Omicron? Why are we calling it omnicron?

[immersivereader]

Is it me or are people adding an 'n'? Because it's easier to say?

I keep saying and spelling it Omnicron

Yes, heard it on the always-moronic BBC News this weekend. There's general ignorance of the Greek alphabet, I think, so people change the first part to the familiar Latinate prefix omni-.

Well I do have a theory...

I only know how to say it because of Futurama.

Who says watching cartoons doesn't teach you anything?

Yeah, I think it's just the influence of words like omnivore and omnipotent. Although given the omni bit means all, maybe it should actually be omnicron because we're all going to get it.

The same reason people say choritzo when it’s chorizo.

@SenseSphere

The same reason people say choritzo when it’s chorizo.

Not really.

Because the prefix "omni-" is a false friend (latin, not greek).

I certainly have been using the word omnishambles quite frequently...

My friend is Greek and is constantly wincing at the newsreaders mangling the word.

Obviously not Star Trek fans. Omicron Something was a planet name more than once.

Who cares? We know what is meant

I know it's Omicron but it sounds better in my head as Omnicron ,
Same as I always call the shop Home Bargains ,Home and Bargains 🤣

@x2boys
My friends from Liverpool all say this. Is it a regional thing I wonder…?

Because no one learns ancient Greek at school any more.

It's also the name of a printing company. They specialise in foil printing.

The original home bargains was indeed a local chain in Liverpool called “home and bargain”

It went national and changed its name - but the old one has stuck in the older demographic from the area

Don't get me started on mispronunciation, we'll be here all day

I've not heard anyone doing this

@SenseSphere

The same reason people say choritzo when it’s chorizo.

Not really. Choritzo is just a mispronunciation. People are saying omnicron because we use the prefix omni- in English so people's brains are automatically "correcting" the foreign word (omicron) based on what they subconsciously think it should be.

They skipped two letters of the Greek alphabet in naming it. It was going to be "Nu" but they thought people would think that meant "new". The next letter was "Xi" but that's the name of the Chinese president so they decided that wasn't a good idea either. So they settled on Omicron which most people can't pronounce!

It's a horrible word.

I only remember it by thinking 'Oh Macron!'

“Obviously not Star Trek fans. Omicron Something was a planet name more than once.”

Yes it makes me think of Star Trek too

I find it’s better if you say it in a Captain Kirk way “Oh..mic- Ron”

I've not heard anyone say omnicron.

Maybe the only upside to the idiots saying DELTA OMICRON is an anagram of MEDIA CONTROL and thinking they've stumbled on something profound is that they will al least be seeing omicron correctly.

It's not like chorizo, but rather like "expresso" instead of espresso.

Never heard it said with an 'n' before this thread 🤷‍♀️