Pry-us -vs- Pree-us

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KTPhil @ May 16 2007, 09:40 AM) [snapback]443448[/snapback]</div>

The Angles and the Saxons. Both German. They also picked up a bit from the Celts. Thus, the Brits learned their English from Germans and Celts. No wonder they can't speak it properly.

 

My brother-in-law—a UK native who has lived in the US for 40 years—pronounces it Pry-us.

 

All the advertising here in the US says "PREE-US", so that's what I say. I also go with the term "PREE-EYE" for plurality.

What do the commercials on TV in the UK say?? In Japan?

-Vikki

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Miss_Taz @ May 19 2007, 04:29 AM) [snapback]445107[/snapback]</div>

A little late follow-up.
There are some video made by Toyota Japan.
http://web-cache.stream.ne.jp/www09/toyota/prius/main.html
Especially, at the middle(the 4th out of 7) of menu, "Q&A movie and Prius teacher".
There are five lessons there.

Enjoy,
Ken@Japan

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(1x1 @ May 16 2007, 11:22 AM) [snapback]443414[/snapback]</div>

Not sure what's "right", but in singing Latin today, the standard is:

a = ah
e = ay (without the American dipthong)
i = ee
o = oh
u = oo

So, the Prius would be sung as "Pree-oos" Sort of rhymes with "three moose".

Oh, and you have to flip the "r"

 

Also to note that while English is considered a Germanic language in terms of its history, the English vocabulary has words that are about 60% of Latin origin.

Preeus sounds better but I think Pryus is correct. Being foreign I can call it both ways!!!!

 

I lecture in Law...so I don't want to get into the debate of English pronunciation and why Americans don't use a knife and fork like the British (I say Preeeus) - but what would be the plural of Prius and is there a collective noun??

Regards

ANDREW (Yateley, Hampshire, UK)

 

Plural: Prii (proun. Pre-eye)
Mass noun: A whisper of Prii

There is no standard pronunciation in English, the BBC tried for years. Here in Enn Zed we say PreeUs and "you beauty"