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Need help with name pronunciations please


Emie

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Even though I've read the books and whatnot there are still some names in the series that I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it correctly or I'm a bit off. I normally read interviews of GRRM and don't really watch video interviews so if he is talking about a specific character with a certain pronunciation, then I've most likely missed it. But anyway, if any of you know these, it would be very helpful, thank you. :-) (most of these are Valyrian names I've noticed) 

Jeyne: Is it "Jane" or Janie"? (same with Jayne) or other? 

Ceryse: Is it "Cersei" or "Sara-see" or other? 

Alys: Is it "Alice" or "Aleece" or other? 

Alysanne: Is it "Alice-sane" or "Alice-anne" or other? 

Gael: Is it "Gayle" or "Gay-el" or other? 

Jacaerys: Is it "Jake-erys" or "Jace-erys" or other? 

Lucerys: Is it "Luke-erys" or "Luce-erys" or other? 

Rhae: Is it "Ray"? 

Shaera: Is it "Shay-ra" or "Shay-air-a" or other? 

Rhaelle: Is it "Ray-el"? 

Rhaella: Is it Ray-ella"? 

Elia: Is it "El-ee-ya" or "El-iya" (I've heard people pronounce it both ways) 

Aelyx: Is it "Alex" or "A-lex" or other?

Those are all I can think of right now. Again thanks everyone. :)

 

 

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27 minutes ago, Emie said:

Even though I've read the books and whatnot there are still some names in the series that I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it correctly or I'm a bit off. I normally read interviews of GRRM and don't really watch video interviews so if he is talking about a specific character with a certain pronunciation, then I've most likely missed it. But anyway, if any of you know these, it would be very helpful, thank you. :-) (most of these are Valyrian names I've noticed) 

Jeyne: Is it "Jane" or Janie"? (same with Jayne) or other? Jane

Ceryse: Is it "Cersei" or "Sara-see" or other? Ser-see

Alys: Is it "Alice" or "Aleece" or other? I say Alice

Alysanne: Is it "Alice-sane" or "Alice-anne" or other? Alice-sane

Gael: Is it "Gayle" or "Gay-el" or other? I say Gale

Jacaerys: Is it "Jake-erys" or "Jace-erys" or other? I say Jace-erys

Lucerys: Is it "Luke-erys" or "Luce-erys" or other? I say Luce-erys

Rhae: Is it "Ray"? Ray

Shaera: Is it "Shay-ra" or "Shay-air-a" or other? I say Shay-era

Rhaelle: Is it "Ray-el"? Ray-elle

Rhaella: Is it Ray-ella"? Ray-ella

Elia: Is it "El-ee-ya" or "El-iya" (I've heard people pronounce it both ways)  El-iya

Aelyx: Is it "Alex" or "A-lex" or other? I say Alex

Those are all I can think of right now. Again thanks everyone. :)

 

 

 

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GRRM has said that we can pronounce them any way we want too. But I can tell you he pronounces Cersei as Sir-say. I think the stress is about even between the syllables but maybe slight emphasis on the first.

As to the list, here's how I say them...

Jeyne: Is it "Jane" or Janie"? (same with Jayne) or other? Just plain Jane for both.

Ceryse: Is it "Cersei" or "Sara-see" or other? Sir-EESS

Alys: Is it "Alice" or "Aleece" or other?  Alice

Alysanne: Is it "Alice-sane" or "Alice-anne" or other? AL-ih-san (very close to Alice-anne)

Gael: Is it "Gayle" or "Gay-el" or other? Gayle 

Jacaerys: Is it "Jake-erys" or "Jace-erys" or other? Ja-CAIR-iss, though it could be Ja-SAIR-iss given that the nickname is usually Jace.

Lucerys: Is it "Luke-erys" or "Luce-erys" or other? Lu-CAIR-iss

Rhae: Is it "Ray"? Ray

Shaera: Is it "Shay-ra" or "Shay-air-a" or other? SHAY-ruh

Rhaelle: Is it "Ray-el"? Ray-ELL

Rhaella: Is it Ray-ella"? Ray-ELL-uh

Elia: Is it "El-ee-ya" or "El-iya" (I've heard people pronounce it both ways) ELL-ee-uh

Aelyx: Is it "Alex" or "A-lex" or other? AY-licks

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On 2/11/2017 at 1:22 PM, Emie said:

Thanks guys I appreciate it. I just thought of another one. 

