Posted by David Evans on May 08, 1997 at 16:29:03:
In Reply to: Prounouncing "Gibber" posted by David Brooks on May 08, 1997 at 00:51:39:
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (and what else could be more
appropriate!), both pronunciations are used: hard "G" and (roughly) "J".
Interestingly enough, the two versions are thought to have different roots
(cognate with "gabber" and "jabber") but have converged on similar meanings:
among these: the noise associated with an ape.
As a boy in England (many years ago) when I first read the S&A books,
I always mentally sounded the hard G. But it seems you pays your money
and you takes your choice!