How is "Leica" pronounced? (1 Viewer)

Atomic Chicken · Aug 18, 2005

Greetings!

I've always pronounced Leica as "Like-uh". The other day, as I was birding at a local park, a fellow asked if he could take a look through my "Leek-uh" binoculars. I was rather shocked... I had never heard this pronounciation before.

Just to settle the issue in my own mind, what is the correct way to say Leica?

Best wishes,
Bawko

Pinewood · Aug 18, 2005

Do not worry, you have pronounced the name correctly.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood

Bill Atwood · Aug 18, 2005

It's pronounced Leek-uh only if they're refurbs.

MikeMules · Aug 18, 2005

I've tended to go for "ly-sha", with the c pronounced as it would be in "appreciate"

Pinewood · Aug 18, 2005

I may as well add a little history. In 1914, a mechanic, named Oskar Barnack, working at Ernst Leitz, Germany's second largest manufacturer of microscopes, developed a stil lcamera using 35 mm motion picture film. Supposedly, it was to be used for test exposures on cinema sets. Barnack also took the camera on hikes and engaged in reportage photography. In 1924, the Leitz firm brought out the first practical 35 mm. camera, based on Barnack's design. The name signified LEItz CAmera or Leica. The firm was Leitz and the photographic products were Leica. About twenty years, ago, the firm was reorganized and took the name of its most famous product.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :scribe:

raymondjohn · Aug 18, 2005

Dear Arthur

really interesting!

Now could you tell me how zeiss is prononced and a little of its history?

bestwishes

raymondjohn

PS I hope it is pronounced with a hard i or I have been making a fool of myself for some years now...come to think of it nothing unusual in that anyway.

xenophobe · Aug 18, 2005

Come on, say it with a Col. Klink accent:

Zzz-ice

I know nuh-sink! *runs and hides for cover*

Pinewood · Aug 18, 2005

Dear Raymondjohn,

go to
http://www.zeiss.co.uk/
click on corportate
then click on history
click on the subjects to the left

Z as in Zebra, and rhymes with ice, in English.

Incidentally, Leitz or Leica and Zeiss have been competing in microscopes, photography and binoculars for decades. Zeiss is a far larger firm with a strong presence in ophthalmic devices and brand name spectacle lenses, planetarium projectors and all sorts of engineering. Zeiss put the manufacture of optical devices on a sound scientific basis and developed the first practical compound microscopes and binoculars. Leitz started 35 mm photography and kept ahead of Zeiss in that field even though many thought that the Zeiss lenses were superiour. However, everybody knew that the Leica shutter was better than the ones on the early Zeiss Contax cameras because Leitz would not license their patents. Zeiss provided the preferred lenses on the Rolleiflex cameras for years. I suspect that Leica and Zeiss cross license patents, nowadays.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood

raymondjohn · Aug 18, 2005

Dear Arthur

Thanks....very interesting reading!

I'm quessing that the mention of the cross license patents is their way of staying on top of the pile and gauranteering their futures.

I know I find the the fine tuner on my zeiss 65FL a really good help when trying identify birds in the field.

bestwishes

raymondjohn

Curtis Croulet · Aug 18, 2005

Pinewood said:
Zeiss provided the preferred lenses on the Rolleiflex cameras for years.

Although Rolleis with Zeiss lenses have always commanded a slightly higher resale value, the Schneider-lensed alternatives were fully comparable in every respect of optical performance.

I've tended to go for "ly-sha", with the c pronounced as it would be in "appreciate"

I don't follow the logic of this. To anyone who's studied German, the correct pronunciation of both Leica and Zeiss is very straightforward.

robinm · Aug 18, 2005

I always say Z-ice myself but if we are being strictly correct (as it is German) it should be pronounced ts-ice.

Curtis Croulet · Aug 18, 2005

robinm said:
...it should be pronounced ts-ice.

Which is how I say it.

Andrew Whitehouse · Aug 18, 2005

I always say Nih-kon rather than nye-kon.

helenol · Aug 18, 2005

ok, is it Nee-kon, nick-on or Nigh-kon (as in: the end is nigh)

I said Nigh kon to someone and they laughed at me!

Is the end nigh for me?

Andrew Whitehouse · Aug 18, 2005

I say 'nih-kon' (or 'nick-on') because I think vowels are always short in Japanese rather than lengthened as in 'nigh-kon'. Incidentally, in the Paul Simon song 'Kodachrome' he sings about a 'Nigh-kon' camera, so you're in good company Helen.

mountain man · Aug 18, 2005

The best is always hearing people mis-pronounce Swarovski. One I can remember was 'Shavorski'.

Ranger James · Aug 18, 2005

Like, a...

mikus · Aug 18, 2005

if you say z-ice instead of tz-ice you disregard the principles of german pronounciation totally, so it seems to me

Ranger James · Aug 18, 2005

mikus said:
if you say z-ice instead of tz-ice you disregard the principles of german pronounciation totally, so it seems to me

Oh well worse things happen at sea...

helenol · Aug 18, 2005

I think it also depends whether one pronounces product names as they are pronounced in the country of origin.

Having said that, where do you stop? Do Brits pronouce Paris as pa-ree?

Anyone heard of Yosemite Park pronounced Yose-mite?

Anway, I digree...

How is "Leica" pronounced? (1 Viewer)

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