Is it a Zed... or a Zee?

[speedtripper]

Hi all! Just thought I would let you know that even down in "darkest Africa" the Z is alive and well. Although not many are seen on the roads anymore, there are a handful of decent ones left. I'd like to think that mine is one of those. I've posted a couple of pix, but hopefully I'll get some decent ones done soon. If there are any other members from my neck of the woods (South Africa) please drop me a line.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

welcome buddy!

[doradox]

Hi all! Just thought I would let you know that even down in "darkest Africa" the Z is alive and well. Although not many are seen on the roads anymore, there are a handful of decent ones left. I'd like to think that mine is one of those. I've posted a couple of pix, but hopefully I'll get some decent ones done soon. If there are any other members from my neck of the woods (South Africa) please drop me a line.

Or is it just "Z"? Welcome!

Steve

[psdenno]

Welcome to the group!

Zed or Zee tends to depend on where your ancestors came from and how well they've embraced the "mother" language over the centuries. I find it interesting that English speaking nations around the world name the last letter of the alphabet differently. anyone know how that came to be?

Dennis

[d240zx2]

A perpetuated speech impediment???

[jaltman]

o.k. so, a brief moment with google reveals:

http://www.billcasselman.com/cwod_archive/zed.htm

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20000707

[doradox]

I find it interesting that folks that pronounce Z as Zed at times write it out as they would pronounce it, Zed. But I can't remember a time when, outside of this kind of discussion, anyone wrote Zee instead of Z.

Steve

[speedtripper]

Ok guys.... lets cool it a little! I'm new here, and yet in true "Brit" style I've managed to start a war! : ) It's true, that countries that were once part of the British Commonwealth go with the pronunciation of "Zed"... however I think that 240 "Zee" sounds a lot sexier!! Anyway, thanks for the welcome! I look forward to posting more "sleep-inducing" topics soon!

[speedtripper]

Hi Steve, just read your comment again... and I think your observation regarding the pronunciation is due to the fact that if you hear the alternative it automatically sounds like a word. When I say Z (Zed) it just sounds like the letter Z to a friend. However an American hears "Zed"! Likewise when you say Z ....I hear the "word "Zee". $^!#.... it looks like you didn't have to wait too long for that "sleep-inducing" post I promised!!!! (Sorry). I'm British, but have lived in South Africa for the last 40 years. It's my only excuse.... so I'm sticking with it.

[doradox]

Hi Steve, just read your comment again... and I think your observation regarding the pronunciation is due to the fact that if you hear the alternative it automatically sounds like a word. When I say Z (Zed) it just sounds like the letter Z to a friend. However an American hears "Zed"! Likewise when you say Z ....I hear the "word "Zee". $^!#.... it looks like you didn't have to wait too long for that "sleep-inducing" post I promised!!!! (Sorry). I'm British, but have lived in South Africa for the last 40 years. It's my only excuse.... so I'm sticking with it.

Just an observation. Not a commentary. When I hear Zed I know that it means the letter "Z" and that I'm not in Kansas anymore. Which is fine by me.

Steve

[Kathy & Rick]

I go back over 50 years in ham radio, in which you will fre-

quently hear the "Z" called "Zed>"

I have heard the origin to be as follows: in two-way radio

communications, the letters "C" and "Z" sounded so much alike

on the unsophisticated early radio equipment that a distinction had to be made, particularly in tactical situations where com- munications errors could mean lost lives. My experience only

goes back as far as such sets as the AN/PRC-6 and AN/PRC-8,

9, and 10, so I can only imagine how unintelligible voice com- munication on even earlier transceivers must have been in the

days prior to WWII.

Of course the phonetic alphabet also helped out a lot--Able,

Baker, Charlie, Dog, Easy, Fox..............which in the 50's was

revised to Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot...........

but for the same purpose: making clear which letter of the alphabet you really meant. And equally important, for the

hearer to be clear about the same.

FWIW,............~Rick~

Edited October 10, 2010 by Kathy & Rick

[jaltman]

So, Rick, got a rig in your Zed? I've thought about moving my Kenwood 742 out of my 1980 TR8 into the Zed since I have been spending more time in it....

73 de w4uck