Here it is; haven't seen it discussed before: what is the proper pronunciation of Primus? This comes up because it is one of those words which previously one here only mentally pronounced, as it tended not to come into conversation. Now, however, what with the collection and the international community, it does.
I always thought pree-mus. My brother John says pry-mus. So does Ross, over drinks in Harperly.
The other stove names don't present the issue.
My thought is that between the Brits, Ozzies, and Swedes, we should get the right answer. The yanks didn't have enough of these to count.

I know people in the UK who use pree-mus but most say pry-mus. In English I would say pry-mus is the correct pronunciation due to the way we say primate & prime. Pree-mus is the closest to the pronunciation used by Swedes, Norwegians, Germans, French & Dutch I have spoken too. Those in the UK who use pree-mus are, I believe deliberately using the pronuncitation of the stoves mother country. Radius is another one - Most people in the UK say ray-dius - elsewhere rad-ius is more common. I have heard some right weird ones for Trangia! Mind, I don't know how the Swedes say it but would be curious to know.
Maybe the purists pronunciation in to be found in the latin so our scholars Peter & Laurence would probably be better placed to comment.

Goes to show...ray-dius seems obvious, and I think in English inescapable, because that's how we pronounce the radius of a circle, radiant, etc.
Trangia I have always supposed to be tran-jia, emphasis on the first syllable; but maybe not!
American pronunciation of words of foreign origin generally tends to be closer to country-of-origin pronunciation than is the case in Britain, something that is usually attributed to the multi-ethnic society here. At least in the old days, the brits said Don Kwiksote instead of kee-ho-tee (Quixote) and Don Joo-an for Don Juan instead of hwan; something that is (or was) like fingernails on the blackboard for a yank. Do they still do that?
But I must yield on Primus. The Webster's Dictionary, generally the standard for American pronunciation, shows primus with the long "i" rather than ee, in the expression "primus inter pares" (first among equals), and same for "primus", the presiding bishop of the Scottish Episcopal church. (Learn something new everyday: as a Presbyterian descendant of Scots, I hadn't realized that there was a Scottish Episcopal Kirk, though stands to reason there might be. How big is it? A northerner like Ross might know!)
So prymus it is for the anglic speakers. I'll check the OED tonight to make sure!

There is no such thing as a standard English pronunciation, which is why phonetic spelling will never work. A good rule of thumb is that the Latin Primus is related to PRIOR, so how do you say PRIOR? Latin pronunciation is fluid too, there was the change about 100 years ago in schools with V and W, there was a classical and a legal pronunciation, church latin which sounded more like modern Italian, and I have noted a further change in the last ten years with choirs softening previous hard C's.
But, we would probably laugh at anyone here who said PREEMUS, though anything can happen in Queensland, and the South Australians sound a bit toffey nosed to
Sydneysiders. Though I have heard an Irish lady talk abou the PRIM-Us (as in prim and proper).

Laurence

When I've been asking for pry-mus stoves in antique & junk shops around Europe they haven't a clue what I'm talking about. Say preemus & the penny drops straight away!

So I know how Primus is said in English and Swedish, but what about the plural? Would it be Pri-mi? Or Primus's??

I did not know Primus pronunciation was an issue. I always used Ed's pronunciation. However, I have always wondered how to pronounce Svea. I figured I was the only one who did not know and have been afraid to ask. But since the cat is out of the bag...

Being I grew up in Trångsviken, Truly across the street from the Trangia factory.
I will claim to be the expert of "Trangia" pronounciation.

(I can only try to describe in an Amercian English sound.)

Trangia---tran yah
Its 2 syllable word, The "a" sound in both syllables as in "saw"
No extra emphasis on either syllable, Nor rise or fall in pitch.

At least this is how it was spoken when I was there, God knows how Southern Swedes say it !
I mention that, Just like everywhere else Swedish has distinct regional pronounciations.

Sven

Alan Never be afraid to ask a question. We are all here to lern and help. If any one makes fun of you it only shows there ignerance (this is what I think) Albert

pronounced s-VAY-uhh, just a hiss on the front end. I was like the others with Primus-thought I was the only one that wasn't sure. I did it with the long 'E' but was never sure. Maybe a throw-off of the word Primo-long E- meant something very good back in the 70's, but you don't hear the word much anymore. With the kids today, everything is 'Cool'. We used that one too so I'm glad it's still around. Kind of an oxymoron though- a 'Cool Stove'...sounds like one that needs Alberts attention!

In the UK we say Sveya for the most part - these were made by Max Seevert.
I've also pronounched Hjorth as it looks but it's actually more like Hjort with a hard T at the end. Also Bahco as Barco but it is more like Bako

Over the years I have pronounced Svea (see post below)more accurately than Trangia. I missed out on the "g" sounding like a "j". Furthermore I used a long "a" on the first syllable. So it went something like Tran geeah (long "a" first syllable).

I vote for Pri-mi.

Hi Alan,
Your way is the same as most people say it in the UK but I'm glad Sven has told us the correct Swedish pronunciation for my favourite workhorse. I'll be sticking with my way of saying it otherwise no-one I know will no what I'm talking about!

My pronunciation of Primus comes from the assumption that the intent of Primus was to present itself as first and formost. Hence, prime. Pry-mus seems natural. We Yanks do, however, have a purportedly well known tendency (undeservedly of course) for ethnocentricity. Is the 'i' in the prefix 'pri' generally given a long or short pronunciation in the Queen's English?

I think the distinctive feature of English is the inconsistency of its "rules". Prim is a short i. It's preema donna (or primma), but pryma facie.
Primer is a primmer if a schoolbook, but prymer if you're priming your cannon.
Preemus always seemed natural to me. Now, I'll have to get used to prymus. I asked because both you and Ross put it that way.
I checked the Magisterial Compendium last night (the Oxford English Dictionary), and like Webster's, it says prymus.
Good to see that you're lurking out there, John!

If you would like to hear how Primus is pronounced in the Denmark then open the link below - it is a wav file. It might execute itself when opened.




Don’t forget to turn on your sound card.

I hope it works. A Swede could try to do the same as I did. It would be almost the same pronunciation I guess.

Jan - Denmark

My Latin is as rusty as a Lanray iron font, but...
PRIMUS the noun refers to a leading man, hence the Primus or Primate of a church. Our PRIMUS seems to be an adjective and takes the same ending as the noun it describes, so in Latin PRIMI CAMINI. As we have turned the adjective into a noun, who knows, just as easy to say Primus Stoves.
Pater Laurentius

I’m a swed too, and how to pronounce the word Trangia isn’t obvious for us either. I’ve heard quite a few different versions. Personally I say it as tranga, one short word.

Leif…

This is how one Swede says “Primus Optimus Radius Svea”.



Leif...