for NASA, said that the “knee” pronunciation is part of the agency’s culture, and serves almost as an insider’s shibboleth — a word whose proper delivery identifies you as someone in the know. “If you get it right,” he said, “you’re part of the space club.”

 

[Rob Campbell]

Rhymes with The Knights Who Say Ni!

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/17/movies/first-man-gemini-nasa.html
View attachment 627201
It appears that the "knee" pronunciation was an in-the-know kind of thing...

Bob Jacobs, a spokesman for NASA, said that the “knee” pronunciation is part of the agency’s culture, and serves almost as an insider’s shibboleth — a word whose proper delivery identifies you as someone in the know. “If you get it right,” he said, “you’re part of the space club.”

Oh, I'm no fool, no siree
I won’t pronounce it “Jiminy”
It’s “Geh-mih-nigh” for you and me
'Cause I'm no fool!

 

[mh9162013]

I pronounce it "geh-mih-nigh," but I've heard that the "geh-mih-knee" pronunciation is more correct. This is because it's the "southern" way of pronouncing it and Florida, Alabama and Texas are southern states, so when in Rome...

 

[jqavins]

I pronounce it "geh-mih-nigh," but I've heard that the "geh-mih-knee" pronunciation is more correct. This is because it's the "southern" way of pronouncing it and Florida, Alabama and Texas are southern states, so when in Rome...

Normally, I agree with the "when in Rome" way of pronouncing things, but I just can't say jem-in-nee. In Texas, the city is Hyoostun and in NYC the street is Howstun. In Egypt it's Cigh-roh and in Illinois it's Cay-roh. In Virginia it's Montichello and in New York it's Montisello. No problem. But I just can't accept this one.

So tell me, any Floridians, Alabamans, and Texans out there, how do your astronomers pronounce the constellation?

And Jih-mih-nee, like the cricket? Even in old footage of NASA good ol' boys, I've never heard it like that. I suspect the newspaper clipping was a joke, whether the paper's editors knew it or not. At least, I hope it was. (I tried to read the Times article, but it's behind the pay wall.)

Bob Jacobs, a spokesman for NASA, said that the “knee” pronunciation is part of the agency’s culture, and serves almost as an insider’s shibboleth — a word whose proper delivery identifies you as someone in the know. “If you get it right,” he said, “you’re part of the space club.”

It may have been the "space club's" secret hand shake, but that doesn't make it right.

 

[mh9162013]

Normally, I agree with the "when in Rome" way of pronouncing things, but I just can't say jem-in-nee. In Texas, the city is Hyoostun and in NYC the street is Howstun. In Egypt it's Cigh-roh and in Illinois it's Cay-roh. In Virginia it's Montichello and in New York it's Montisello. No problem. But I just can't accept this one.

I hear ya, and there's a whole debate on how to pronounce things when trying to balance how most people say it (and where they're located) and whether to use the historically or geographically correct pronunciation. There's no use in being "right" in how you pronounce something if most people hear what you say and think you're odd, pretentious, crazy, wrong, etc.

A great example is pronouncing non-English words/names with the pronunciation a native speaker would use.

 

[Rschub]

Frankensteen

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Eye-gor

 

[cls]

We've been saying gem-en-eye for oh 60 years? Sheesh.

Kinda like "Nike"

It really is nee-kay in Greek. But everyone says N-eye-kee.

 

[Azamiryou]

Interesting. I've always heard it and pronounced it as "nigh", even though historically "knee" makes more sense. Just like π was historically pronounced "pee" but in English it's "pie". And you'll get strange looks if you start talking about "pee are squared".

Now that I know the official word from NASA, I'll try to remember to say "Jiminy" for the space program.

 

[techrat]

It's spelled GEMINI, but pronounced "Smith".

 

[Rob Campbell]

Dang Texans butcher so many words. Warner Robins, GA is located in Houston County. Pronounce it like a Texan (HEW-stun) and the locals will quickly correct you and let you know it's pronounced HOUSE-tun.

 

[Azamiryou]

It's spelled GEMINI, but pronounced "Smith".

 

[mikec]

Neil Armstrong says "gem-eh-NIGH" at 12:12 of

And I take his word over NASA PAO's.

 

[jmasterj]

I pronounce it "geh-mih-nigh," but I've heard that the "geh-mih-knee" pronunciation is more correct. This is because it's the "southern" way of pronouncing it and Florida, Alabama and Texas are southern states, so when in Rome...

Except that it's not a "southern" word, it's Latin.

I'm happy to be out of the space club if to be in it you've got to say "Jiminy."

 

[mh9162013]

Except that it's not a "southern" word, it's Latin.

I'm happy to be out of the space club if to be in it you've got to say "Jiminy."

I didn't say it was a southern word. I was talking about the southern way of pronouncing Gemini.

 

[Rschub]

I didn't say it was a southern word. I was talking about the southern way of pronouncing Gemini.

You mean wrong. The wrong way.

 

[jqavins]

Except that it's not a "southern" word, it's Latin.

So let's ask someone who's first language is Latin.

 

[KenECoyote]

Example of how correct is different from our U.S. "Freedom pronunciation"... we don't care if it's wrong and we're NOT changing!

 

[jmasterj]

I didn't say it was a southern word. I was talking about the southern way of pronouncing Gemini.

Fair enough. "Jiminy" isn't terribly far away from the classical pronunciation of Gemini (hard g, short e, short i, long i), but if we're not going to do it correctly I don't see any reason to change.

 

[mh9162013]

I'll try to be more accurate, then: I'm uninterested in following southerners bad pronunciations of Latin words.

Tehehehe, fair enough!

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I didn't say it was a southern word. I was talking about the southern way of pronouncing Gemini.

In the South, they pronounce it “Jiminy”, bless their hearts.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Neil Armstrong says "gem-eh-NIGH" at 12:12 of

And I take his word over NASA PAO's.

And Armstrong’s hairstyle in this clip is known as The Gemini Crew Cut, not to be confused with The Jiminy Cricket, which is just two long hairs on top of your head that look like antennae.

 

[modeltrains]

In Texas, the city is Hyoostun and in NYC the street is Howstun.

In Georgia the County is Howstun.
That's 2 How versus1 Hyoo; obviously the rocket scientists need to get with the program.

It's Hows.
Seriously, how often do you take out a mortgage on a Hyoose?

 

[Art Upton]

Rhymes with The Knights Who Say Ni!

Bring me a Shrubbery

 

[Cape Byron]

Me with French cars: “See-trow-en. Purr-jhoh. Ren-oww.”

Them: “He’s having a stroke!”

 

[mjennings]

Thanks all, backs up what the non US Astronauts all say. First we had to learn English, then we had to learn Texan!

 

[John Kemker]

In Georgia the County is Howstun.
That's 2 How versus1 Hyoo; obviously the rocket scientists need to get with the program.

It's Hows.
Seriously, how often do you take out a mortgage on a Hyoose?

You're going to base your pronunciation based upon a bunch of Georgia crackers?

(Native Houston Texan living in Georgia)

 

[g.pitts]

Eye-gor

View attachment 627247

"What hump?"