Ah-ee-da vs Ay-da

"ah-ee-da" is correct. I emailed Zweigart once to ask. They all pronounce it like the opera, but the reply they sent fell short of saying the other pronunciation was wrong. The impression I got was they didn't want to offend those who mispronounce it. i figure the way the manufacturer says it is the right way.

Karen E. (Besides, "aid-a" makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.) ;-)

I read Karen's reply regarding Zweigart's answer and had to laugh. When I had a store and went to market every year (boy - do I miss that!), I asked Zweigart, Charles Craft and any other manufacturer I could. That year - the answer was ay-da.

I guess it depends on the day and the generation, but as long as you're in a specialty store, they'll know what you want! :-)

This has come up in the past and others have answered that the manufacturers say "ay-da". I was surprised to see the post earlier today stating it was like the opera.

Funny, this question comes up about once a year. :-) Maybe we should just call it java cloth, which it used to be called.

Dianne

kitwilli wrote:

I`ve only ever heard it pronounced "Ah-ee-dah" here in the UK. Best buy even-weave! LOL!

Pat P

I searched Google Groups to find my old post and managed to locate it. I cannot find a message number or anything on it, but if you do an advance search in this newsgroup using "Aida", "Zweigart", and my email address (which you'll find in the header of this message), you can find my comments on Zweigart's reply. The thread was "Pronunciation?" and the message is dated March 15, 2003. HTH

Karen E.

Zweigart are only the manufacturers. If I`m paying for it, I`ll call it what I like! LOL!

Pat P

The fabric was named for the Verdi opera. When I first started XS back in the late '70s/early '80s, that was the only pronunciation heard. The "ay-duh" one came later. I'm a classical music fan, too, so guess which I use. Darla Sacred cows make great hamburgers. Picture Trail Gallery:

Curious. I wonder why on earth it was named after the opera?

Pat P

And really, that is the most likely pronunciation simply given the fact that every other use of the word is pronounced like the opera. The other pronunciation would only have come into existence as a "mispronunciation" that got perpetuated. The odds that someone would have named the fabric "Aida" thinking it was a totally made up word with no relevance to any existing meanings really stretches credulity. I'm sure it's possible that the originator(s) didn't know how to pronounce the opera or the name either, but still, odds are that it was named after the opera or the name ;-)

Best wishes, Ericka

Interesting. I looked in two of my dictionaries. The opera isn't listed. However, Aidan ( a monk ) is pronounced "Ay-dan", aide-de-camp is Ay; aidememoire is a summary pronounced "ay". So, could this be a French word? In which case, it's "ay-da".

Dianne

Karen E. wrote:

The only logical explanation for pronouncing it "ade-a" is if someone considers the squares on the fabric to be an aid to the stitcher. It's kind of weak, but it's all I can come up with.

Karen E.

Most name sources suggest it's of Latin or Italian origin. They're typically not all that accurate, though. I'd be curious whether Verdi made the name up ;-) At any rate, the Italian pronunciation would be ah-ee-da, which, of course, is why the opera has it that way.

Best wishes, Ericka.

-- Brenda

I was taught to say it like that AY-DA , and that is exactly as i have prononunced it all my life . mirjam

Just to throw a spanner in the works Aidan isn`t pronounced Ay-dan - but Ayd`n! And the French Aide is pronounced more softly - more like "Ed".

Pat P

I'm a "phonetic girl" myself, and every time I see the word, I "must" pronounce it Ay-da. Kim

You`re missing a "phon" Kim. My poor old Mum was named Ada (not Aida!) She hated it however you could spell it!

Pat P

And "maid" is pronounced "mayd." Not Ma-ee-d. Names of people are often spelled peculiarly. Mine is anywhere from Dian to Dihann. You can't extrapolate from personal identities, which are often with or without flourishes to individualize it.

We may never know for sure how to pr>

That`s exactly what I said in a previous post - if I`m paying for it I shall pronounce how I darned well like! LOL!

Did you hear about the foreigner who saw a theatre billboard saying "Moulin Rouge pronounced success!" - and shot himself! ;-))

Pat P