# How do YOU pronounce/mispronounce names?



## ILLOTRTM (Jul 15, 2003)

I've seen a few threads like this on SPECIFIC names, but not in general... so let me know if there is already a thread like this. Anyway, I know that people often mispronounce names in LOTR, especially before they've seen the movie. Come on now, be honest, how did YOU say some of the names before you knew the truth? Have any friends that said them weird?


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## elfearz (Jul 15, 2003)

*hmmm.. let me think*

Turin, I used to pronounce like "Terin" before I read the pronounciation guide in the back of the book. I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of any right now. I'm really bad at pronounciation


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## YayGollum (Jul 15, 2003)

How do you pronounce Terin, anyways? Tear in? I don't know. oh well. I always pronounced that Tur in. Easy. Is that wrong? I don't pay attention or care when I learn what's real. Whoops. I usually pronounce things just the way they look. I don't mess with special little rules for certain letters. Caradhras. Is Car add rass. Of course.


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## baragund (Jul 15, 2003)

I'll demonstrate my Long Island accent here (that's where I grew up).

I used to pronounce (oh heck, I still do it when I'm not careful) Boromir as Borrow (accent on the first syllable) - mer (rhymes with fur), and I would pronounce Gandalf with the Gand (rhymes with hand) and alf (rhymes with half) with the accent on the first syllable.

Pretty ugly, huh?


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## elfearz (Jul 16, 2003)

*No, not like that*

you'd have to hear it. Kinda like in "learn"


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## YayGollum (Jul 16, 2003)

How else are you supposed to pronounce the first syllable of the evil torturer Gandalf's name?  just wondering if you were pointing it out because it was wrong. oh well. I pronounce Boromir ending with a fur sound, but only when I'm being evil. I know how to pronounce pretty much everything. I read how to in the sections about it. I just don't always feel like messing with evil accents. It's not that huge of a deal.


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## Tinuvien21 (Jul 19, 2003)

I say Turin like Toorin. 
At least, that's how Christopher Tolkien said to say it. But I guess it doesn't matter.


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## Aulë (Jul 19, 2003)

I used to pronounce my own name wrong- yes, it's terrible 
I said A-oool

Then Wonks and Legolam started calling me Ow-leh
Damn Lushbags


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## elfearz (Jul 20, 2003)

*yeah*



> _Originally posted by Tinuvien21 _
> *I say Turin like Toorin.
> At least, that's how Christopher Tolkien said to say it. But I guess it doesn't matter. *


 but I used to pronounce Turin like the ear in "learn", but now I know better.


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## ILLOTRTM (Jul 20, 2003)

Hey, how does everyone pronounce Shelob, I wonder?  I know a lot of people who have MANY ways of saying that one.  I've always pronounced Turin Toorin as well. 
I've never had trouble pronouncing Gandalf... but I got a kick out of hearing the way you pronounce Borromir and Gandalf, Baragund, because my history teacher grew up in Long Island and he says them EXACTLY like you do!


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## YayGollum (Jul 20, 2003)

Turin is always Tur (as in turn) in. Anyways, Shelob is always just those two words. She and lob. Easy.


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## ILLOTRTM (Jul 21, 2003)

Really? Most of the people I know pronounce it Sheh-lob. The E is pronounced like the E in mEt. That's the way most people say it that I know... personally I say it that way when I'm talking to other people, and like you just said when I read it myself anyone know the real way? I'd look it up, but I'm much too lazy to go searching for pronounciations....


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## Elendil3119 (Jul 21, 2003)

_lob_ - Old English for "spider"
_she_ - female of any species

I read that Tolkien just combined these two words to form 'Shelob', so I suppose both syllables would be pronounced the way they are as seperate words.


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## Dáin Ironfoot I (Jul 22, 2003)

I wonder if anyone knows how to properly pronounce the Dwarvish names. There is Durin, Balin, Thorin, and Fundin... The '-in' is pronounced "-een" I believe.

Now who can properly say Dáin? I do not think it is supposed to sound like Wayne either. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Dáin is supposed to sound like Day-een and not Dayne like many people think. The á makes an -ay noise, and with the -een, it becomes Dayeen. 

Im pretty sure thats correct, its not Dwarvish sounding if it is Dayne.


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## Gandalf White (Jul 22, 2003)

Aaah, you're confusing me Dain. I hadn't known that about the Dwarven names before. 

I used to pronounce Eomer and Eowyn as *E-O-MER and E-O-WIN*.


