How do you pronounce the names?

Joined
Apr 26, 2004
Messages
344
I don't know, but I hope I'm not the only one who mentally "speaks" whenever I read or write, and with a host of unusual names, we probably have all come up with our own ways of pronouncing them.


I'm sure Kael and the rest of the dev team can give us a solid answer on how they're meant to be pronounced, but for now, I just felt like seeing other people's interpretations.


For a start, some of the civ names are real tongue-twisters. I've mentally gotten Ljosalfar to "La-jos-far", but looking at the spelling, I'm sure this is almost entirely wrong. Same issue with the Svartalfar. I have that as "Sa-valt-far", also probably miles off. The Luchuirp are also a bit of a headache. I have it as "Lurr-chirp" in my mind. I have the Malakim as "Ma-la-kim" but I do wonder if maybe it should be "Ma-la-kime". The other Civ names seem simple enough, so I'd like to think I mentally pronounce them right (I pronounce them as they're spelt).


As far as leaders go, some are really difficult for me. I have Perpentach as "Pep-per-tash", but I'm sure that's wrong and I usually just think of him as "Peppy". Keelyn I have as "Key-lean", also a bit unsure of. Arturus Throne* comes out as "Art-ta-ross Thorn" to me despite it clearly being 'Throne', just can't get the thorn pronounciation out of my head :blush:

*[Edit: Well, we solved why I had that pronunciation problem ^^]

Also... Tebryn Arbandi... I struggle to spell it, let alone pronounce it, but I have him as "Teb-Brin Are-Barn-Dee".

Anyhow, I won't ramble on for all the names, I'm just bored at work and have been meaning to post a thread like this for a while now. Sometimes I worry I'm the only one who has a mental voice speaking as they type/read/do anything wordy, but I don't think I am :mischief:


But yeah, pronounciations, how do you do them? :p
 
A lot of the names in FfH are from celtic or judeo-christian mythology. So they probably to have specific pronunceations that I am just as likely to be butchering. Personally I dont sound out words that I read and recognize and store them by sight, not sound. Often I will hear someone say the name of a character in a series of books Im read and Im very familiar with and not recognize the character from the spoken name at all. So if these names are used in the D&D games I proibably have a very set way of pronouncing it, otherwise Im in the same boat as you.

Despite that here are the way I pronouce them:

Ljosalfar La-jo-sal-far for me. Probably no where near correct. I'll leave this to our nordic members to correct me.

Svartalfar Sa-var-tal-far for me.

Luchuirp Loo-chirp. I love this name and I cant imagine pronouncing it differently. To my ears it sounds it a bit playful and mechanical so it seems perfect for them.

Malakim Ma-la-kim. Kim as in the girls name with a soft i. Since this comes from the hebrew I wouldn't be surprised if it has a hard I as you suggested but personally I always used the soft i.

Perpentach Per-pen-tock. Exactly as its written (its a Kael word and I tend to be very phonetic). This is such a perfect Luchuirp name, but I also liked it for our insane balseraph leader since it sounded a little inhuman.

Keelyn Kee-lyn. Exactly as written. The "y" is soft. This is a pretty standard celtic name.

Arturus Thorne Ar-tur-us Thorn. You had it spelled wrong in your post, it is "Thorne" which is why you cant get the Thorn sound out of your head and is exactly how his last name should be pronounced.


Tebryn Arbandi Teb-ryn Ar-band-dee. Tebryn is the reborn version of a player character named Ran. His last name was an anagram of "I Bad Ran".
 
Already interested seeing the different interpretations. I can't imagine seeing a Golem army approaching and thinking "Damn those Loo-chirp". Then again, I really am a habit driven person (if I get something wrong* and repeat it long enough, it sticks and never goes away).

*Nice to know that thus far there's no right or wrong ;)

Arturus Thorne Ar-tur-us Thorn. You had it spelled wrong in your post, it is "Thorne" which is why you cant get the Thorn sound out of your head and is exactly how his last name should be pronounced.
Oh right, my bad, heh. I haven't got the mod on this comp (work, of course) but I went to your site to dig up the correct spellings of some names. You typoed Arty's name I guess :lol:

http://kael.civfanatics.net/Civilizations.shtml
Sturdy dwarves, the Khazad have finally stepped out to embrace their destiny as one of Erebus’ powers. Tradition holds them in a firm grip, but ambition draws them away from their underground homes. Steadfast in battle, in faith, and in friendship, they build their empire slowly but give not an inch in trade nor warfare. Arturus Throne and Kandros Fir bear each other an old grudge, but an older debt, and while neither would ask help, each would gladly die for the other

Keelyn Kee-lyn. Exactly as written. The "y" is soft. This is a pretty standard celtic name.
Oh, I'd never heard of it before (but a quick google showed me otherwise). Makes more sense the way you say it but I still won't be able to shake my mental version of it :)
 
Ljosalfar: Lyos-ahl-far
Svartalfar: Svart-ahl-far
Luchuirp: Loo-choo-erp
Malakim: Mah-lah-keem

What Kael said about Perpentach, Keelyn, and Arturus Thorne.
 
For Ljosalfar the nordic pronouncion is probably Jous-al-far (like juice...)
Wow o.o That is so far from what I even expected it to sound like. trying to pronounce it though, hmm.. does make sense is... Ju-sal-far.... hmm. See if I can programme my mind to drop the L.
 
