Misprounced Monsters; Or... What did you call that monster, again?

[TarionzCousin]

In Junior High School, my friends and I all pronounced Elric's homeland as "MEL-nih-bone." It wasn't until college that I learned that the accent mark meant it should be "mel-NIB-o-nay."

...and I thought Monte said Ptolus was pronounced "Tall-us," but I could be mis-remembering.

 

[Galethorn]

I also found it funny that "herb" is listed with a silent "h" like in "hour".

It should be silent for just the same reason the H in Hour is; it's French in origin, and French, just like Spanish, has a silent H.

Of course, in the 19th century, it became popular to restructure english words with french roots by going back to the original latin, which means that many an H became audible again.

That said, I've been living in the Seattle area for my whole life, and whenever somebody pronounces the H in Herb, it sounds just as...wrong...as when somebody says Kuh-nife instead of 'nife', or 'rough' instead of 'rufe,' or Beg instead of Bag.

So, I don't think the silent-or-not-H in Herb isn't a midwestern thing.

 

[TarionzCousin]

C=S or C=K?

Originally Posted by SunRaven01
Because -- basketball team notwithstanding -- the peoples of early Ireland and Scotland were Celts (said "kelts" not "selts").

I cringe everytime I hear people say "Seltics."

Me too. Most people in Britain get it right, but then a lot of us are Celts. Don't forget the Welsh, Cornish and Manx!

Why is the Scottish Soccer/Football team "Celtic FC" pronounced "Sell-tik"? And, more importantly, how did they beat Man U today? Nakamura's direct kick was almost Beckham-like.

In my most recent gaming group, I have tried to convince them that Tolkien's elvish used a hard "C." So "Celebrand" would be pronounced "KEL-eh-brand." They seem to prefer the soft "S" sound.

 

[ephemeron]

On the Jubilex/Juiblex dichotomy, wasn't there a spelling error at some point in a gaming release that gave rise to the two different versions? Can't recall, but I seem to remember something along those lines. I know that this happened to the heucuva/huecuva at some point, and then it changed back again...

The confusion goes back a long ways; he's "Juiblex" in the 1E MM, but "Jubilex" in the index in the 1E MMII.

 

[Shadowslayer]

Im surprised this hasn't come up yet. The one thing my old group and I argued constantly over was how to say kobold.

I maintained it was pronounced KO-bold (rhymes with "yodelled")
But the two brothers swore up and down, and would argue till the cows came home, that it was pronounced k'BOLD (sounds like "patrolled")
Yet others maintained it was really pronounced KO-bald or KO-balls.

 

[Allandaros]

Im surprised this hasn't come up yet. The one thing my old group and I argued constantly over was how to say kobold.

I maintained it was pronounced KO-bold (rhymes with "yodelled")
But the two brothers swore up and down, and would argue till the cows came home, that it was pronounced k'BOLD (sounds like "patrolled")
Yet others maintained it was really pronounced KO-bald or KO-balls.

K'Bold? Sounds Klingon to me. Clearly not a name befitting those lowly scurrying creatures! KO-bold it is, and clearly so.

(Also, you seem to have taken my surname. You fiend!)

 

[Elfdart]

It should be silent for just the same reason the H in Hour is; it's French in origin, and French, just like Spanish, has a silent H.

Of course, in the 19th century, it became popular to restructure english words with french roots by going back to the original latin, which means that many an H became audible again.

That's just it: I don't speak Spanish or French. I speak American like normal people do!

That said, I've been living in the Seattle area for my whole life, and whenever somebody pronounces the H in Herb, it sounds just as...wrong...as when somebody says Kuh-nife instead of 'nife', or 'rough' instead of 'rufe,' or Beg instead of Bag.

So, I don't think the silent-or-not-H in Herb isn't a midwestern thing.

Herb is pronounced with the "h" in some of the WASPier regions on the East Coast and parts of the Deep South.

 

[Zander]

While we're on it, how come, despite the spelling, nearly everyone says Genghis Khan with a hard g? It's pronounced Jenghis.

And while we're onto mispronounced names, the first syllable of Jekyll as in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is pronounced JEEK (rhymes with "cheek"), not JEK (rhymes with "check").

 

[glass]

Heh. I've always pronounced that one MINE-a-tore.

Me too, and everybody else I have ever spoken with about them.


glass.

 

[glass]

Me too. Most people in Britain get it right

Apart from in Glasgow, of course...

Aside: How did they beat Manchester United? They've got people like Telfer playing for them for cryingout loud!


glass.