What's the *Official* Pronunciation?

Doc B
Doc B Member Posts: 3,676 ✭✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

OK, I've heard it so many ways, even from Logos itself, I have to ask, what's the official correct pronunciation of this company and their product?

Is it 'low-gose'?  'Law-gaws'? 'Low-gaws'?

Just wondering...

Eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a van down by the river.

Comments

  • Paul Golder
    Paul Golder Member Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭

    "As any translator will attest, a literal translation is no translation at all."

  • Mike Childs
    Mike Childs Member Posts: 3,135 ✭✭✭

    Isn't the omicron always the short "o", as in olive?  I believe that would "Law-gos" in Greece, but apparently "Low-gos" in the great North West.  Down here in Mississippi we pronounce it with four or five syllables.

    Ofcourse, such matters are irrelevant for us southern boys.  You all just have to over look our pleasant accents.  Used to drive my Hebrew and Greek profs crazy.  And I once preached a revival in upstate New York for an ole seminary buddy.  It was so strange to be the only person in town who didn't talk funny.


    "In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley

  • Paul Golder
    Paul Golder Member Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭

    Down here in Mississippi we pronounce it with four or five syllables.

    I honestly laughed out loud at this. Years ago when I lived in The Magnolia State I'm sure that the people I met the first few weeks there thought I was mentally incompetent. Not so much for the way I spoke, but how I would stare at them dumbfounded for a few seconds when they would "talk" to me.

    "As any translator will attest, a literal translation is no translation at all."

  • Room4more
    Room4more Member Posts: 1,730 ✭✭✭

    I believe that would be "tawak" instead of talk.....

    DISCLAIMER: What you do on YOUR computer is your doing.

  • Doc B
    Doc B Member Posts: 3,676 ✭✭✭

    Doc B said:

    OK, I've heard it so many ways, even from Logos itself, I have to ask, what's the official correct pronunciation of this company and their product?

    Is it 'low-gose'?  'Law-gaws'? 'Low-gaws'?

    Just wondering...

    Finally got an official explanation-

    "In 1991 we were founded as Logos Research Systems, Inc. Back then I imaged we'd be known as LRS (trust me, that was in style then), and we thought Bible software would be just one of a broad assortment of consumer software products. We tried to register LRS.com. But that domain name wasn't available (in 1991!), so we ended up with our second choice: Logos.com. Which we pronounced "low-gose", until someone with more Greek education (at a school preferring Erasmian pronunciation, apparently) convinced us to switch to "lah-gahs". (I'm now trying to train myself to go back to "low-gose", so we can be more consumer-friendly.)"

    (from http://community.logos.com/forums/t/87304.aspx )

    Eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a van down by the river.

  • SineNomine
    SineNomine Member Posts: 7,012 ✭✭✭

    I'm waiting for them to fix their egregious mispronunciation of Verbum.

    “The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara

  • Rosie Perera
    Rosie Perera Member Posts: 26,194 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Logos at one time produced a video to answer the question of how to pronounce Logos, and it featured a bunch of their employees pronouncing it how they pronounced it. There was quite a lot of variety, from "low-gose" to "lah-gahs" to "law-gaws". The message was: pronounce it how you want to; there is no one "correct" way. I can't find the video anymore, but if anyone knows what to look for to find it, please post the link. It was an amusing video.

  • abondservant
    abondservant Member Posts: 4,796 ✭✭✭

    My greek (ethnicity), greek (language) prof said "law-gahs". But then quickly stated that the language as we study it is basically dead and no one really knows how it ought to be pronounced. He said anyone who says they do is guessing. An educated guess maybe, but still a guess.

    I wonder what my more recent greek prof would say.

    L2 lvl4 (...) WORDsearch, all the way through L10,

  • Bruce Dunning
    Bruce Dunning MVP Posts: 11,163

    Doc B said:

    Doc B said:

    OK, I've heard it so many ways, even from Logos itself, I have to ask, what's the official correct pronunciation of this company and their product?

    Is it 'low-gose'?  'Law-gaws'? 'Low-gaws'?

    Just wondering...

