Pronounciation guides

Is there a pronounciation guide out there for the EU? I've gotten into repeated arguements with friends over how to pronounce names like Ooryl, Corran, and Rostek, so I want to find a definitive guide. Is there one on the net, or a thread about it? Any links would be appreciatedm, or heck, we can make up our guide.

 

I've also gotten into debates about pronunciation. A friend of mine was convinced for a while that Jacen was pronounced "Yak-en".

Just dont let George Lucas make the pronunciation guide or else Naboo will be "Nay-boo" and lightsaber will be pronounced "laser sword".

 

I pronouce Ooryl- OR-AL and Corran- CORE-ENN.


I don't know if that's the official way or not.But that's how I pronuce them anyway.

 

Ooryl = Or-Al
Corran = Core-In
Rostek = Ross-Tech
This is how I say them, anyways.
Joey

 

Try the New Essential Guide to Characters. It won't have all the characters, but the one's it does have it gives you the pronounciations of their name.

 

How about that character from THE JEDI ACADEMY TRILOGY that captures Han and Chewie on Kessel? The one whose named is spelled Skynnyykknnyykk or something bizzare like that.

And is Kashyykk(sp?) pronounced like Cash-Yik (Yik as in "ick")? That's how I've always pronounced it.

 

Yeah that was odd, I think it was something like Skynyxyxex or Syknykykeknewyx or Syknyxnyxynx or something else with lots of Y's, N's and X's

 

How about the General or whatever who was following Lando around in the Black Fleet Crisis. Pakaplatalat or something. It's a real mouthful.

 

This reminds me of a part in Orson Scott Card's book HOW TO WRITE SCIENCE-FICTION AND FANTASY, where he says something like, "If you're going to give your characters unusual, non-Earthbound names, but sure they're pronouncable to a human." haha!!

 

English is an idiosyncratic language amalgamated from several other languages.

There were two ways of pronouncing Twi'lek in KOTOR.

Make up your own pronounciation for words if you have to. It's a vast world and nothing is fixed.

I refuse to believe some fool would call Exar Kun Koon (as seen in both New essential guide for characters and KOTOR). You don't say foon or soon for fun and sun, so why is Kun's name specifically done differently?

To be exotic? So be exotic yourself. Society are sheep anyway; we'll follow alog whatever is deemed fashionable at the time.

 

There was actually a thread on this AGES ago, not sure if its in the index, but you might want to check. was pretty extensive, as I recall. Here's my take on some aforementioned names...

Corran- KOH-ran. Both vowels pronounced in a flat manner. The first as in 'hot'; the second as in 'heron'. I'm australian, however.

Ooryl- OO-RILL.

Rosstech- ROSS-teck.

Kashyyyk- ka-SHEEK.

Bakura- bah-KOO-rah. THe first and last vowel sounds again pronounced flatly.

And here's just some others that usually pop up in such threads that I'll jump in and deliver my opinion on...

C'Baoth- sah-BOW-eth. This is obviously wrong, and Zahn himself pronounces it 'sah-BAY-AHTH'. I can't help it though.

noghri - NO-ghree. Second syllable with a hard R sound.

bpfassh- b'FASH. Short b.

Fey'lya- fe-LEE-ah. Though i tend to say FAY-LYAH.


darth lando- "lightsaber will be pronounced "laser sword".

haha. thats hilarious!

 

hey! i pronounce that dead sithy as Exar Kun (Kun rhymes with moon). it sounds better than kun (rhymes with sun). and definitely better than kyune.

btw, Kun is a last name in Hungarian, where it is pronounced koon (rhymes with moon).

 

Kashyyyk- Cash-ick
Corran- Cor-ran
C'Baoth- First time I read TTT: Ka-blahf then Ka-bay-off
noghri- No-grim
bpfassh- Buy-fish
Kun- Kun
Gamorrean- Every sylable is stressed
Jacen- Jankin up until about 6 months ago when I realized it was Jason
Zsinj: Vi-singe
Coruscant- Corus-can't
Pallaeon: Pay-leon
Nom Anor: Norm Anor until TFP
Byss: Buy-s
yslarmina(sp?): zarlamean
Karrde: Ka-rod
Celchu: Chel-choo
Daala: Dolla
Qwi Xux(sp?): Kwee Zucks

Of course, I also pronounced Saruman Saurum in LOTR, so I guess I don't know much.

 

Not saying all of these are right, though many of them are taken from the NEGTC.

Emphasis on the CAPS.

Kashyyyk My best guess would be KASH'ee'eck
Corran CORE-an (it's an Earth name, people, Irish in origin!)
C'Baoth suh'BAY'oth
noghri NO'gree
bpfassh Buh'FASH (I regard the p as silent)
Exar Kun ECKS-ar KOON
Gamorrean ga'MORE'ee'an
Jacen JAY-son (it's Jason, just spelled fancy)
Zsinj ZIN'j
Coruscant CORE'oo'sahnt (This is in the MOOOO'VEEEES)
Pallaeon PAY'lee'on
[n]Nom Anor[/b] NOM ah'NORE
Byss: BISS
ysalamiri EE'sal'uh'MEER'ee
Karrde CARD
Celchu SEL'choo
Daala DAHL'uh
Qwi Xux KWEE ZOOz (the x is like in "xylophone" . . . fits since she's into music and stuff)
Jaina JAY'nuh
Ooryl OOR'ul
Rostek ROSS'teck
Bakura Bah'kur'uh
Fey'lya FAY'lee'uh
Kyp Durron KIP DUR'on


Plus, pronouncing Kun as "koon" makes sure that accidents don't happen. *snicker*


Dana

 

Though "koon" does have other possibly inappropriate uses as well.

Yes, well, in the right (or wrong, lol) mind, ANYTHING can have innappropriate uses. It's just that some lend themselves easier than others.

I've always pronounced it "Koon". Seems more exotic.

Dana

 

I'm elated to know I'm not the only one who finds Exar Koon odd! You say fun and sun, not foon and soon, right?

Jawajames, that's interesting to know. Kun is hungarian, eh?

 

I must say, EH-Pilot, that I am absolutely baffled by a few of yours there. hehe. Ysalamiri, Zsinj and C'Baoth in particular. But I continue to pronounce one or two incorrectly just out of habit, so I can't talk.

 

I remember that, 2ndQuest. But I didn't know they still spelled it Sun. I thought it was Suun.

 

I pronounce most names à la french, due to my french origins, and most peoples around me pronouces them like me. Usually, when there is an apostrophe, I just do as if there were none and pronounce it Cbaoth. Not that hard, really. I guess it changes, depending on your language.

 

There are different ways of saying an "X" in the beginning of a word.

I've called Qwi Xux as Zux. It's interesting to see how KOTOR decided to pronounce al these names . . . and how many times they cheated by having Rodians speak it instead. Cheaters!

 

In Galactic Battlegrounds, Lando narrates the Wookie campaign, and pronounces it the same as in KotOR: Kah (like cot)-shick (like shimmy).

I've pronounced it Zi (like Zinger) - singe (like the word singe).

How do you pronounce Sturm and Drang's species, spelled vornskr. Vorn (long o) -sker (like asker). I remember seeing "sturm und drang" as a German term (literary, maybe?) What's the significance (or am I making something up)?

I pronounce Daala duh-LAH.

I take it Yominn Carr (sp?) is pronounced Yeoman Car.

Notice that 11 of those "hard to pronounce items" from Dantana's list are from Zahn. And he gave us Mitth'rawn'nuruodo (I think that's right), which I pronounce Mithrawn (add Mi (like milli) to Thrawn) Noo-roo-oh-doh.