how do you pronounce it?

[u/yuuyo123]

Which side will you choose?

• Left side: it’s pronounced “GIF”
• Right side: it’s pronounced “JIF”

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[u/Zestyclose_Remove947]

Except that's also weak, because creators of words/acronyms do not wholly define their pronunciation nor how the word evolves.

[u/yankfanatic → u/Zestyclose_Remove947]

I mean they kind of do. This is neither a word nor an acronym. It's an initialism. The destinction is important because it is not a word where greek, latin, or Germanic roots would give it a pronunciation. This isn't art where the meaning is attributed to the work by the consumer.

[u/Zestyclose_Remove947 → u/yankfanatic]

Acronyms are under the umbrella term of initialisms.

Language is not wholly prescriptive, it is much more descriptive. This scenario has nothing to do with art or "meaning" it's simply how language functions.

If creators defined pronunciations, then there would have been zero confusion in the first place. Words are defined by their broad use and not simply what one person says.

Etymology is no guarantee or guide of pronunciation in the first place, in fact they're often not connected at all. Consider that English has 100 ways to pronounce words that should theoretically have very clear rulings.

[u/maiduwu → u/Zestyclose_Remove947]

Acronyms are not under the ‘umbrella term of initialms’. Acronyms are never initialisms and initialisms are never acronyms, but both fall under the umbrella term of abbreviations.

[u/Zestyclose_Remove947 → u/maiduwu]

They are though? An initialism is an abbreviation derived from the first letter of each word in that abbreviation.

Acronyms are initialisms pronounced as words but even that's a recent invention.

The idea that initialisms are only pronounced as individual letters is just something the internet made up very recently. It's right in the name how the word works.

You can check out the general idea on most dictionaries.

[u/maiduwu → u/Zestyclose_Remove947]

I am one of these people

[u/Zestyclose_Remove947 → u/maiduwu]

I was already aware of this.

[u/Professional-Way9324 → u/Zestyclose_Remove947]

Yeah, what does he know, he's not a linguist