Inquiry: Pronunciation of the word "cent" in different languages

[Scott McGinnis]

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originator (address immediately below).

> From: Pfandl Heinrich <pfandl at kfunigraz.ac.at>
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I am interested in the following phenomenon:
>
> With the introduction of the new currency, the euro and its smaller
> coin, the "cent" (the 100th part of a euro/as there are 100 cents to
> one euro), the EC is trying to create a new identity for its members.
> The name of the smaller coin, "cent", looks to me more like a simple
> imitation of the American model, which is reinforced by the
> pronunciation used in most of the mass-media of German-speaking
> countries [sent]. In German the expected pronunciation given this
> spelling would or should have been [tsent], which would also have led
> to an awareness of the difference between European and American money,
> and thus of a separate European identity. In France people seem to
> have made the word into "centimes", as in their present (French)
> currency, in part also to avoid a confusion with the word for
> "hundred".  As there are no official directives concerning the
> pronunciation of this word, this is a perfect chance for the linguist
> to observe, how within a very short time a norm will be established
> based exclusively on usage.
>
> Could you, please, let me know how the word is pronounced in your
> country and how your language deals with this matter?  Thank you.
>
>