How do you pronounce "Prius"?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Stev0, Jun 12, 2007.

?

How do you pronounce "Prius"?

  1. Pree-Us

    92 vote(s)
    98.9%

  2. Pry-Us

    1 vote(s)
    1.1%
Page 1 of 2
  1. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2006
    7,201
    1,073
    0
    Location:
    Northampton, MA
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I know this subject has come up before, but nobody made an actual poll, so here it is.
     
    #1 Stev0, Jun 12, 2007
  2. ruby

    ruby Member

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2008
    130
    78
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    That's what I thought. But how do you pronounce "Prii," the commonly used plural around this board? I would guess "pree-eye" :)

    Been reading these boards for over a week. I take delivery of my new Barcelona red metallic, "Ruby", tomorrow!
     
    #2 ruby, Nov 13, 2008
  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,999
    15,841
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I've only heard "Pry-Us" on the BBC, "Top Gear" program from Jeremy Clarkson. It would be more interesting to hear a Japanese native speaker give a phonetic spelling. Perhaps there is a "U-Tube" clip around?

    Bob Wilson
     
    #3 bwilson4web, Nov 13, 2008
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,076
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    I pronounce Prii like this: Prius. The plural of Prius is Prius. Okay people, let's start the Latin declinations again.

    Tom
     
    #4 qbee42, Nov 13, 2008
  5. ruby

    ruby Member

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2008
    130
    78
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    :)- yes Tom, I read that, too. But as I read posts and I see "Prii" - I wonder how those who use it anyway pronounce it.
     
    #5 ruby, Nov 13, 2008
  6. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2004
    14,816
    2,499
    66
    Location:
    Far-North Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    When Fr. Bill was on the board he would refer to himself as the resident Priust.
     
    #6 TonyPSchaefer, Nov 13, 2008
  7. auricchio

    auricchio Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2006
    921
    7
    0
    Location:
    Cambria, CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Priuses.
     
    #7 auricchio, Nov 13, 2008
  8. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,256
    1,580
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The plural of Prius is "Look! There's another one." :)
     
    #8 hyo silver, Nov 13, 2008
  9. jpadc

    jpadc Type before I think too often

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2008
    343
    34
    0
    Location:
    Indianapolis and Northern Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Alpha
    Model:
    Two
    Tom, you are a fountain of knowledge. So help me out here given my latin training was limited to my earliest days of catholic school shortly after the second Vatican council, why is it that Prius follows the 4th declination and not the 2nd?

    Seriously, I'd like to know... Bob
     
    #9 jpadc, Nov 14, 2008
  10. Tenebre

    Tenebre Custom User Title

    Joined:
    May 11, 2007
    111
    1
    0
    Location:
    Stockholm, Kingdom of Sweden
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    Prius is from Latin, it would be more interesting to hear it pronounced by an ancient roman than a Japanese.
     
    #10 Tenebre, Nov 14, 2008
  11. EZW1

    EZW1 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2008
    722
    80
    7
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Dictionary.com offers the following:

    pri⋅us

       /ˈpraɪ[​IMG]əs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [​IMG] [prahy-uh[​IMG]s] Show IPA Pronunciation [​IMG]
    –adjective (in prescriptions) before; former.
    Origin:
    1890–95; < L[​IMG]



    Soooo.... the winner is Prius with a long 'i'
     
    #11 EZW1, Nov 14, 2008
  12. edselpdx

    edselpdx Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2006
    191
    1
    0
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    "pree-eye". But what's a group of them called?
    You know... a murder of crows, a parliament of owls, a pride of lions, a hover of trout...
    a smug of Prii?
     
    #12 edselpdx, Nov 14, 2008
  13. SPEEDEAMON

    SPEEDEAMON Professional Car Nut

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2008
    1,556
    606
    5
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    In Japan they pronounce it pooh-lee-oosoo. And it is definitely not Japanese.
     
    #13 SPEEDEAMON, Nov 14, 2008
  14. xsmatt81

    xsmatt81 non-AARP Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2008
    522
    8
    0
    Location:
    Vegas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    who is the one monkey who voted pry-us:suspicious:
     
    #14 xsmatt81, Nov 14, 2008
  15. EZW1

    EZW1 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2008
    722
    80
    7
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Ohhh... I forgot to vote.... there!
    Although Webster says its pronounced pry-us... I pronounce it pre-us and voted as such.
     
    #15 EZW1, Nov 14, 2008
  16. diamondlarry

    diamondlarry EPA MPG #'s killer

    Joined:
    May 20, 2007
    559
    12
    0
    Location:
    Elkhart, IN
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    +1. I was wondering the same thing. I voted pree-us.
     
    #16 diamondlarry, Nov 15, 2008
  17. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    10,664
    567
    0
    Location:
    Adelaide South Australia
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    A sheep, a flock of sheep.
    Cars come in fleets so a number or gathering of Prius would be a fleet of Prius.

    Maybe a person from a different cultural background to you might pronounce it differently, doensn't make anyone a monkey.
     
    #17 patsparks, Nov 15, 2008
  18. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,194
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Just click on it to see...it's a public poll.
     
    #18 efusco, Nov 15, 2008
  19. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,194
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I'm in a minority, but I've always been partial to calling a group of Prius cars a "Pride of Prii".
     
    #19 efusco, Nov 15, 2008
  20. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    20,630
    8,524
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    My car pool'er just bought an '08 a few months ago. He calls it (to the shagrin of his Prius owning brother in law) a Pri-aus (rhymes with floss). He asks me, "is that how you say it"?

    I tell him, "I'm having a Fred Astaire de ja vu" : :D

     
    #20 hill, Nov 15, 2008
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 2