[texhax] What is???

[Axel E. Retif]

On Nov 10, 2004, at 2:59 AM, Jeroen Wijnhout wrote:

> On Wednesday 10 November 2004 08:56, Robin Fairbairns wrote:
>>> On Tue, Nov 09, 2004 at 03:38:01PM -0400, Abdiel Caceres Gonzalez 
>>> wrote:
>>>> What is the name of the TeX Lion?
>>>
>>> And another naming question. We know TeX is pronounced as in Texas,
>>> but is that the Spanish or the English pronunciation?
>>
>> who says "as in texas"?  i've never encountered that claim.
>
> Perhaps the _Spanish_ pronounciation of Texas? I believe in Spanish 
> the x is
> more like the ch in loch, but I'm not sure.

In Mexico, yes ---with a ``soft'' ch (as in ``ich''), as mentioned by 
Benjamin Deutsch in this thread---, but not in other Spanish speaking 
countries. A few centuries ago the X was used in Spanish for the 
phoneme /kh/ (with its Andalusian ---``soft''--- and Castilian 
---guttural--- variances). In Mexico we keep that sound in some 
toponyms: Mexico /me'-khi-ko/, Texas /te'-khas/.

In modern days Spanish, the phoneme /kh/ is represented with the letter 
J, that's why until a few years ago in other Spanish-speaking countries 
``Méjico'' was the only accepted form to write the name of Mexico, now 
they are more condescending with us.

Best regards,

Axel