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## ILLOTRTM (Jul 23, 2003)

Ick. I used to do that too. Such an ugly sound.... it's so much better the real way. Dain, I always pronounced Dain like Dayeen, but all the other dwarvish names, like Durin, I pronounce just like it looks. Dur-in.


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## Dáin Ironfoot I (Jul 23, 2003)

Oh, but it is Dur-een.  

And its A-O-N and A-O-MER. Mer as in mare I think.


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## YayGollum (Jul 23, 2003)

No, I always say Durin and Balin and Thorin and Fundin and Dain and Eomer and Eowyn the way they look. I'd rather not mess around with any crazy accents I'm supposed to use. Unless I'm trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about. Which I don't usually care about.


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## Lantarion (Jul 24, 2003)

> *Originally posted by Gandalf White*
> I used to pronounce Eomer and Eowyn as E-O-MER and E-O-WIN.


That's right. I say the 'y' in Éowyn as a vowel, which no American can grasp easily, I'd guess.  It's just like the "ü" in German. 

Ah, but do you mean "Ee-oh-mer", or "Eo-mer"? Because the latter is how it's supposed to be pronounced, I'm pretty sure; the diphthong 'eo' is important, because _eoh_ or something like it means 'horse' in OE. (That would be "eo" as in 'e' like in "end", and 'o' as in "on")

I have had no trouble with pronunciation, because both Sindarin/Quenya and Finnish are phonetic. I shudder to think how most English-speakers say 'Sauron'... 

But I'm a real nut with pronunciation and grammar and stuff, as you should know by now..


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## baragund (Jul 24, 2003)

Ugggghhh! This Noo Yawk native pronounces Sauron "Sore-ron".


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## YayGollum (Jul 24, 2003)

Sore On. Of course. How else? Sow ron? Craziness.


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## Flame of Udûn (Jul 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by YayGollum _
> *Craziness. *


Not crazy, correct. And the _r_ should be rolled.


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## baragund (Jul 25, 2003)

Yay, what do you think is worse: Having JRRT's languages polluted by my New York accent or your Dixie (as in South Carolina ) accent?


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## YayGollum (Jul 25, 2003)

Argh! I have no evil southern accent! I was raised by people who know how to talk! Ick! *runs away* Anyways, Flame of Udun person, yes, I know that it's correct. I just don't like the way it sounds. I'm not trying to be evil. Yikes! Polluting languages? That's an evil way to put it. I just say it the way it looks. I'm not a fan of any kind of accent. Tolkien's made up one included.


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## Chymaera (Jul 27, 2003)

I had the Hobbit read to me in school many moons ago and they pronounced Balin as 'Bay-lin' and in the movie they said 'Bah-lin'. 

I think I should just not read the stories aloud


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## YayGollum (Jul 28, 2003)

I pronounce Balin ---> Ba (as in rat or cat or something, not father) and lin (as in tin or whatever, but that was obvious). Yay for reading things aloud!


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## baragund (Jul 29, 2003)

Here's another one...

I would pronounce the "Minas" in Minas Tirith like "minus" as in 4 minus 1 equals 3.

Groooosssss!!


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## YayGollum (Jul 29, 2003)

What's so gross about that? It's Minus Tur Ith. How else would you say it? Why worry about saying things the right way?  *collapses*


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## Anárion (Aug 8, 2003)

Minas Tur- ith?

Eek! I pronouced it Mine-es Tear ith

Hehe and as for Eomer and Eowyn, I just pronouced them E O MER and E O WYN
But who can blame me? Ive only seen the movie once, and they never introduce anyone.
Everyone always knows who the other is, so they dont bother saying names! Arrrg

And to quote a while back but to be too lazy to quote him, Dain said that á is pronouced ay

But, that means that An ay rion would be like, I dont know! Wierd!
Curse you all! I shall hide from all these confusing as YayGollum is


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## Flame of Udûn (Aug 8, 2003)

> _Originally posted by YayGollum _
> *Why worry about saying things the right way?*


I don't _worry_ about it. I take pleasure in the wonderful words he created for his work, as any true proponent of him would.


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## YayGollum (Aug 8, 2003)

Ah. Thanks a lot.  Anyways, I wasn't especially saying that you were worrying about anything. It was a general thing. I don't understand why someone would say something like ---> "Gasp! Am I pronouncing this right? I desperately wish to look like the greatest expert of Tolkien type things of all time!"  oh well. I'm just not a fan of any type of accent. Why try sounding unnatural?


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## BlackCaptain (Aug 8, 2003)

I too used to think it was A-ool. Or Manway. Or other mistakes with the 'ë'. I know there's one incredibly simple thing that I always mispronounced but I just can't think of it right now...


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