Huh, in english....
> Akseedents?

"Z" is pronounced like "ts" in German. So Akzidentz would be pronounced "Aktsidents".

Good question about Frutiger. My English tongue is always tempted to say "FROO t' grr", but in French, of course, the g is soft. I don't know if the r is pronounced or if it ends with an "ay" sound.

Paul

"Goudy, Goudy, Goudy!"

Thanks Eric. I'll throw out the suave and sophisticated (linn - ett - oh) pronunciation I picked up from a typophile named Ole.

As I understand...

Gill is pronounced the same as the breathing organs on a fish, and Goudy rhymes with howdy and has a hard g.

(My little attempt at a joke up there went somehow awry. I forgot that the g would be pronounced with a hard sound when followed by an o in French, just as in English. I was thinking they were pronouncing it... Oh, nevermind.)

Hello,

I'm a native German speaker. Paul Davidson is right.
And from the syllables and meaning of the word it's separated Ak-zidenz (pronounced ak-tsiden(t)s). Or as in the form of writing Gregory used: Ak-tsee-den(t)s. The later normally isn't spoken as hard as the Z at the beginning, more like an s.

The idea with a spoken database is good. Should contain names too.

Gill and Goudy how?

In France Gill = Gilles and Goudy = goo-dee


M

But we don't really sit in cafes or hold dinner parties to discuss fonts. Or have I just not been invited?

In France, this sort of thing seems to be all the rage.

Matha.

While you're at it... how about Didot?

Well, thats cleared up an office argument about Gill Sans but what about Arial?

Oh and hello.

The first vowel sound in

Another one: How is

Pen-YO!

Paul

Paul's got that one (the "ei" is one sound).

What about "Enschede"?

hhp

(please excuse my humble english - ask if something is not clearly understandable - correct me, for I can improve)

"Akzidenz" has a latin origin. It comes from "accido".
"Accido" itself is a combination of "ad" (in combination with c... changed to ac ...)(it means "to") and "cado" which means "falling" (also in the sense of falling to something = joining) - so it means "(the characteristic) falling to something".
"c" in latin is pronounciated differently: before i and e its like "ts" - before other vowels and after vowels its like "k".

"accidentia" or "accidens" means the non-essential, the changing, the things by coincidence or chance. It means features or characteristics that are secondary to something, not their essential being.
In philosophy we distinguish between "substantia" and "accidentia". accidentia are characteristics that belong to something, its taste, colour, and so on, but that can change without changing its being, its substantia.

In typography (in German language tradition) "Akzidentia" are all printing jobs by chance, prospects, folders, flyers, letterheads, business cards, ads. They require individual design and often other type than standard "Werksatz" (sorry, my english hasn't developed to typographycal terms yet, maybe it could be described as "standard working typography") for books, magazines, and newspapers.
Their design has to attract more attention. They are changing more often than the longlasting principles of good and readable book/newspaper design. On the other hand their characteristics in design changes, but their substance is the same, for example ads.
I find the name "Akzidenz" a very interesting parallel between philosophy and typography.

The use was naming the font:
As far as I know, Sanserifs were first used for ads and posters - typical "Akzidenzien", so this font was named after its use.

Sorry to bring up the past, I have nothing to contribute here but was looking at latter year threads and found this fairly amusing and enlightening. I brought it to the fore for those like myself who stand to gain a lot from reading it.

On-skah-day