Pronunciation of foreign/unusual names in books

Ea · 05-08-2011, 12:53 PM

Do you try to learn the correct pronunciation of names in books if the author has provided a pronunciation guide?

I just now realised - while practicing pronunciation of names in a scifi novel - that in a way it really doesn't matter how I pronounce the names, as it's all in my head anyway. But until now, I've always spent some efforts in taking note of how names (and words) are pronounced and to learn it properly. I guess it's because it's my nature to make an effort to do things correctly and right - funny that I've never questioned this particular expression of it before

What about you? Ever make the effort of getting the pronunciation right and why? Or why not?

DiapDealer · 05-08-2011, 01:09 PM

Nope. Weird personal names just appear to me as whole glyphs, shapes, or avatars... not even individual letters. I have no need to pronounce them. They just serve as visual cues for who's speaking/being spoken about. If there's even the slightest question on pronunciation... I just gloss right over it and keep on going.

siraks · 05-08-2011, 01:25 PM

i do the same. i gloss over quickly if i know who's speaking. usually i have voices that i tend to give to everyone and whenever they speak that voice takes over in my head.
i usually sound out the names phonetically and go from there. the real pronunciation has no effect on the story for me.

DArenson · 05-08-2011, 01:40 PM

If I can't pronounce it, I don't worry about it. Unless I have to read it out loud for some reason.

ATDrake · 05-08-2011, 01:52 PM

If the name looks totally ridiculous (short on vowels and full of j,k,q-without-u,x,y,z and apostrophes and random capitalization), I assign it the most ridiculous-sounding pronunciation possible based on the underlying phonetics. I figure it's the least I can do.

If it looks reasonable but unusual like a possible spelling variant of a real name, then if the author/in-story-culture seems to have influences from any real-world Earth culture, then I use the phonetics of that language if they seem to fit.

E.g., a fake French-medievalish fantasy world which calls its people Roleynd and Yssulte and so forth would get fake French pronunciation rules attached.

But mostly I tend to skim over anything which isn't immediately "obvious" anyway.

DMB · 05-08-2011, 02:03 PM

If you read foreign-language books in translation, most of the proper names are likely to be difficult and most of make laughable attempts at pronunciation. I laughed my head off when I heard the typical American pronunciation of "van Gogh", but the British variant is hardly better. If you hear a Dutch person say it you may not even recognise it.

I listen regularly to British and French classical music radio and most of the announcers murder the names of each other's composers and performers. I assume their attempts at names in languages I don't speak are equally ridiculous.

Ea · 05-08-2011, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

...

I listen regularly to British and French classical music radio and most of the announcers murder the names of each other's composers and performers. I assume their attempts at names in languages I don't speak are equally ridiculous.

But that's where I think that one can at least try

odiakkoh · 05-08-2011, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Nope. Weird personal names just appear to me as whole glyphs, shapes, or avatars... not even individual letters. I have no need to pronounce them. They just serve as visual cues for who's speaking/being spoken about. If there's even the slightest question on pronunciation... I just gloss right over it and keep on going.

I do the same except I go a little bit further and do it with non weird names as well. Kinda bad when it's something simple like Alex but kind of a hard habit to break at this point.

dreams · 05-08-2011, 05:34 PM

If the name is obviously something that I think is made up, I will try to pronounce it and just settle on something close.

If the name/place is in another language, then I try a translate with a listen feature (like google translate). I make sure the language is selected correctly and then listen to how it is pronounced. If I can't say it, then I just use what comes close for me. I don't know how well that really works, but it has done well (on ones that I do know).

netseeker · 05-08-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreams

If the name is obviously something that I think is made up, I will try to pronounce it and just settle on something close.

I do the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreams

If the name/place is in another language, then I try a translate with a listen feature (like google translate). I make sure the language is selected correctly and then listen to how it is pronounced.

Interesting idea.

I'll have to give it a try.

jgaiser · 05-08-2011, 07:38 PM

One of the books I'm currently reading is "Hounded" by Kevin Hearne. The tale of an ancient Celtic Druid in modern day Arizona.

Mr. Hearne provides a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book for the Celtic names, but adds:

Quote:

Let it be know from the beginning that readers are free to pronounce the names in this book however they see fit. It's supposed to be a good time, so I do not wish to steal anyone's marshmallows by telling them they're "saying it wrong."

Works for me...

Penforhire · 05-08-2011, 11:56 PM

Nope. If I stumble over it more than a couple of times I mentally substitute something close but obviously incorrect. Some authors seems to do it out of malice aforethought, lol. I'm thinking of Iain M. Banks, as happen to be reading Against a Dark Background.

Ea · 05-09-2011, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreams

If the name/place is in another language, then I try a translate with a listen feature (like google translate). I make sure the language is selected correctly and then listen to how it is pronounced. If I can't say it, then I just use what comes close for me. I don't know how well that really works, but it has done well (on ones that I do know).

That's a great idea. I'll remember that. It's not that I think I "listen" to the narrative internally, but if I have no clear idea in my mind of how to pronounce the name, it leaves a sort of "hole" in the narrative, which is disturbing the flow of reading.