Ljosalfar: I'm inconsistent here, but usually La-jo-sal-far, Lyos-ahl-far, Yos-al-far, or Yos-le-far (emphasis on first and last syllable, lightly trilled "r")

Svartalfar: Svart-al-far, Svar -tal- far, or Svar- tle- far (emphasis on first and last syllable, hissing "s," first "r" very trilled, second "r" slightly trilled)

Luchuirp: Loo-choo-erp, or Lu-chuirp (with ui as a diphthong. "r" trilled either way)


Malakim: Mah-lah-keem (this is a basic Hebrew plural)


The rest I pronounce like Kael does, except that I sometimes have a "c" sound in Arturus, and I trill all the "r"s.



I also insist on pronouncing Kael with a classical Latin diphthong "ae," so it sound like the name Kyle, even though I know that isn't how he intends it.
 
My Canadian pronunciations: (for what it's worth;))
LJos-Ahl-far or Jos-Ahl-far (tricky geting L and J sounds, so when i'm tired I go with the second)
Svartle-far or Svart-ahl-far, sometime SvartAle
-far
Lour-Chirp (like lure, but deeper in the throat
Mala-keem or Malak-eem (hard ee's)
Per-pen-tak
KEY-lean or KEY-line
others, same as Kael
 
thats funny because i always thought of it as:

KEE-lin for Keelyn
Loo-KEE-ERP-for Luchuirp
Mal-uh-kim for Malakim
Shee-aim for Sheaim

I never really thought of different pronunciations of the names.
 
Inside my head:
Luj-Ohl-Sal-Far - I'll maybe switch to a silent L for jewel-sal-far
Loo-chee-urp or nowms-wiv-dam-silli-nems
per-pen-tak
kee-lin
Ka-El for Kael, like Kal-El and Jor-El
mal-er-kim
ell-oh-im (no "huh" on the h)
dovv-ee-ell-oh
shee-aim
ball-sir-aff
byoo-boes
who-lick-dark-ay-nuss

of course, now you need to know how I pronounce each of those syllables. Inside my head, each is a different tone of scream.
 
I guess that you are basing the names on norse mythology, just like tolkien did? If so, I can help you out, being a swede and all.

Ljos and Svart are the norse names for Light and Black. Alfar is an optional spelling of Alver, the norse name for elves. It should be pronounced as a word of it's own, it sounds almost like a middle eastern name (al-Far). It should not be pronounced as the english word "far" though. It's hard to describe it, because i don't think you have any matching words in your language.

The L in ljos is silent, the "o" in ljos is pronounced as the o in "horse" or "norse", and just as in those words, there's a tiny bit of silence at the end, to seperate the two words.

Svart is pronounced in the same way as "Schwartz" (as in Schwartzkopf, watch on of their commercials), just change the "chw" to a single "v"

"jos al-far"
"svart al-far"
 
haha thanks :lol: that cleared those 2 tongue twisters up~
Judging from the norse definitions you mentioned it certainly does seem like the root of those two civ names.
Now to try pronouncing it your way.... :lol:
 
While we're here, I've got to wonder about the Sheaim. Quite a few vowels in the heart of that one.
I've taken to usually pronouncing it "Shay-im," but sometimes "Shee-im," or "Shay-am..."

I assumed the J in Ljosalfar was silent. "Loh-sal-far."
The Luchiurp always end up "Loo-chee-urp."
 
I've always had it as "Shee-em"

Also:
dovv-ee-ell-oh
ball-sir-aff
I always thought of the Doviello as "Dough-vel-o" and the Balserapths as "Bal (to rhyme with Al) - Sah - wraths"... basically Bal (rhyme with Al)-serapths ... I sound it out as spelt, at least from my perception.
 
I actually know a guy named Keelyn its really funny
 
Ljosalfar: Lyo-sal-far (with Lyo being one syllable) - I think when I see a word that is obviously not English in origin I tend to read j's as y's
Svartalfar: Svart-al-far
Luchuirp: Loo-chirp
Malakim: Mala-kim
Perpentach: Perp-en-Tak
Keelyn: Kee - Lynn
Arturus Thorne - Art-ur-us Thorn
Doviello - Do-viel-lo (with viello taking on an almost Italian rhythym...which makes Charadon a mafia boss. Can't quite picture him eating pizza, but I'd guess he wouldn't getting morally outraged at eating calf meat!)
Sheiam: She-im or sometimes something closer to 'She-ame' (but just one syllable)

I'll (try to) adopt the Nordic pronouncement for Ljos and Svart now though.
 
Ljosalfar: Lyo-sal-far
Svartalfar: Svart-al-far
Luchuirp: Loo-chwerp (as in twerp)
malakim: Mala-keem
Perpentach: Per-pen-tach
Keelyn: kee-leen
Arturus Thorn: Ar-tu-rus Thorne
Doveillo: Do-Vee-El-O
Sheim: Shayme
Belseraph:Bell-Seraph (as in Seraphim)
Cassiel: Cass-I-el
Kael: Kyle
Buboes: Boo-Bosse
 
I read pretty much the same way... Sounding everything out in my head.

Why on Earth it takes me a conscious effort to have the majority of things I read not be spoken in a British accent is beyond me.
 
Top Bottom