Kevan: "Kevin" or "Keevan"? (I've heard it pronounced as the second one before) 

I always say keevan. But honestly I wouldn't worry too much about it. Pronounce it how you want to. Some people get snobby about it but it's no big deal. For instance I've always pronounced Damphair as Damfair even though damp-hair really makes sense once I heard someone else say it but I still refuse to pronounce that what. Lol

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Since dracarys is probably pronounce with a strong K instead of a weak S is suspect this to also be the case for Valyrian names like Jacaerys. 

 

Also traditionally in language if the emphasis or stress is on that sylabble but it's a short vowel, two consonant would follow. I.e. Cap is short, cape is long. Cappe would be short. Therefor I place the emphasis on the syllable before the double consonant. 

So: 

AlysAnne (Alice pronounced in a more French way), RhaElle and RhaElla  

 

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Due to me studying Latin I always tend to pronounce the AEs in Targaryen names (or any names and words) like "eye"

"Dye-nerys" "Eye-gon" and yes "Mad King Iris" also "Meister" rather than "Mayster"

so:

Gael: like Guile

Jacaerys: Jah-keye-rees   

Lucerys: Loo-kerees

Rhae: Like Rye, but the "r" sound being throaty like in German and Semitic languages.

Shaera: Shy-rah

Rhaelle: Rye-elle (again with the throaty r)

Rhaella: Rye-ellah (ditto)

Aelyx: Eye-licks.

Cersei I have always pronounced like the (common English pronunciation) of Circe, the famous enchantress from Greek mythology and have also mentally linked the two.

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On 13/2/2017 at 2:33 AM, Orphalesion said:

Due to me studying Latin I always tend to pronounce the AEs in Targaryen names (or any names and words) like "eye"

"Dye-nerys" "Eye-gon" and yes "Mad King Iris" also "Meister" rather than "Mayster"

so:

Gael: like Guile

Jacaerys: Jah-keye-rees   

Lucerys: Loo-kerees

Rhae: Like Rye, but the "r" sound being throaty like in German and Semitic languages.

Shaera: Shy-rah

Rhaelle: Rye-elle (again with the throaty r)

Rhaella: Rye-ellah (ditto)

Aelyx: Eye-licks.

Cersei I have always pronounced like the (common English pronunciation) of Circe, the famous enchantress from Greek mythology and have also mentally linked the two.

Agree with this one and I actually pronounce the names and words the same way, with exception to Rhaelle and Rhaella (Rye-lle and Rye-llah respectively)

And I personally think that most Targaryen, or rather Valyrian, names with c's in them are pronounced with strong k's (would explain why Lucerys' nickname was "Luke" and Jacaerys' was "Jake").

I'm a little bit torn on Daenerys though. Viserys' nickname to her was Dany and Khal Drogo called her Dan Erys (or something like that).

 

*Edit: Jacaerys' nickname is Jace, not Jake. Apologies.

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This is how I say them in my head when I'm reading, but I'm sure a lot of the differences in pronunciation are because of the readers' various accents - where I come from we elongate the vowels, especially the ae/ay names:

Jane

Ser-see

Alice

Alice-Anne

Gail

Ja-sair-iss

Loo-sair-iss

Ray

Shay-ra

Ray-ell

Ray-ella

Ee-lee-ya

Alex (I think this was just GRRM trying to be cute)

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, Orphalesion said:

Due to me studying Latin I always tend to pronounce the AEs in Targaryen names (or any names and words) like "eye"

"Dye-nerys" "Eye-gon" and yes "Mad King Iris" also "Meister" rather than "Mayster"

so:

Gael: like Guile

Jacaerys: Jah-keye-rees   

Lucerys: Loo-kerees

Rhae: Like Rye, but the "r" sound being throaty like in German and Semitic languages.

Shaera: Shy-rah

Rhaelle: Rye-elle (again with the throaty r)

Rhaella: Rye-ellah (ditto)

Aelyx: Eye-licks.

Cersei I have always pronounced like the (common English pronunciation) of Circe, the famous enchantress from Greek mythology and have also mentally linked the two.

High Valyrian (per the language creators for the show) do pronounce the "ae" like "eye" so you're definitely not wrong.  High Valyrian pronunciation of names is (imo) much prettier as well.

However, I understand current Targaryen names as being pronounced like English/Westerosi, as this language likely influenced the dialects of the Valyrians that settled along the east of Westeros. 

But I like to think that Valyrians would still pronounce names in High Valyrian during special events, like coronations or baptisms (or whatever equivalent the Seven have).

On 2/10/2017 at 4:13 PM, Emie said:

 

Jeyne: Is it "Jane" or Janie"? (same with Jayne) or other? 

Ceryse: Is it "Cersei" or "Sara-see" or other? 

Alys: Is it "Alice" or "Aleece" or other? 

