Re: Pronunciation of "Helvetica"

Farooq W <farooq.w@xxxxxxxxx> scripsit:

Helvetica Chimica Acta is a very famous Swiss chemistry journal (so
named in World War days to show neutrality). I used to pronouce this
"Hell-veti-ka Kemika Akta", until someone claimed that it is
"Hell-feti-ka Shemika Acta". He said a native German corrected him.

The name is neo-Latin, so everyone and his brother pronounces it in his own way, depending on one's cultural background (especially native language) and knowledge about Latin. Pronouncing the "v" as [f] is a striking Germanism, though, and suggests lack of understanding of Latin, or willingness to please fellow citizens who know no Latin either. And I suppose by "Shemika" you refer to pronouncing the "ch" as in German (rather than as "sch" in German, "sh" in English), which would also be a strong Germanism.

(The name admittedly sounds like a translation from some language. Otherwise the word order would probably be "Acta Chimica Helvetica", with adjectives after the noun.)

But google search showed that Helvetica is Hell-veti-ka. Which view is
correct?

I wonder how Google search shows the pronunciation. Anyway, in many contexts, like the well-known font name "Helvetica", the word has become just a name, which is usually not recognized as specifically Latin, so I'd expect it to be pronounced in varying name. The journal name, though, clearly purports to be Latin.

--
Jukka K. Korpela ("Yucca")
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/

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