[sci.electronics] Pronounciation of giga

asmith@acorn.co.uk (Andy Smith) (09/17/90)

In article <1134.26F1073A@ofa123.fidonet.org> rick@ofa123.fidonet.org (Rick Ellis) writes:

>On <Sep 10 14:44> Jeff DePolo writes:
>
> JD> Is it jig'@ or gig'@?

I Have only ever heard Giga pronounced Jiga in 'Back to the Future'. Over
here it is pronounced giga (by all I have met). However the pronounciation
is a colloquialism and so although it may sound strange to me, it will be
common place to others.

If there is a correct pronounciation, I would have expected it to be:-
                                                                      
gi'ga pref. denoting factor of 10^9 (gigametre). [f. Gk gigas giant]

as in the Oxford English Dictionary, which usually closely follows the
English language.