Pronunciation: Retina (as in Kodak RF)

[BrianShaw]

I always thought I knew how to speak American English... until two guys were in my office and saw my Kodak Retina. One said "what a cool 'Re-tie-na'" and the other said "I believe that's a Kodak 'Ret-in-a'". I said "Now I'm confused... perhaps its a 'Re-tee-na'." Which is it? 😕

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I also believe it's "Ret-in-a". As in your eye's retina.

 

[sbug]

I've heard it pronounced Ret-in-a as well.

 

[Solinar]

I've always said Reteena.

 

[KoNickon]

It's re-tee-na (the German pronunciation).

 

[jlw]

Even though the camera was manufactured in Germany, I'd be inclined to pronounce its name the way they would have pronounced it at corporate HQ in Rochester, New York: "RET-i-nah."

 

[Dougg]

Yeah, I've always heard "RETna"...

 

[BrianShaw]

Thaks, all, for the replies. I've been opting for the German (I think) pronunciation of Re-tee-na but I may consider changing my ways. Especailly in front of one of my buddies who kept pointing to the word and saying "What's the matter with you, can't you read!"

 

[ddunn]

It's re-tee-na (the German pronunciation).

When I was young and just getting into photography, they were for sale in many places (including the local jewelry store) and were always called re-tee-na's, never re-tina-a's. I made the mistake of calling it the latter, and was soundly rebuked--being told "It's German."

 

[BrianShaw]

... and was soundly rebuked--being told "It's German."

Oh... a sound rebuke. Now I've made up my mind, it's Re-tee-na!

 

[drmatthes]

LOL!

We stupid Germans. Re-tee-na is due to the fact that most three-syllable German words have the accent on the middle syllable.

But it is a Latin word. So the American Way is right (a fact that we Germans find difficult to accept in other issues, too): Ret-in-a is said to have been the correct spelling in ancient Rome.

Never met Julius Caesar, though, but that's what the teachers told us.

Anyone for teachers?

Jesko

 

[Sylvaticus]

A bright young lad from Gretna
With 'is lovely Kodak Ret'na
Of 'is girl friend took pics
And in less than two ticks
On RFF was net'n 'er

(which only works if you rhyme barm with balm, and apparently only if you did Latin at school, which all goes to show that this pronunciation thing isn't as obvious as you might think)

 

[BrianShaw]

Okay, I thought I was straightened out after the sound rebuke. But it appears that the rebuke may have been for naught.

Not German, you say... well, maybe I should do some regressive therapy and consult my long-lost knowledge of Church Latin.

I'm confused. For now I think I'll just call it "my Kodak".

 

[raid]

I also believe it's "Ret-in-a". As in your eye's retina.

If you think of it as a German camera , then the German pronounciation would be phonetic .. Reteena since usually the i is pronounced as ee.

Raid

 

[SDK]

As a lapsed Latin student, I would go with Ret-in-a, with the middle syllable stressed, but a soft i sound. The cameras were designed and named in the US.

And remember the new Zeiss Ikon is pronounced "tZeyes Ee-kon." I'll probably say I-kon, though. Shame on me.

 

[Finder]

Well, in the US folks call Nikon, Ny-con. In Japan, it is Knee-con. In the US, you have carry-O-kee. In Japan, it is ka-rao-ke. You say po-tay-toe, and I say po-ta-toe.

Pronunciation also has regional and cultural inflections. It is hard to define them as wrong. BTW, "retina" is an English word and would be pronounced in the English way in the US (and a German way in Germany regardless of the country of origin). Just as parameter is pronounced pa-ram-e-ter in the US and pa-ra-me-ter in Japan

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Go to a local photo club and say to the first person you see: "I've brought some prints from my Kodak Retina, but I think the bokeh with my Nikon is better."

Then prepare to be bored big time.

 

[derevaun]

In the regional Rochester dialect, it's more like ree-Eht-nuh. Hmm I wonder what the German pronunciation of "your guyses" sounds like.

 

[BrianShaw]

Go to a local photo club and say to the first person you see: "I've brought some prints from my Kodak Retina, but I think the bokeh with my Nikon is better."

Then prepare to be bored big time.

Bored, from what... the silence and quizzical looks? Isn't discussion of bokeh only an on-line forum activity?? 😉

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Bored, from what... the silence and quizzical looks? Isn't discussion of bokeh only an on-line forum activity?? 😉

People spend more time discussing the pronunciation of 'bokeh' than they spend discussing bokeh. Both are equally boring.