Pronunciation: "S.Q.L." or "sequel"? 2

[psemianonymous]

I've heard both. I use the SQL-as-in-letters pronunciation method, but I've heard others use the "sequel."

Which is it?


Pete

 

[jrbarnett]

Trying to get back on topic slightly, I've just started looking through the MS SQL Server 2000 training manuals and they say that "SQL" is pronounced "see kwill," which I must admit I've not heard that particular version before.

John

 

[r937]

microsoft may of course proclaim that its database product is pronouced any way it wishes

but this has no bearing on what the industry chooses to set as the pronunciation of the standard language

rudy

http://r937.com/

SQL Consulting

 

[ESquared]

For what it's worth I say "Ess Cue Ell." I've heard Sequel Server and I always assumed it was an actual product with that exact name... someone capitalized on the closeness of the acronym to a real English word.

Whatever the real case is, my suggestion is that we choose precision, the way programmers should! Stick with Ess Cue Ell.

Otherwise, IRS could become "urse," FBI would be "fibby," USA would be "oosa," and so on and so forth.

 

[skiflyer]

But then we'd have been running 'dee oh ess' back in the day, and would muck around with 'doubleyou ess dee ell' files for webservices, and I would definitely feel odd on the other side of those working with 'ess oh eh pee'. And as discussed above those "doubleyou you ess eye doubleyou you gee" editors would just be easier to talk about without an acronym.

Some acronyms are meant to be spelled out, some are meant to be read as a word. Given our medium (lots of message boards) I'm not surprised of all the confusion.

 

[ESquared]

You do have a point. Any consensus works, as long as everyone uses it.

 

[Dimandja]

skiflyer,

I like saying "doss" and that other thing you mentioned. "doss" is not an actual word in English.

The problem I have with pronouncing SQL as "sequel" is that it sounds exactly like the English word "sequel": an actual word that has nothing to do with SQL. And I do know there are people out there who try to give the meaning of "sequel" to SQL. That's why I detest that pronunciation.

Dimandja

 

[ChrisHunt]

"doss" is not an actual word in English.

I beg to differ :

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=doss

-- Chris Hunt

http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk

http://www.napitalia.org.uk

http://www.leicesteryha.org.uk

 

[Dimandja]

I must have been dossing!

Well, if british slang is considered english, then I stand corrected.

Dimandja

 

[skiflyer]

Sequel is an english (at least american) word as well... as in a movie sequel.

DOS is a fun one because to me DOS is a disk operating system but a D.O.S. is a denial of service.

 

[Dimandja]

Yeah, DOS can doss your computer with D.O.S.

 

[ChrisHunt]

If the language used by the people who live in England isn't considered English, what is?

-- Chris Hunt

http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk

http://www.napitalia.org.uk

http://www.leicesteryha.org.uk

 

[ESquared]

I don't think the question is whether British English is any kind of English at all. Is it the English one finds on the internet or commonly used among technical audiences in general?

My opinion is no. I don't see

torch flat lift centre colour honour favour aluminium catalogue draught encyclopaedia manouevre programme tyre

I see

flashlight apartment elevator center color honor favor aluminum catalog draft encyclypedia maneuver program tire

 

[SQLSister]

Wow I had no idea this was such a hot topic. If you know what they mean, does it really matter which way it is pronounced?

 

[skiflyer]

Yes, when you sit down in that board room for a presentation, there's the possibility of someone looking down their nose at you for using the wrong one... and depending on the situation, that could be a bad thing.

 

[MDXer]

If it is your audience that is important then you pronounce it however it is used within you audience.

You probably would be looked down upon in a board room saying Seaquel when everyone is saying SQL. However you would also possibly be looked down upon saying SQL when everyone else is saying Seaquel.

Language is something that evolves. New words are added to dictionaries based upon acceptance in society and usage.

"Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!"
- Daffy Duck

 

[jrbarnett]

ESquared

I write UK English when I post, in fact I am tired of not having a proper UK English version of software, where the vast majority of UK computer users make do with US English help files, user interface etc, where there are far smaller countries that get their own languages fully tailored to their language.
Another major rant is not specifying the date in a way that is specific. eg: 12-04-2004 is to me the 12th April 2004, but to Americans it is the 4th December. To Scandinavians it is the 2004th of April in the year 12 (OK so that's a bit extreme, but it illustrates a point).
Simply spelling the month out in its 3 character abbreviation would get around this problem.

John

 

[skiflyer]

Bah to that suggestion.

20041204 is the only way to write that date! add slashes and dashes to your heart's content... but keep it lexigraphical!

To the other complaints, I concur, but there's the whole development cost thing.