2023-10-05 07:02:36
Is it the “i” sound? Is this a misunderstanding of the original meaning of the word? Still, many of us want to put “wifi” in the feminine form. However, the dictionaries which admit this relative neologism are unanimous: “wifi” is masculine.
Anglicisms and gender
In general, the rule is to gender foreign terms according to their translation. This is why a Tinder date says “ and date” and not “ a date” – despite the similarity between the English word “ date » (and rendez-vous galant) and the French “date” (the today’s date).
Where does the word “wifi” come from?
A common misunderstanding is that “wifi” (or “wi-fi”) is an abbreviation of ” wireless fidelity » (“wireless fidelity”). In this case, it is the loyalty, right? Well, no, because Wi-Fi never meant that. The word, capitals included, is the name of a product, a trademark registered by its designers for marketing purposes. Of course, there is a play on words with “hi-fi” (the “high fidelity” of hi-fi systems). Certainly, the slogan “ wireless fidelity » has been used in advertisements, but the name “Wi-Fi” itself has no particular meaning.
From proper noun to common noun
Like Frigidaire, Bic and Kleenex, the Wi-Fi brand has blended into everyday language to designate technology in general. Dictionaries will therefore allow you to write, as desired, “wifi” or “wi-fi”, but always preceded by a “the”, please.
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