GIF

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a bitmap image format for pictures that use 256 (or fewer) distinct colors (though there is a workaround for this limitation). and animations that use 256 (or fewer) distinct colors per frame. GIFs are compressed files, and are employed specifically to reduce the amount of time it takes to transfer images over a network connection. The format was introduced by CompuServe in 1987 and has since come into widespread usage on the World Wide Web.

Pronunciation

English speakers often pronounce "GIF" with either an affricate as in "giraffe" /dʒɪf/ or a plosive as in "gift" /gɪf/. The format's creators are quoted as using an affricate to pronounce the acronym. There is plenty of evidence to suggest this, much of which can be found here. However, many people use the plosive pronunciation in daily conversation. The affricate was used as the developers had a sense of humour "Choosy Developers Choose GIF", making a play on a then-famous commercial for peanut butter. Outside of the English language there are a number of further variants.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~