Why Is It No One In Manhattan... (Webster, Madison: live, restaurant)

[zdg]

...can pronounce "gyro" (as in the Greek food)?

For a city that is so international and so diverse, I'm just in total shock that even the Greeks here seem to pronounce it "JI-ro."

I wouldn't have thought it a big deal, but I've just been incorrectly "corrected" for the third time.

We're not talking about a bizarre or unpopular dish that just made it to America here people.

[Viralmd]

It's weird, isn't it. It's more upsetting if one actually speaks any Greek, because the pronounciation is so far off. One thought is that the people who actually sell the stuff aren't necessarily Greek.

[lowndes]

How is it pronounced? I've never put much thought in it but I just pronounce it Gy (as in Thai) Ro (as in Row). Is that incorrect?

[blackcoral]

Because it seems that there is more than one rule, and in general the Americans pronounce almost every word from another language the English way.
For "gyro" pronunciation :
LINGUIST List 6.1641: "Gyros" Pronunciation
Merriam-Webster Pronunciation

[zdg]

It's pronounced "yeer-oh" (rolled r, swallowed oh) and actually I was always told the word is actually Gyros (yeer-ohs).

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that is somewhat off too, but I know for a fact it most certainly isn't pronounced JIE-roh like everyone here seems to want to pronounce it.

I posted this after I just called in an order for delivery and the girl who answered the phone had to hand the phone to a manager because she had no idea what a yeeroh sandwich was.

[bluedog2]

Americans have never bothered to pronounce foreign looking or foreign sounding words the way they should be pronounced.We make it up or go for whatever sounds comfortable.
Many immigrants had their names changed on them by customs officials who decided to spell names however they wanted.Other immigrants just gave up and changed their names because nobody could pronounce them.
And nobody has mucked up the beauty of the Italian language more than the Italian Americans themselves by lazily dropping vowels at the end of words like the A in mozzarella( mozzarell) and in Ricotta(rigott) or pronouncing terracotta as terra codder or terra code a instead of terra coat ta .

[Nala8]

It's funny. I have noticed that, too. Recently back in Madison, yesterday I went to the old Parthenon Greek restaurant on State Street with a friend and was relieved to find that everyone pronounced it "yeero." Ok, very little rolling of the "r" but still closer to being accurate. If I had money for every time I had been "corrected" on my pronunciation in NYC, I'd be doing all right.

[analyticalkeys]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

It's weird, isn't it. It's more upsetting if one actually speaks any Greek, because the pronounciation is so far off. One thought is that the people who actually sell the stuff aren't necessarily Greek.

Being Greek can't have anything to do with it.. all the Greeks in Astoria pronounce it "jie-row" as well, as does pretty much anyone else. It must be an American thing... sometimes words take a different pronunciation when they're said in English, rather than the native language, regardless of correctness.

[Fred314X]

Correct pronounciations in other languages have little meaning in this town. (There's a street in Brooklyn named for the Polish nobleman who came here to fight on our side during the Revolution. That street is spelled "Kosciuszko." Do you know how that's pronounced in Polish? Well...fuhgeddaboudit! Because if you don't say Kos-ki-OS-ko, nobody will have any idea what you're talking about).

[BruceAdama]

Originally Posted by zdg

...can pronounce "gyro" (as in the Greek food)?

For a city that is so international and so diverse, I'm just in total shock that even the Greeks here seem to pronounce it "JI-ro."

I wouldn't have thought it a big deal, but I've just been incorrectly "corrected" for the third time.

We're not talking about a bizarre or unpopular dish that just made it to America here people.

I take it you are a fellow Greek? I'm also always appalled how people can't pronounce the Greek foods the proper way. They don't even try. I mean, people don't go into a Del Taco, and ask for a "tor-tilla", or a "kes-a-dilla"... why do they have to pronounce gyro the wrong way?