Pronunciation

[Hu]

There was a thread on this in the newbie section, but it appears that the server crash ate it.

 

So I thought I'd restart it here. It seems that there are varying thoughts about pronouncing words (usually names) that appear not only in WoT but in other SF or fantasy books/series.

 

The discussion started out with an interpretation of my nick...I've always read it as "Hugh" but others may mentally interpret it as "huh."

 

The pronunciation of the city-state, "Tear" seems to be "tier" or those lachrymose things that come from the eye (Does that explain the "Eye of Tear?") but the residents of that place are referred to as Tairens pronounced like the word for ripping of cloth: "Tare-ens."

 

I was in the process of posting something about the pronunciation of Aeil and Aes Sedai ("Eye-eel" and "Eyes-Said-eye", if I recall the glossary correctly.)

 

Btw, I'm a noob as far as registration, but I was a lurker for a while before deciding to register. I've been reading and re-reading the WoT series (along with a lot of others since mt first heart attack in 1997.

[Lukey]

Firstly, eye of tear? :shock:

Do you mean the Stone of tear

 

I have always pronounced "tear" like,a crying tear, and Tairens as "tie-rens".

[Hu]

Yes...I have no idea why I wrote the Eye of Tear...sometimes my brain goes off and does whatever it wants to when I'm not watching it closely. :)

 

Nonetheless, the pronunciations the RJ provides in the glossaries seem to be awkward at bets and try as I might, I find myself hearing the word in my mind as I read. I hardly ever move my lips as I read (cynicism implied) but the sounds of the words come unbidden.

 

Oh, well. I'll just keep muddling thru and try to keep a short leash on my brain.

[min]

The glossery at the end of the books are great but as a non-english-speaking person I realy have to think about how to pronounce some names!

When I'm alone i sometimes practice a little but it must look ridiculous..

 

I have a particular problem with ''seanchan''.

I just say ''shinchan''(from the cartoon) to make it easier for myself...

 

I sometimes feel like Colin Firth in ''love actually'' when he's taking portuguese lessons.. :D :D