The first “c” changed to a “ts” sound around the fifth century A.D., and the consonant further softened to “s” in Old French. In classical Latin, “cicada” was pronounced as “ki-KAH-da,” with hard c’s. Those who say “si-KAY-da” need not be intimidated by “si-KAH-da,” as the latter pronunciation is a Johnny-come-lately even in Britain. That variant, though, is heard more frequently in the United Kingdom and such Commonwealth countries as South Africa, Canada, and Australia. The preferred pronunciation in much of the United States is “si-KAY-da.” Some Americans opt for “si-KAH-da,” like the last name of Cuban-born singer-songwriter Jon Secada. The most basic answer to the “cicada” question has to do with where you live. The latest “cicadapocalypse” (or “swarmageddon” if you prefer) offers an opportunity to think about how pronunciations of words can diverge into their own distinct swarms-and about how the way we say even relatively rare words like cicada reflects much larger shifts in the language. Each summer, however, a brood on a cycle ranging from every two to every 17 years may swarm up to the surface to molt. Here in North America, we can spend most of our lives ignoring the word “cicada,” since the bugs so labeled live underground for most of their lives.