Stearns has the stress on the penultimate. Which must be correct, because it accords with my pronunciation. Russell At 02:44 PM 6/29/2010, you wrote: >Dennis in Cincinnatuh wrote: " To my ear "ak ih MAY neez" sounds way more >scientific than "uh CHIM ih >neez". Although Mary Poppins might prefer the latter.... > > >Not only Mary Poppins but also tradition. There seems to be uncertainty >about the etymology of the word, but the pronunciation with the stress on >the chi is the one which has been given in reliable sources for a long time. Russell Stafford Odyssey Bulbs PO Box 382 South Lancaster, MA 01561 508-335-8106 http://www.odysseybulbs.com/