Mis-Pronouncing the WoT and RJ's hatred for the diphthong

[Spilt-pea Soup]

I recently started a re-read and thought that this time I might actually attempt to pronounce the names correctly.  However, I've noticed that some of the names are just ridiculous complicated, and Randland (RJ) really really likes words where a syllable ends with a vowel and then is followed by a different vowel.  I find these words just ridiculous to pronounce and in my mind resort to the diphthong. 

 

The one I find the most ridiculous is Aiel, which is supposed to be aye-EEL.  But everytime I thing of someone pronouncing it, it just doesn't work.  Especially when used as a possessive (an Aielman's) .

 

So I pronounce it "ale".

 

Also, Taim, tame.

Nynaeve, "NIGH-knave"

Siuan, Swann (But here's an example of the dipthong's (tripthong?) being used.  (Also, Tear is tear, not TE-AIR).

Cadsuane, CAD-swain

 

 

The one name I struggle with the most Egwene, being unable to fix on a pronunciation.  I usually just end up thinking "EDGE-wean".

 

Anyway,  what about you?

 

What do you do?

 

 

[ed2funy]

i barely started to try and pronouncing them in my third and most recent reread.

before, i would sorta skip over egwene's.

moiraine was mo-rain.

taim was time.

siuan was see-u-ahn.

aiel were more like i'll.

[Spilt-pea Soup]

Wait, how *are* you supposed to pronounce moiraine?  I thought just like in a glacier, except with a little yiddish lilt.  moy - RAIN

[mb]

Some past threads discussed pronunciation.

 

These are my pronunciations (for the mentioned words):

Taim, 'tame'

Nynaeve, 'nin-ave'

Siuan, 'su-anne'

Cadsuane, 'cad-su-anne'

Moiraine, 'mor-ane'

Aiel, 'ale'

Egwene, 'eg-wain'

 

[csarmi]

I pronounce Elayne as 'eye-lene' yea I know that's funny but I like it better that way.

[Auld Manriva]

mwah RAIN ...

ah-EEL ... first syllable almost just a thought.. very short

Eee GWAIN  ...

MAH-zrim Tah-EEM .. there again, first syllable barely distinguishable.

CAD-swain ..

Swan SAHN-Chay   Swan and SAHN rhyme

Nye-NEEV all-MEER-ah

Tear (as in tear drop)/ TYE-run

KY-ree-un/KYE-ree-In-un

here's a good'un ... moe-GED-ee-un or early on by one or the other I can't recall... mo-guh-DEEN

 

These are the pronunciations used by the audiobook readers, Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. They've had very little contact with Team Jordan they say in interviews and no complaints. RJ himself listened to the audio versions so that he could determine if he'd written, was what he meant to. Reading it himself he wasn't able to determine this so he used others reading to inform him. HE never complained about pronunciations according to Kramer and Reading.

 

So I pretty much take them as gospel.

[alligator]

Yeah, the first time I actually discussed the books with someone else, we pronounced the words/ names completely differently.  ;D But I have trained myself to say some of them according to the glossary... I think.... Wait. Am I imagining things, or did the old books have pronunciations in the glossary?

 

Nynaeve: nigh-nev

Egwene: ig-wain

Aiel: aye-eel

 

I always said Moiraine as 'more-ayne,' and Tear changes each time, haha (between a tear you cry and something you tear). And I just don't say Siuan's name. That one is the hardest for me. Swan? See-you-ann? Whaaa?

 

Oh! and Faile! I called her 'fail' for the longest time, but I think it's supposed to be fay-eel, or something like that.

 

Also, how do you guys say cuendillar?

 

here's a good'un ... moe-GED-ee-un or early on by one or the other I can't recall... mo-guh-DEEN

Hahahah. That is absolutely not what I had going on-- more like, mog-hee-dee-an.

[Auld Manriva]

Cuendillar is barely anything like it's written

 

Quinn-dee-yar  ... I've always sort of considered it like Spanish .. seems to me I've heard KWAIN-dee-yar as well. There's 600 hours or more of audiobook readings. One kind of expects some little deviation.

 

OH.. and it's fah-EEL buh-SHEER ... now with an AAY (as in hay)-barra

[ed2funy]

nyn is nigh-neeve.

siuan is swan.

egwene is egg-wean.

elayne is just dat, e-lain.

aiel is eye-el.

moiraine is moi-rain. (moi is like the french moi).

bela is bell-ah.

