We couldn’t call the new variant of the virus the xi-variant because it might upset Xi in China, even though his name is pronounced she (or so I’ve been informed), while the Greek letter is pronounced ksee (according to my Greek professors) or else is anglicised as zai. Either way, it shouldn’t be a problem. But it is. Sheesh!
« A Strange Kind of Nationalism | Main | Soccer: Wonder of Wonders; and Penalty Kicks »
12/01/2021
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
The comments to this entry are closed.
The real reason they skipped Xi is they wanted to name it after President Brandon. Omicron is an anagram for his mental state.
Posted by: Charles N. Steele | 12/01/2021 at 08:18 PM
Moronic, ha!
Posted by: John Pepple | 12/01/2021 at 08:46 PM
It's not really "she". The SH sound is produced with the tongue tip, while pinyin X is produced with the tongue blade. You just move your mouth in a different way. Takes a bit of practice but it's not impossible.
Posted by: Harland | 12/05/2021 at 11:32 PM
Thanks. After reading your comment, I looked up videos on pronouncing it, and you're right, and my informant was wrong.
Posted by: John Pepple | 12/06/2021 at 05:20 AM