Wasn't there a Great Vowel Shift sometime between 10,000 BC and the present?Obviously Nemedian (et al.) has rules of pronunciation that we mere moderns have no way of discovering.
Pronounce....
Started by Boot, Oct 07 2011 12:49 AM
71 replies to this topic
#41
Ironhand
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Posted 10 February 2012 - 08:01 AM
"Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" - Conan, in "Shadows in Zamboula", by Robert E. Howard
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?"
"I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard
Read my Conan screenplays at The Scrolls of Ironhand (in particular my transcription of THE FROST GIANT'S DAUGHTER in Act II of "The Snow Devil") at
http://www.scrollsof...d.us/index.html or at
http://www.delicious...ic=ConanProject
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?"
"I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard
Read my Conan screenplays at The Scrolls of Ironhand (in particular my transcription of THE FROST GIANT'S DAUGHTER in Act II of "The Snow Devil") at
http://www.scrollsof...d.us/index.html or at
http://www.delicious...ic=ConanProject
#42
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Posted 13 February 2012 - 01:48 AM
I tend to pronounce names as they first sound in my head when I first come across them. Now on my next Conan run through, I'll be questioning every name as I'm reading 
"But the law!" screamed Tu.
"I am the law!" roared Kull, swinging up his axe; it flashed downward and the stone tablet flew into a hundred pieces. The people clenched their hands in horror, waiting dumbly for the sky to fall.
"I am the law!" roared Kull, swinging up his axe; it flashed downward and the stone tablet flew into a hundred pieces. The people clenched their hands in horror, waiting dumbly for the sky to fall.
#43
deuce
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Posted 13 February 2012 - 02:05 AM
I tend to pronounce names as they first sound in my head when I first come across them. Now on my next Conan run through, I'll be questioning every name as I'm reading
You buy the book, you get to do so.
However, just know that there is NO (as in nearly zero) doubt that Robert E. Howard pronounced Conan as "KO-nun".
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#44
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Posted 14 February 2012 - 02:56 AM
I'm finishing Poul Anderson's Conan The Rebel. Not a bad read--enjoying the yarn. When I see "Pteion", I hear Pit-ee-on (Pity-on) in my head. I don't know why. It really doesn't fit, does it. Nope, it doesn't. It's just what I hear.
#45
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Posted 14 February 2012 - 08:10 AM
I don't know why the -pt- sound was ever invented anyway. I don't think there was ever a correct way to pronounce it, even when it was in general use. So anyway, I would pronounce it -pt-EYE-on, as in Ptui!. You are advised not to stand directly in front of me when I am attempting to pronounce it.
"Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" - Conan, in "Shadows in Zamboula", by Robert E. Howard
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?"
"I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard
Read my Conan screenplays at The Scrolls of Ironhand (in particular my transcription of THE FROST GIANT'S DAUGHTER in Act II of "The Snow Devil") at
http://www.scrollsof...d.us/index.html or at
http://www.delicious...ic=ConanProject
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?"
"I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard
Read my Conan screenplays at The Scrolls of Ironhand (in particular my transcription of THE FROST GIANT'S DAUGHTER in Act II of "The Snow Devil") at
http://www.scrollsof...d.us/index.html or at
http://www.delicious...ic=ConanProject
#46
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Posted 18 February 2012 - 07:44 AM
Reading Howard's Queen of the Black Coast again. I wanted to re-read it after finishing Poul Anderson's excellent Conan The Rebel. Partly due to this thread, and partly due to what I hear in my head, I've been pronouncing Belit as BEE-lay (sounds like "belay that order!"). Actually, I think the accent is stronger on the second syllable. Long "E", late accent.
Bee-LAY
Bee-LAY
#47
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Posted 18 February 2012 - 05:46 PM
I've always said Beh-Leet. Just like it was spelled. It doesn't make much sense to pronounce it that way I guess, upon reflection.
Edited by EM Erdelac, 18 February 2012 - 05:46 PM.
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#48
deuce
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Posted 18 February 2012 - 05:49 PM
Reading Howard's Queen of the Black Coast again. I wanted to re-read it after finishing Poul Anderson's excellent Conan The Rebel. Partly due to this thread, and partly due to what I hear in my head, I've been pronouncing Belit as BEE-lay (sounds like "belay that order!"). Actually, I think the accent is stronger on the second syllable. Long "E", late accent.
Bee-LAY
You're pronouncing a name derived from Baylonian in a not-even-pseudo-French manner, why?
Curious Deuce
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#49
deuce
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Posted 18 February 2012 - 05:50 PM
I've always said Beh-Leet. Just like it was spelled. It doesn't make much sense to pronounce it that way I guess, upon reflection.
Why not?
