# How do you pronounce Giant?



## teemmy (Sep 18, 2008)

I'm new to cycling and I was wondering how you pronounce Giant.

Is it just giant, like giant squid, or "gee ahnt"



Thanks.


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## TACSTS (Feb 4, 2004)

I say "gee ahnt" but then again I'm an elitist snob. 

(it's really just GIANT though.)


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*I'd be SO embarrassed to say "Zhee-AHN."*

If it's French, don't you kind of have to swallow that T? But it isn't, and I've never heard anybody say anything besides "Jye-ant."
Back in the Lemond days (the rider, not the bicycle), a wave of mock-authentic pronunciation swept Reno whether it was right or not. Avocet, named after a bird called the av-oh-set, became ah-voh-SAY. Peugeot, which had been (incorrectly but consistently) poo-joe for decades, suddenly was (imagine Peter Sellers here) pyeeoo-ZHO, with the end of the ZHO cut off. And DuraAce was "doo-RAHTCH-ee."


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

*Don't be an Assos.*

Yes, its like the French pronounciation Gee aaunt or swallow the t if you must.  
But an even bigger question is how to you pronounce Assos?


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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

Like "jolly, green giant".


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

where do people come up with "ghee-aunt?" It's not french or any other language. The Tiawanese founder chose an English word to name his company so it would be easily pronounced and recognized. As he hoped, it has since grown into a giant company.

I have had several customers come in asking to see the "ghee-aunts." It's all I can do to not start laughing. I just have no idea where they get it from. I guess they assume it has to have a fancier pronunciation since there are companies with names like Campagnolo. But Giant's name is more like Look or Time. It's simply Giant.

I ought to go into a shop sometime that sells Time and ask for a "Tie-MAY" or a "LOW-ok"


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## paganopj (Oct 6, 2008)

too funny....I just bought one....guy at the shop pronounced it like the 'jolly green'..


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

Jwiffle said:


> where do people come up with "ghee-aunt?" It's not french or any other language. The Tiawanese founder chose an English word to name his company so it would be easily pronounced and recognized. As he hoped, it has since grown into a giant company.
> 
> I have had several customers come in asking to see the "ghee-aunts." It's all I can do to not start laughing. I just have no idea where they get it from. I guess they assume it has to have a fancier pronunciation since there are companies with names like Campagnolo. But Giant's name is more like Look or Time. It's simply Giant.
> 
> I ought to go into a shop sometime that sells Time and ask for a "Tie-MAY" or a "LOW-ok"


Its a joke. It was almost to obvious. Hence the rolling eye man in my post. Lighten up.


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## lalahsghost (Aug 27, 2007)

That's better than the elitist to says Dura-Ace as "Durrah Ah-chay" ~_~


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

Mootsie said:


> Its a joke. It was almost to obvious. Hence the rolling eye man in my post. Lighten up.


I understood your post was a joke. I just don't know where the OP and some who've come to our shop get the idea it's pronounced any other way than simply "Giant."


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## CLTracer (Aug 21, 2004)

It's a Taiwanese company, so however they say it in Taiwanese, I guess. 

Giant. Like the Jolly Green Giant.


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## kmunny19 (Aug 13, 2008)

here's where a cigar is just a cigar.


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## Sommy (Oct 7, 2008)

so how do you say colnago?


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

Actually,
all of the above pronunciations will do nothing but produce laughter from those of us who know the business. The proper pronunciation is gea-nunt. Gea comes from the word "geanticline" which means a great upward swelling of the earth's crust. Nunt is a abbreviation of "nunnation" which is the addition of final n to a word, as in the declension of certain Arabic nouns.

By understanding Giant's Arabic origins, you can easily understand how they arrived at their name.

Glad I could straighten you all out.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Giant is not a french word

Géant is the french word for Giant.


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## Hagakure (Jul 12, 2008)

here I was thinking it was (Gee-Ann-Tee)


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## Nazz44 (Jun 26, 2003)

Didn't the spanish pro team Once(ryhmes with dunce) ride giants(gee-onts)?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

It's pernounced da way a native of New Joisey refers to a member of da local football team: jint (long "i", one syllable).

How 'bout dem jints, huh?


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## Tugboat (Jul 17, 2006)

Nazz44 said:


> Didn't the spanish pro team Once(ryhmes with dunce) ride giants(gee-onts)?



Wasn't ONCE pronounced ON-SAY?


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

Tugboat said:


> Wasn't ONCE pronounced ON-SAY?


I think Nazz44 got ya......


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

In their home country (Taiwan) the brand is pronounced "Jay-ahn-tuh"


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## lintutu (Oct 9, 2008)

let the Taiwanese (that will be me) teach you guys how to pronouce it.

in Taiwan where the company was found, it was a 3 character brand, pronouced like what Dajianshan wrote, "Jae Anh Tuh", or 捷安特. but I think giant like "giant squid" will suffice elsewhere. I bought an '08 TCR Advanced 2 yesterday after more than 20 years off a road bike, I just call it Giant


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## Blue Sugar (Jun 14, 2005)

I ought to go into a shop sometime that sells Time and ask for a "Tie-MAY" or a "LOW-ok"[/QUOTE]

Its _*LOO-KAY*_, you ignorant dog.


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## DrSmile (Jul 22, 2006)

While we're at it it's "sh"torck, not ssstorck. Ve vill make you sspeak korrektly!


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Tugboat said:


> Wasn't ONCE pronounced ON-SAY?


It was (and is) pronounced "Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles "

In 'Merica, it's pronounced "Spanish National Organization for the Blind."

(ON-say would probably be as close as I could do the phonetics, but in truth it's about halfway between that and "rhymes with dunce" - a little softer on the "O", and the -ay falls away more than some pig-latin interpretation most anglophones would come out with.)


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## wilier (Mar 16, 2002)

CLTracer said:


> It's a Taiwanese company, so however they say it in Taiwanese, I guess.


"Gee-aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh"
(don't forget the "/" (up) tone on the Gee and the "V" (down and then up) tone on the aaahhhh.


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