Flickr : bowbrick When chatting online, you can get away with it. As long as the spelling is right, no one will know that you may be butchering the pronunciation when actually speaking. However, with the upcoming events like MAX, you need to be on top of your game if you plan on carrying on a conversation [...]
Flickr : bowbrick
When chatting online, you can get away with it. As long as the spelling is right, no one will know that you may be butchering the pronunciation when actually speaking. However, with the upcoming events like MAX, you need to be on top of your game if you plan on carrying on a conversation regarding some of these popular equipment items.
- Tunze – This German based manufacturer makes a variety of products that are very popular among aquarists, yet the pronunciation is rarely correct. It is not “ton-zee”. It is also not “toonz”. Much like the car Porsche, the “e” at the end is not silent. The correct pronunciation is “Toon-zah”.
- Volute – I admit I fall into this trap every now and then when discussing skimmer modification and performance. Take out the “t” add an “m” and it’s “volume”, so the pronunciation must be “vawl-ute”. Wrong. The Latin origins are from voluta, to roll. It also happens to be a marine gastropod with a spiral shell. Other uses include architecture, but no matter what subject is being discussed the pronunciation is “Vo-lute”.
- Sicce – Another word that was become synonymous with high air intake skimmers, thanks to the Sicce PSK 2500 pump–which is rarely said properly! In Italian, generally the double “c” is pronounced as “ch” when placed before an “e”. It should be spoken as “See-chay“.
- Giesemann – This high end lighting company has German roots. Many aquarists mix up the first two letters, placing the “e” before the “i”. This is a big mistake, as the “ei” and “ie” letter combinations have drastically different pronunciations in the German language. With both combinations, the general rule is the second letter is “strong”. So, “geis” rhymes with rice, while “gies” rhymes with fleece. The proper pronouciation of this brand is just like it’s spelled “Gies-man“, almost like the plural of goose.
- HQI – This term is not pronounced wrong, but is used improperly. In fact, I am unaware of any HQI Metal Halide lamps used in the hobby. Despite what many read and see online, it does not mean “DE” or Double Ended. HQI is a technology developed by Osram, that does in fact utilize a similar looking double ended bulb, however, it is strictly Osram technology. For example there is no such thing as a Ushio HQI lamp, but notice when you google this all the results are for Aquarium Stores! This is a true misconception within our hobby. When discussing these lamps, avoid saying HQI. Instead utilize the lamp holder such as RX-7 or stick with the simple “double ended” description.
Next Up? Keep an eye out for an upcoming article on those tricky scientific names.
