Let's pronounce "Genasi"

[doctorhook]

Okay, so can anyone tell me whether or not there is an official pronunciation for "Genasi"? I have been pronouncing it "ge-nah-see" /gзnα:si/. (Hard "g", short "e", short "a", "i" as a long "e", with the emphasis upon the middle syllable, "na".) This seems like the most natural way to pronounce the word in English (General American dialect).

What does everyone else think? How does ENWorld pronounce "Genasi"?

 

[Asmor]

Rhymes with cow.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I pronounce it the same way.

Though given their heritage and such, I would like to know how it be pronounced in Arabic.

 

[Boddynock]

Interesting! I've always pronounced it the same as doctorhook, except that the g is soft, not hard.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

Jen-na-see is how I say it.

if I were to apply english rules to it...

Jean-na-see (I think?)

french-english
gen (like shin) ass
genasse?

 

[Studio69]

JEN-ah-SEE

 

[Shemeska]

Hard g : Gen - ah - si

 

[fissionessence]

Interesting! I've always pronounced it the same as doctorhook, except that the g is soft, not hard.

This. 'G' is usually soft before 'e', 'i' or 'y'.

So I go with [jeh NA see].

~

 

[Mouseferatu]

Originally, I went with a hard G, as in "go away!"

But I realized that was wrong, for a few reasons.

1) As someone else pointed out, G is usually soft before an E, such as in "generation" or "genuflect." However, we all know D&D and fantasy names often don't follow English structure. That said...

2) The genasi, as a concept, were originally descended from genies, and that (I'm pretty sure) is where the name came from. As such, a soft G--so it's pronounced "jenasi"--makes much more sense in-character as well.

So I pronounce it:

"jen" as in "Jennifer" or "generation"

"oss" as in "cross"

"ee" as in "Whee!" or "free."

 

[Hypersmurf]

This seems like the most natural way to pronounce the word in English (General American dialect).

[giggle]

I like the way that the sentence where you claim a hard G on 'gen' is the most natural way includes a word with a soft G on 'gen'

-Hyp.