    Finally got an official explanation-

    "In 1991 we were founded as Logos Research Systems, Inc. Back then I imaged we'd be known as LRS (trust me, that was in style then), and we thought Bible software would be just one of a broad assortment of consumer software products. We tried to register LRS.com. But that domain name wasn't available (in 1991!), so we ended up with our second choice: Logos.com. Which we pronounced "low-gose", until someone with more Greek education (at a school preferring Erasmian pronunciation, apparently) convinced us to switch to "lah-gahs". (I'm now trying to train myself to go back to "low-gose", so we can be more consumer-friendly.)"

    (from http://community.logos.com/forums/t/87304.aspx )

    I thought I'd resurrect this older thread since I was thinking more about this in the past few days as I watched quite a few Logos 6 videos. While watching these unofficial and official videos I was amazed at the different pronunciations of Logos.

    Then I thought back to myself and realized that I too have been inconsistent in the way I have been pronouncing Logos. [:$] Is there anyone else out there like me?

    Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God

  • abondservant
    abondservant Member Posts: 4,796 ✭✭✭

    My father who recently became aware of the software calls it "law-GOOSE". 
    He raises geese (among other things at present) and I think its an attempt at humor. 
    It makes me smile. 

    L2 lvl4 (...) WORDsearch, all the way through L10,

  • Milkman
    Milkman Member Posts: 4,880 ✭✭✭

    My British parents in law would say: "some say 'potatoes' some say 'potadoes' some say 'garage' some say 'garidge.'" 

    Doc B said:

    OK, I've heard it so many ways, even from Logos itself, I have to ask, what's the official correct pronunciation of this company and their product?

    Is it 'low-gose'?  'Law-gaws'? 'Low-gaws'?

    Just wondering...

  • David Thomas
    David Thomas Member Posts: 3,272 ✭✭✭

    I think the best explanation I read of the oMICRON (short o) and oMEGA (long o) is that logos should be pronounced by shaping the lips like a long o but voice it in the back of the throat like a short o

    Making Disciples! Logos Ecosystem = LogosMax on Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (Win11), Android app on tablet, FSB on iPhone & iPad mini, Proclaim (Proclaim Remote on Fire Tablet).

  • Doc B
    Doc B Member Posts: 3,676 ✭✭✭

    I think the best explanation I read of the oMICRON (short o) and oMEGA (long o) is that logos should be pronounced by shaping the lips like a long o but voice it in the back of the throat like a short o

    That's too much work for me, Dave. If there's one thing we Texans are, it's lazy with our speech.

    Eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a van down by the river.

  • Bruce Dunning
    Bruce Dunning MVP Posts: 11,163

    Doc B said:

    If there's one thing we Texans are, it's lazy with our speech.

    I had no idea that there was such a thing as Texan speech - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texan_English

    Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God

  • Doc B
    Doc B Member Posts: 3,676 ✭✭✭

    Yeppers, there is. I was fixin ta splain it, but yer beat me tuit.

    Eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a van down by the river.

  • Rosie Perera
    Rosie Perera Member Posts: 26,194 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Here's an old blog post where Logos admits there is no one correct way to pronounce the name of the software, and even they are inconsistent in house. It's irrelevant what the correct pronunciation of the Greek word λόγος is. The name of the software is an English word, derived from the Greek of course, but it has its own independent existence. So you can pronounce it however you like. Just don't spell it Logo's! [:)]  (And it's not the plural of "logo" either.)

    https://blog.logos.com/2008/10/logo_logos_and_logos/ 

  • David Taylor, Jr.
    David Taylor, Jr. Member Posts: 4,386 ✭✭✭

    Doc B said:

    Doc B said:

    OK, I've heard it so many ways, even from Logos itself, I have to ask, what's the official correct pronunciation of this company and their product?

    Is it 'low-gose'?  'Law-gaws'? 'Low-gaws'?

    Just wondering...

    Finally got an official explanation-

    "In 1991 we were founded as Logos Research Systems, Inc. Back then I imaged we'd be known as LRS (trust me, that was in style then), and we thought Bible software would be just one of a broad assortment of consumer software products. We tried to register LRS.com. But that domain name wasn't available (in 1991!), so we ended up with our second choice: Logos.com. Which we pronounced "low-gose", until someone with more Greek education (at a school preferring Erasmian pronunciation, apparently) convinced us to switch to "lah-gahs". (I'm now trying to train myself to go back to "low-gose", so we can be more consumer-friendly.)"