[alligator]

Cuendillar is barely anything like it's written

 

Quinn-dee-yar  ... I've always sort of considered it like Spanish .. seems to me I've heard KWAIN-dee-yar as well. There's 600 hours or more of audiobook readings. One kind of expects some little deviation.

 

Oh God, I always said something to the effect of syoo-en-dill-ar. That is not quite right, but close enough.

 

Man. Crazy.

[The Fisher King]

The Following Are What I Say, What I Think Are Correct and What I Would Bet RJ Would Have Wanted If He Could Go Back and Do It Again:

 

1 More Rain

 

2 Sue Ann

 

3 Tame

 

4 Nie-AY-VEE

 

5 You Jean (for egwene).

 

 

Fish

[Zidel333]

When/If the movies come out, all the name pronunciations will blow us away.... I can only imagine the terribly awkward conversations at Jordan*Con. "So Mwai-rain talked to Nee-knave and Su-wain about the qwen-due-lair's breaking. Meanwhile, the Kair-a-the-in cycle mentions...." Yeah. Awkward. And you know some per WoT nerd will call you out about it.

[alligator]

What about Rhuidean? How are we supposed to say that one?

In my mind, it's 'roo-id-e-en.'

[ed2funy]

lol...

forgot...

I used to cal Nyn:

Nigh-na-eve

 

 

Since my brother's name is Rudy, I always go with:

Rudy-ann

 

pretty much.

[Auld Manriva]

Rhuidean is a toughy to do phonetically, at least for me. The emphasis is on the first syllable. I'll admit RU-id-ian, would appear to make sense.

 

But Kramer and Reading pronounce it:

RUEE ~ like the French "oui" but with an R.

dee-ahn

 

RUI-dee-ahn

 

 

I'm sure a lot of these pronunciations are because of "Kate Reading" (Jennifer Mendenhall), who is a stage actress as well as a well known book reader, is very well versed in languages and accents. She evidently has a very "good ear" for accents in particular. She's an American raised and mostly educated in England so she grew up in a very diverse environment. Especially for one with such a talent for mimicry.

 

I said I consider their usage gospel, but that's because I've been hearing pronunciations this way for 13 years now. Though I've heard no disputes from anyone who would be more expert...

[ed2funy]

Almost like if I pronounce it with my brother's name...

:P

 

 

Shadar Logoth.

I was pronouncing it: Shaw-dar (rhymes with bar) Low-go-the

 

Then, I read RJ pronounce it just a little bit different.

[Auld Manriva]

Just so.. pretty close to RUDY-ahn

 

Shadar (Shadow with a dar) Low-guth Is how the readers say it and if I recall RJ as well. Mind you all this sounds strange as hell to Euro ears. But as I've said to a Scots woman who shall remain nameless.. "Well sugar, it IS written by a Yank, so it is!"  ;D

 

[ed2funy]

:P

 

Well, this Yank wants to point out that everybody loves the Yank.

 

lol....

I guess you make sense though.

If someone from the mythical country of England created a whole world, there would be funny names to us Yanks...and they wouldn't wouldn't be so weird to you mythical people.

 

 

But, a lot of us Yanks also have trouble with his words...so it could just be a product of a unique mind.

[Auld Manriva]

That would be YOU-ni-kew  :D

[ed2funy]

lol....

:P

[Spilt-pea Soup]

I wouldn't call a Southern boy a "Yank".  I'm sure RJ wouldn't identify as one.

 

 

 

[WWWwombat]

I pronounce them how the glossary says to although sometimes I catch myself thinking or saying ale for Aiel.  The pronunciations seemed odd to me at first but once I'd looked up how a few words were pronounced I was able to guess any others I came across pretty accurately as RJ was pretty consistent in this matter imo.

[ed2funy]

I think he was referring to Americans in general as Yanks...

[WWWwombat]

I wouldn't call a Southern boy a "Yank".  I'm sure RJ wouldn't identify as one.

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure anyone identifies as a Yank these days lol.

[Mr Ares]

:P

 

Well, this Yank wants to point out that everybody loves the Yank.

 

lol....

I guess you make sense though.

If someone from the mythical country of England created a whole world, there would be funny names to us Yanks...and they wouldn't wouldn't be so weird to you mythical people.

 

 

But, a lot of us Yanks also have trouble with his words...so it could just be a product of a unique mind.

As a resident of the aforementioned mythical nation, I would like to point out that if we existed, we would be  much better at creating fantasy worlds than Americans, as they have a habit of stopping after they've created America.