Is it true that Europeans pronounce Adidas (aah-dee-dass) instead of (uh-dee-duss)?

[her209]

And Nike is pronounced similar to Mike.

I heard this on Marketplace last Friday, June 13th when Kai was interviewing some author of a shoe book about Adidas and Puma.

So is it true?

 

[Ronstang]

Europeans pronounce everything wrong so why even bother worrying about it all?

 

[PrinceofWands]

Don't know about europeans, but that's how I pronounce it.

 

[Epic Fail]

Uh, wtf?

 

[SirStev0]

History

[edit] Beginnings

Adolf ("Adi") Dassler started to produce his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen after his return from World War I. In 1924, his brother Rudolf Dassler joined the business which became Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory) and did well - selling 200,000 pairs of shoes each year before World War II.

However the brothers did not get on well, and in 1948 they split up [3], with Rudi forming Puma, and Adi forming Adidas.

The company formally registered as adidas AG (with lower case lettering) on August 18, 1949. The phrase All Day I Dream About Sports is used as a retronym for Adidas.[4]

Text

The company name is taken from his name..

ADI-DAS

I knew an old guy named Adi (short for Adolph). He pronounced it Aah-Dee.

 

[dbk]

Makes sense since it's a foreign name to begin with.. Nike is the total flipside (foreign to them).

 

[PrinceofWands]

Well, if you really want to be technically correct, Nike is pronounced 'nee-kay'...at least the original Greek pronunciation of the Goddess. Every country changes pronunciations, including us. In fact if anything I'm biased against how mangled English is in America.

Oh, to answer your question, yes, many/most Europeans pronounce it like mike.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Yes and they also pronounce Subaru funny too. Oregano, aluminum, basil and some others oh and skeletal.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
Don't know about europeans, but that's how I pronounce it.

 

[manowar821]

That's how I say it...

Edit: F-ing look it up on wikipedia. It's German, and they pronounce it "AHH".

 

[Perknose]

This reminds me, have Canadians retroactively adopted the American mispronounciation of Hyundai?

In Canada, and elsewhere, it was always 3 syllables, the first one being "High", not the intentional American mispronouciaiton of two syllables, first one "Hon", probably done because it sounds less "foreign" and somewhat mimicks "Honda".

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: Perknose
This reminds me, have Canadians retroactively adopted the American mispronounciation of Hyundai?

In Canada, and elsewhere, it was always 3 syllables, the first one being "High", not the intentional American mispronouciaiton of two syllables, first one "Hon", probably done because it sounds less "foreign" and somewhat mimicks "Honda".

"He-Yun-Die"

*He-Yun* is one syllable

 

[sandorski]

Uh-dee-dus?? <<<that's just weird

...and it's Zed damnit!!! :|

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: Perknose
This reminds me, have Canadians retroactively adopted the American mispronounciation of Hyundai?

In Canada, and elsewhere, it was always 3 syllables, the first one being "High", not the intentional American mispronouciaiton of two syllables, first one "Hon", probably done because it sounds less "foreign" and somewhat mimicks "Honda".

Every time I hear an American pronounce Hyundai I want to decapitate a duck. I don't know which way is correct but for some reason hearing it pronounced "hunday" really rips my nightie.

 

[ChaoZ]

They both sound the same to me.

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
Well, if you really want to be technically correct, Nike is pronounced 'nee-kay'...at least the original Greek pronunciation of the Goddess. Every country changes pronunciations, including us. In fact if anything I'm biased against how mangled English is in America.

Oh, to answer your question, yes, many/most Europeans pronounce it like mike.

The original Greek pronunciation is actually nee-keh.

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
Don't know about europeans, but that's how I pronounce it.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

We know how to pronounce it correctly, that's the difference between us and Americans. Why would you pronounce AdidAs as UdidUs? Do you ulso suy UmericUn(t)?