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From: don@zl2tnm.gp.govt.nz (Don Stokes)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Pronunciation of giga
Message-ID: <1a6JP1w163w@zl2tnm.gp.govt.nz>
Date: 15 Sep 90 10:16:31 GMT
References: <1990Sep14.141029.18613@cbnewsc.att.com>
Organization: Me?  Organised?
Lines: 27

edw@cbnewsc.att.com (Edwin.D.Windes@ATT.COM) writes:

> In article <3104@acorn.co.uk>, asmith@acorn.co.uk (Andy Smith) writes:
> >>>What is the accepted standard pronunciation of the prefix "giga"?  Is
> >>>it jig'@ or gig'@?
> 
> >In the Oxford English dictionary Giga is the only correct version,
> >Jiga is not even listed (Jigger is a no. 4 golf club).
> 
> "giga- \`jig-@, `gig-@\ _comb_form_ [ISV, fr. Gk _gigas_ giant]:
>  billion <gigaton><gigivolt>"

To put my tuppence worth in, the New Zealand Pocket Oxford states:

   *giga* /`gig@, `gaig@/ _prefix_ one thousand million. [Gk (GIANT)]
 
I have never heard the soft G form of the prefix in NZ.  Here, there's
no confusion 8-).  Note also the absence of the term "billion" in the
definition -- although the North American use of the term meaning a
thousand million has pretty much superseded the "correct" usage of the
term meaning a million million.  (To be fair, the N.A. usage is more
useful in everyday conversation, but I prefer to use the term "thousand
million" to avoid ambiguity.)

Don Stokes, ZL2TNM  /  /                            Home: don@zl2tnm.gp.govt.nz
Systems Programmer /GP/ Government Printing Office  Work:        don@gp.govt.nz
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