Alysanne: Is it "Alice-sane" or "Alice-anne" or other? 

Gael: Is it "Gayle" or "Gay-el" or other? 

Jacaerys: Is it "Jake-erys" or "Jace-erys" or other? 

Lucerys: Is it "Luke-erys" or "Luce-erys" or other? 

Rhae: Is it "Ray"? 

Shaera: Is it "Shay-ra" or "Shay-air-a" or other? 

Rhaelle: Is it "Ray-el"? 

Rhaella: Is it Ray-ella"? 

Elia: Is it "El-ee-ya" or "El-iya" (I've heard people pronounce it both ways) 

Aelyx: Is it "Alex" or "A-lex" or other?

Those are all I can think of right now. Again thanks everyone. :)

 

 

Jeyne = Jane

Ceryse = seh REES

(Cersei = SARE say)

Alys = ah LEES

Alysanne = AL liss sehn

Gael = gayl 

Jacaerys = jah CARE rees

Lucerys = loo SARE rees (but loo CARE rees in HV, hence the nickname Luc (Luke).)

Rhae = ray

Rhaelle = rail or ray ELLE

Rhaella = RAY la

Elia = ELL lee ah (I used to pronounce it ee LYE ya before the show.)

Aelyx = AY licks

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12 hours ago, Orphalesion said:

Due to me studying Latin I always tend to pronounce the AEs in Targaryen names (or any names and words) like "eye"

"Dye-nerys" "Eye-gon" and yes "Mad King Iris" also "Meister" rather than "Mayster"

Really? The latin AE is not pronounced like "eye", at least in "latin" Europe (I have no idea about the way Latin is taught in the UK or North America).

Vae Victis: do you pronounce it "Veye Victis"?

Dies Irae: Dies Ireye?

Anyway, "Dye Neris" or "Jah-keye-rees" would sound really bizarre to a french/italian/spanish ear

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38 minutes ago, Nowy Tends said:

Really? The latin AE is not pronounced like "eye", at least in "latin" Europe (I have no idea about the way Latin is taught in the UK or North America).

Vae Victis: do you pronounce it "Veye Victis"?

Dies Irae: Dies Ireye?

Anyway, "Dye Neris" or "Jah-keye-rees" would sound really bizarre to a french/italian/spanish ear

Church Latin pronounces "ae" like ay.  But true Latin  (early ADs, BC era) pronounced it "eye."

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6 hours ago, Isobel Harper said:

High Valyrian (per the language creators for the show) do pronounce the "ae" like "eye" so you're definitely not wrong.  High Valyrian pronunciation of names is (imo) much prettier as well.

However, I understand current Targaryen names as being pronounced like English/Westerosi, as this language likely influenced the dialects of the Valyrians that settled along the east of Westeros. 

But I like to think that Valyrians would still pronounce names in High Valyrian during special events, like coronations or baptisms (or whatever equivalent the Seven have).

 

That makes a lot of sense, since it mirrors the real world evolution of the Latin ae sound.

4 hours ago, Nowy Tends said:

Really? The latin AE is not pronounced like "eye", at least in "latin" Europe (I have no idea about the way Latin is taught in the UK or North America).

Vae Victis: do you pronounce it "Veye Victis"?

Dies Irae: Dies Ireye?

Anyway, "Dye Neris" or "Jah-keye-rees" would sound really bizarre to a french/italian/spanish ear

The Ancient Romans DID pronounce it as "eye". So yes, Caesar's name was pronounced like the German Kaiser and his son with Cleopatra was Kaisarion (son of Caesar) The man who taught me Latin was a classicist, so he taught me the closest way possible to how the Romans spoke.

Over the last two millennia even the Latin that was preserved changed as it was used by the Church and in official documents and such and there are a number of differences between Classical (Ancient Roman) Latin and the Latin as it was used form Medieval Times onwards.

I imagine if Caesar was transported into modern day Marseilles or Rome a lot of the thing he'd say would sound strange to the people there, that's what 2000 years of development and social upheavals make of it. 

Ever compared modern English to what the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons spoke 2000 years ago? There are sounds we don't have anymore. .

3 hours ago, Isobel Harper said:

Church Latin pronounces "ae" like ay.  But true Latin  (early ADs, BC era) pronounced it "eye."

^This

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8 hours ago, Isobel Harper said:

High Valyrian (per the language creators for the show) do pronounce the "ae" like "eye" so you're definitely not wrong.  High Valyrian pronunciation of names is (imo) much prettier as well.

ShowDany even pronounces her name "Dye-nairess" when she's speaking Valyrian during the Sack of Astapor.

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