Sorry to break this to you Micky, but the guy who founded Nike says it's pronounced Nikey, as in, to rhyme with Micky.
Trouble is he only seemed to correct everybody about 25 years later. Old boys like me got used to the old pronunciation! A bit like Kim Bassinger later becoming Kim "Bay-singer".
Really old boys back in ancient Greece pronounced it rhyming with Mikey. Nike (Νίκη) is the Greek goddess of victory so I think they probably new how to say it.
Having looked at this in more detail, at the time Nike was named, the 'η' (now eta, then heta) was used to indicate rough breathing, meaning it probably would be more like Nikhgh than Nik-e, but certainly not just one syllable like Mike.
Will you be my friend? My four credits short of a Classics minor is used far too infrequently.
For what it's worth I'm in the process of moving to Eugene, OR where Nike was founded. We pronounce it "Nike-ee," but I try to be pretty laissez-faire about pronunciation given that I pronounce things strangely.
That said, "Knockaert" and "Belgiums" have been driving me MENTAL thank you so much for saying what is in my heart @Sillybilly.
@SDAddick, I'll happily be your friend, as long as you're not going to stalk me. if you move, will you no longer be SDAddick?
I already have moved. If you're going to be my friend it's best you know I don't always think things through. I'm still SDAddick, but every day, every post, feels like a lie.
My mother-in-law tried to pick up my daughter on the fact that there is a t in Charlton yesterday. YES, BUT IT IS SILENT.
I think most of us are guilty of 'gunna' if from around these parts. 'I'm just gunna pop down the shops' etc...
My missus who is not common (and if she had married someone else could almost claim to be middle class) always says 'je' instead of 'do you'. 'Je want a blowjob darling?' Well, not if you are going to speak in that South Bermondsey accent I reply. I have standards.
If you want to stop her speaking in that accent, just say 'Yes'!
That's very true indeed. I don't think it is a long term cure though. It just rolls off her tongue far to easily.
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