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#50
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Posted 18 February 2012 - 08:25 PM
Reading Howard's Queen of the Black Coast again. I wanted to re-read it after finishing Poul Anderson's excellent Conan The Rebel. Partly due to this thread, and partly due to what I hear in my head, I've been pronouncing Belit as BEE-lay (sounds like "belay that order!"). Actually, I think the accent is stronger on the second syllable. Long "E", late accent.
Bee-LAY
You're pronouncing a name derived from Baylonian in a not-even-pseudo-French manner, why?
Curious Deuce
Because, really, I haven't seen anything in this thread yet that convinces me to pronounce it another way.
Siobhan is pronounced Shuh-VAWN. Melee is pronounced MEY-lay. Genre is prounced Zhahn-RUH. Milieu is pronounced MEEL-you.
There are a lot of words pronounced unlike the way they look. "Be", with the accent is obviously pronounced "Bee". The question becomes, how do you pronounce the "lit" portion of the name? I don't like the way Lit sounds (I like Leet better), and Belit "BEE-lay" sounds like an exotic woman's name.
That's how I got there.
I've been looking online a little to see how the ancient Babylonian/Sumerian goddess Belit-ili is pronounced, but I've found nothing definitive yet. Once I do, I'll probably change my pronounciation to fit.
#51
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Posted 18 February 2012 - 08:37 PM
Reading Howard's Queen of the Black Coast again. I wanted to re-read it after finishing Poul Anderson's excellent Conan The Rebel. Partly due to this thread, and partly due to what I hear in my head, I've been pronouncing Belit as BEE-lay (sounds like "belay that order!"). Actually, I think the accent is stronger on the second syllable. Long "E", late accent.
Bee-LAY
You're pronouncing a name derived from Baylonian in a not-even-pseudo-French manner, why?
Curious Deuce
Because, really, I haven't seen anything in this thread yet that convinces me to pronounce it another way.
Siobhan is pronounced Shuh-VAWN. Melee is pronounced MEY-lay. Genre is prounced Zhahn-RUH. Milieu is pronounced MEEL-you.
There are a lot of words pronounced unlike the way they look. "Be", with the accent is obviously pronounced "Bee". The question becomes, how do you pronounce the "lit" portion of the name? I don't like the way Lit sounds (I like Leet better), and Belit "BEE-lay" sounds like an exotic woman's name.
That's how I got there.
I've been looking online a little to see how the ancient Babylonian/Sumerian goddess Belit-ili is pronounced, but I've found nothing definitive yet. Once I do, I'll probably change my pronounciation to fit.
Bee-Leet or Bay-Leet is probably closer than Bee-Lay. Her name has roots in the Middle Eastern Languages, your examples are all western European. I think you have to pronounce the T in any case.
#52
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 07:30 AM
Here's one for you guys and gals: Ianthe. Ophir's captial.
EYE-an-the?
Eee-anth?
I like the first one.
EYE-an-the?
Eee-anth?
I like the first one.
#53
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 07:45 AM
Either ee-AN-thay or ee-AN-thee. But that terminal "e" is definitely not silent. Compare "Corinth".
"Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" - Conan, in "Shadows in Zamboula", by Robert E. Howard
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?"
"I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard
Read my Conan screenplays at The Scrolls of Ironhand (in particular my transcription of THE FROST GIANT'S DAUGHTER in Act II of "The Snow Devil") at
http://www.scrollsof...d.us/index.html or at
http://www.delicious...ic=ConanProject
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?"
"I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard
Read my Conan screenplays at The Scrolls of Ironhand (in particular my transcription of THE FROST GIANT'S DAUGHTER in Act II of "The Snow Devil") at
http://www.scrollsof...d.us/index.html or at
http://www.delicious...ic=ConanProject
#54
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 06:37 PM
Just not EYE-anything. That drives Kortoso crazy. 
#55
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Posted 06 March 2012 - 06:39 PM
Actually, it's may-LAY unless you're in the ess-see-AY.Melee is pronounced MEY-lay.
#56
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Posted 07 March 2012 - 02:26 AM
Actually, it's may-LAY unless you're in the ess-see-AY.
Dictionary.com says the accent can be on either syllable.
#57
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Posted 07 March 2012 - 11:52 PM
Just not EYE-anything. That drives Kortoso crazy.
It upsets Constantine as well. But maybe exception can be made for Brythunia or Tybor. Not sure of that.
BTW, in TLotR the tower of Isengard should be pronounced EE-sen-gard or EE-zen-gard.
#58
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Posted 09 March 2012 - 12:17 AM
But... isn't Ianthe a LSDC/LC's creation in the pastiche Star of Khorala?
#59
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Posted 09 March 2012 - 12:35 AM
But... isn't Ianthe a LSDC/LC's creation in the pastiche Star of Khorala?
Yes, you're right! Go ahead and pronounce that any way you care to!
#60
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Posted 09 March 2012 - 01:05 AM
Yes, you're right! Go ahead and pronounce that any way you care to!
I default to EYE-an-the, until I hear something that convinces me to change.