    (from http://community.logos.com/forums/t/87304.aspx )

    I thought I'd resurrect this older thread since I was thinking more about this in the past few days as I watched quite a few Logos 6 videos. While watching these unofficial and official videos I was amazed at the different pronunciations of Logos.

    Then I thought back to myself and realized that I too have been inconsistent in the way I have been pronouncing Logos. Embarrassed Is there anyone else out there like me?

    So true lol.  When I called to get some more information on some L6 packages and I was on hold listening to all the employees they all pronounce it differently.  Hilarious.

  • David Thomas
    David Thomas Member Posts: 3,272 ✭✭✭

    Doc B said:

    Yeppers, there is. I was fixin ta splain it, but yer beat me tuit.

    Thank y'all fer weighin' in on 'is un.

    Making Disciples! Logos Ecosystem = LogosMax on Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (Win11), Android app on tablet, FSB on iPhone & iPad mini, Proclaim (Proclaim Remote on Fire Tablet).

  • Bruce Dunning
    Bruce Dunning MVP Posts: 11,163

    Here's an old blog post where Logos admits there is no one correct way to pronounce the name of the software, and even they are inconsistent in house. It's irrelevant what the correct pronunciation of the Greek word λόγος is. The name of the software is an English word, derived from the Greek of course, but it has its own independent existence. So you can pronounce it however you like. Just don't spell it Logo's! Smile  (And it's not the plural of "logo" either.)

    https://blog.logos.com/2008/10/logo_logos_and_logos/ 

    Wow Rosie, that post is old - way back to 2008!

    I still find it funny that there is no official way to pronounce "Logos" the software. At least this problem doesn't exist when pronouncing "Faithlife". Maybe that was another contributing factor to the name change.

    Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God

  • Rick Brannan (Logos)
    Rick Brannan (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,862

    I still find it funny that there is no official way to pronounce "Logos" the software.

    I think what you'll find is those who do public presentations pronounce with long 'o' on both syllables primarily so that people who only hear them speak will find logos.com without too much effort. Other people just say it how they've always said it.

    Otherwise, I think you'll find our perspective on pronunciation fairly inclusive, as the posts/videos Rosie pointed to suggest.

    Rick Brannan
    Data Wrangler, Faithlife
    My books in print

  • Anthony
    Anthony Member Posts: 167 ✭✭

    will find logos.com without too much effort. 

    Or find a site with a bunch of commercial logos or business icons/logos. The switch to faithlife will aid that. 

  • Alan Macgregor
    Alan Macgregor Member Posts: 2,438 ✭✭✭

    Of course, Λογος (Greek) = Verbum (Latin) = Word (English). That is probably why they lit upon the name Logos, because it was Bible software. Smart! [;)]

     Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος = In principio erat verbum = In the beginning was the Word. (John 1.1)

    Every blessing

    Alan

    iMac Retina 5K, 27": 3.6GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9; 16GB RAM;MacOS 10.15.5; 1TB SSD; Logos 8

    MacBook Air 13.3": 1.8GHz; 4GB RAM; MacOS 10.13.6; 256GB SSD; Logos 8

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    iPhone 8+ 64GB iOS 13.5.1

  • Bruce Dunning
    Bruce Dunning MVP Posts: 11,163

    I think you'll find our perspective on pronunciation fairly inclusive

    I'm good with that. I just find myself saying it different ways. [:S] I at least want to be consistent but I guess that doesn't matter.

    Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God

  • George Somsel
    George Somsel Member Posts: 10,150 ✭✭✭

    george
    gfsomsel

    יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן

  • Bruce Dunning
    Bruce Dunning MVP Posts: 11,163

    I think it should be "low goose."  Wink

    Will this do? [:D]

    Using adventure and community to challenge young people to continually say "yes" to God

  • George Somsel
    George Somsel Member Posts: 10,150 ✭✭✭

    I think it should be "low goose."  Wink

    Will this do? Big Smile

    Perfect !

    george
    gfsomsel

    יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן

  • James Hiddle
    James Hiddle Member Posts: 792 ✭✭

    It's legos with the o. Or low goes or law goes or if you have a thick accent law gauss [:D]