Pronunciation
 

What is the correct pronunciation of "Jamis"? I say it "zha-MEE," because it's a Canadian company, so I figured it would be more French, my coworker says "JAY-miss." Googling has not revealed anything in support of one position or the other. Help us BF, you're our only hope.

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/contact/faq.html

The faq says it's "jay mus".

I don't think Jamis is a Canadian company.

Good Morning kookaburra :)

Native pennsylvanian here...our area pronounces it "YA-miss". I don't see my reply helping settle your dispute though...

I wonder how I got it into my head that it was Canadian. I looked at their website again, I think I got the French-y sound from the "femme" line.

I'm going to pronounce it "Ya-Meiz" from now on.

Wonder what the origin of the company name is. Couldn't find anything with a quick google search. You'd think there would have been a mention of a Mr. or Ms. Jamis if it were started by someone named that. Some of the bike company names have amusing sources. Moots--name of founder's toy alligator. Gunnar--Richard Schwinn's dog. Ridley--named after movie director Ridley Scott.

Jamis is really quite simple. When I did business with G. Joannou the female owners of Jamis which is in New Jersey, pronounced it jam-iss. Easy!

So it's a short-a sound?

Communication is degrading into a cloud of e-mails, tweets, text and IM's; correct spelling and pronunciation is way overrated (as is actual human contact). If we all had really fancy trainers we could group ride virtually.

"zha-MEE," is your idea of the french version of Jamis?? :lol: Yeah, OK.

Canadian here, and personally, I pronounce it Jamis. The way it looks.

Exactly! :thumb:

Reminds me of when Giant first started selling bikes under their own name. Guy comes into the shop and says, "I'm looking for that new brand that just came out... think it's called Gee-Aunt."

So, I said, "Oh... you're looking for the Large brand?" "No, I think it's called Gee-Aunt, or Guy-Ant..."

"Ahhh, I said... You want the Humongous brand. I get it..." to which I told him the correct pronunciation.

The good old Continental spin on names...

Don't try to church it up.

Well the Jamis reps and other employees all say Jay-miss. How about the parent company ...G. Joannou... how you gonna say that?

Ron Jamis ("JAY-miss") invented the Earth Cruiser and sold to G. Joannou ("jo-AHN-oo") in the late '80s.

Remember when the Saeco Cannondales were raced by the Italians and the bikes became known as ca-NON-da-LAYS?

I laughed at that as well. Everyone knows the French pronunciation would be Yom-Whee.

Just give the company a call and listen to how they answer the phone.

Come to Japan where every western word is destroyed by being katakana-ized. "Donald Duck" becomes Donarudo Dak-ku". Here "Jamis" is pronounces "Jawmisu".

Shopping for Campagnolo parts is fun here. The bike shop industry has settled on the term "kampa".

I own two...a Boss Cruiser for my wife, and a Jamis Quest Elite road bike. I've always pronounced it jay-miss

I've always heard it pronounced Jay-miss, however, I'm from the Midwest.

At 2:50 he says Jay-miss

At night before going to bed I get into my jamis.:)

+1

I thought it was named for its founder, John Jacob Jamis.