From here:
In other words, the guy who named it named it aluminum before he changed his mind and named it aluminium. So the American spelling has the distinction of coming before the British spelling.
Of course Davies changed his mind eventually and called it aluminium and most people agreed (including Americans for most of the 19th century). I’d say the arguments for the “aluminium” spelling are pretty good, but at the same time it’s not as if it has pride of place.
Who in turn got it from the Guaraní, yaguar.
Nothing could possibly exist as a ‘true English word’. They’re all imports, which we do with as we please. And anyway, are you telling me that ‘jag-WAR’ is really all that much closer to the ‘authentic’ pronunciation? 
Because there’s a bloody R in it…no, wait…
Hmm. I hadn’t noticed until you pointed it out, but I do say “drawring”. Weird.
It’s not the ‘R’ the OP would have a problem with, it’s nicker-ag-you-a that would possibly be problematic. Personally, I have no problem with the way Brits speak. I spent some time there and became accustomed to their backward ways.
As a Canadian who learned to pronounce it “zed” in school despite immediate distaste for what it did to The Alphabet Song, I respectfully ask you to consider: What would happen to ZZ Top?
A-how-how-hoow.
As a Canadian who learned to pronounce it “zed” in school despite immediate distaste for what that did to The Alphabet Song, I respectfully ask you to consider: What would happen to ZZ Top?
A-how-how-hoow.
I know the company is owned now by Ford, but you do know it was originally a British firm don’t you? Just so you can qualify that “normal folks” comment?
Patrick Steward auditioned for adverts in the US for Jaguar and was rejected for using the US pronunciation.
AFAIK, the chassis of the new XJ and XK are both aluminium
Check out Elton John’s “Gray Seal”. He says it there, too.
Speaking of zed, does anyone still use aught (zero) anymore? (other than Americans in reference to firearms)?
No, the first spelling was “alumium,” which is pretty catchy in its own right.
We use nought for zero (though not as much as we once did). Aught means “anything”, rather than “nothing”, over here. In that spelling and pronunciation I think it’s more or less obsolete, but as “owt” (along with “nowt”) it’s still alive and kicking in several regional dialects.
I’m sure I heard some comedian (who’s name escapes me) say that English doesn’t so much borrow from other languages as hang around on street corners waiting to mug them for their spare grammar.
If you are being “authentic” about the -UAR bit at the end, should you not be equally authentic with the J- at the front and indeed the -G- in the middle? Or can one pick and choose?
I have a feeling that was Bill Bryson- and if it wasn’t, the quote was certainly in one of his books.
As for the whole “Jaguar” thing: I’ve always pronounced it Jag-Yoo-Arr. (Of course, my pronounciation has long been considered odd by most who’ve met me- born & educated in NZ, grew up watching British TV shows and movies, moved to Australia at 18, made a point of NOT developing an Australian accent)
Similarly, I’ve never referred to a “Thirty-Aught-Six” rifle (it’s always been Thirty-Oh-Six), I do say Drawring instead of Drawing, soft drink cans are made of Al-Yoo-Minnie-Um, the last letter of the alphabet is Zed (and yes, I did call ZZ Top “Zed Zed Top” for years until I learnt otherwise), and the small country in Central America is pronounced Nickarahg-Yoo-Ah…
So, a good test of whether or not someone’s accent is truly British or if they are just making it up is to have them read this sentence:
“So there I was, hunting jaguar in Nicaragua with my trusty 30-06 rifle when I stumbled upon an elaborate drawing of Frank Beard from ZZ Top etched into a small piece of aluminum foil.”
This could possibly apply to Austrailia or NZ as well, but I don’t think an American could make their way through it without being well informed.
I have a Scottish accent and would definitely never say “drawring”, so it must be an English thing…
But the important question is always: do you pronounce iron as “eye-ron” or “eye-urn”?
“Drawring” isn’t an English thing, it’s just a mispronuniciation thing.
There was a Doper who used the whole quotation as a sig, but I can’t recall who, so tht’s pretty useless if you wanted to search for it and ask the source. Yes, you needn’t bother to thank me for that bit of input. 
Ooh, yes, “drawRing” is ghastly, as is “LauraNorder” and other things like that.
Hello there, skiinnysoprano. Glad to see another Scot here. 
As for “iron”, I have jsut tried saying it out loud to myself and I think the way I say it varies*, but with a preference for “eye-ron”.
*Sorry if that doesn’t really make sense.