Bikeridr · 05-09-2011, 01:24 AM

Imagine me as a Norwegian native-speaking 10 year-old tried to figure out how to pronounce Mister Mxyztplk. (Still, I continued read "Superman" for another 3-4 years).

Generally, I try to pronounce the (mostly foreign) names as I think the author intended, but when encountering names such as a few of those fabricated by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, I'll admit I just "see" the name written and jump to the next word in line.

Solitaire1 · 05-09-2011, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bikeridr

Imagine me as a Norwegian native-speaking 10 year-old tried to figure out how to pronounce Mister Mxyztplk. (Still, I continued read "Superman" for another 3-4 years).

Generally, I try to pronounce the (mostly foreign) names as I think the author intended, but when encountering names such as a few of those fabricated by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, I'll admit I just "see" the name written and jump to the next word in line.

Per the article there are multiple ways to pronouce "Mxyztplk," but I like the Post-Crisis origin of the name best: It came about by hitting random keys on a typewriter, necessary to create a usable name since his real fifth-dimensional name couldn't be pronounced by humans.

Returning to topic, when it comes to pronouncing unusual names that I'm not familiar with I just follow standard english phonetics. If I later come across the proper way to say a name (such as with a manga that I later see as anime), then I follow that.

05-08-2011, 12:53 PM	#1
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	Pronunciation of foreign/unusual names in books Do you try to learn the correct pronunciation of names in books if the author has provided a pronunciation guide? I just now realised - while practicing pronunciation of names in a scifi novel - that in a way it really doesn't matter how I pronounce the names, as it's all in my head anyway. But until now, I've always spent some efforts in taking note of how names (and words) are pronounced and to learn it properly. I guess it's because it's my nature to make an effort to do things correctly and right - funny that I've never questioned this particular expression of it before What about you? Ever make the effort of getting the pronunciation right and why? Or why not?

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05-08-2011, 01:09 PM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,881 Karma: 207000000 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Nope. Weird personal names just appear to me as whole glyphs, shapes, or avatars... not even individual letters. I have no need to pronounce them. They just serve as visual cues for who's speaking/being spoken about. If there's even the slightest question on pronunciation... I just gloss right over it and keep on going.

05-08-2011, 01:25 PM	#3
siraks use the force Posts: 575 Karma: 564666 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Ontario Device: Kobo Touch, Lenovo K1	i do the same. i gloss over quickly if i know who's speaking. usually i have voices that i tend to give to everyone and whenever they speak that voice takes over in my head. i usually sound out the names phonetically and go from there. the real pronunciation has no effect on the story for me.

05-08-2011, 01:40 PM	#4
DArenson ebookworm Posts: 268 Karma: 100026 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo, Kindle	If I can't pronounce it, I don't worry about it. Unless I have to read it out loud for some reason.

05-08-2011, 01:52 PM	#5
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	If the name looks totally ridiculous (short on vowels and full of j,k,q-without-u,x,y,z and apostrophes and random capitalization), I assign it the most ridiculous-sounding pronunciation possible based on the underlying phonetics. I figure it's the least I can do. If it looks reasonable but unusual like a possible spelling variant of a real name, then if the author/in-story-culture seems to have influences from any real-world Earth culture, then I use the phonetics of that language if they seem to fit. E.g., a fake French-medievalish fantasy world which calls its people Roleynd and Yssulte and so forth would get fake French pronunciation rules attached. But mostly I tend to skim over anything which isn't immediately "obvious" anyway.

05-08-2011, 02:03 PM	#6
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	If you read foreign-language books in translation, most of the proper names are likely to be difficult and most of make laughable attempts at pronunciation. I laughed my head off when I heard the typical American pronunciation of "van Gogh", but the British variant is hardly better. If you hear a Dutch person say it you may not even recognise it. I listen regularly to British and French classical music radio and most of the announcers murder the names of each other's composers and performers. I assume their attempts at names in languages I don't speak are equally ridiculous.

05-08-2011, 05:34 PM	#9
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,110 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	If the name is obviously something that I think is made up, I will try to pronounce it and just settle on something close. If the name/place is in another language, then I try a translate with a listen feature (like google translate). I make sure the language is selected correctly and then listen to how it is pronounced. If I can't say it, then I just use what comes close for me. I don't know how well that really works, but it has done well (on ones that I do know).

05-08-2011, 11:56 PM	#12
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Nope. If I stumble over it more than a couple of times I mentally substitute something close but obviously incorrect. Some authors seems to do it out of malice aforethought, lol. I'm thinking of Iain M. Banks, as happen to be reading Against a Dark Background.

05-09-2011, 01:24 AM	#14
Bikeridr Information Acquirer Posts: 436 Karma: 4265156 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Latvia, Rigas Rajons Device: Kindle 3 International, Pocketbook Color	Imagine me as a Norwegian native-speaking 10 year-old tried to figure out how to pronounce Mister Mxyztplk. (Still, I continued read "Superman" for another 3-4 years). Generally, I try to pronounce the (mostly foreign) names as I think the author intended, but when encountering names such as a few of those fabricated by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, I'll admit I just "see" the name written and jump to the next word in line.