Input! Yours. Requested.

[rolanni]

All righty, then.

Steve and I will be doing, sometime this fall, even sometime this October, an audio pronunciation guide to the Liaden Universe®. Yes! You will be able to hear us speak those words that you have only seen in writing and always wanted to know how to say.

But you have to help us.

Liaden is our second language. We have no idea which words are head-scratchers. Which is why we need your help.

Tell us what words you would like us to include in this new! audio! guide.

Lists appended to this entry only, please (on Facebook, LJ, or here at sharonleewriter.com). Lists appended to other blog-or-facebook entries, or lists sent to me, or to Steve, by email will be ignored.

Thank you.

. . .let the games begin.

Edited to add: Requests for “all of them” will be treated as so much wind in the trees.  We are looking for a list from you of the words you wish to hear pronounced.  This is no time for laziness, ladies and gentlemen.  The authors are lazier than all of you put together.

This policy brought to you in part by the gentlemen reader who wished to insist that the word “adumbration” was Liaden.

Thank you for your understanding, The Management.

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[pedanther]

Does this offer include names, too? Because I've never been able to settle on a pronunciation of "Daav". I'm a bit uncertain about "Er Thom" as well, come to mention it. (And "Kamele", though that's not a Liaden word.)

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

The offer includes the names, but you have to tell me which ones. So far, I'm seeing:

Daav
Er Thom
Kamele

[(Anonymous)]

I, too, wish to hear names. I would particularly like to know whether the two-part names (Val Con, Er Thom, Pat Rin, Ren Zel, etc.) sound like two separate names with equal emphasis (Val,Con), or are run together with one syllable emphasized and one not (Valcon sounding like Falcon).

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

i had always read Er Thom as being pronounced "ehr t(h)om" -- where the (h) is just a suggestion of an h but mostly not there. it'll be interesting to see whether i was at all close to the original.

[sibylle]

Hmm ... my list depends on this question: is Michael Shanks doing a good job in the audio book version of Local Custom?

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

no

[sibylle]

ok, thank you ... I would be delighted with knowing what to make of the list of terms at the end of Pilot's Choice, plus the names of characters and planets.

(If you need a spoken words --> IPA transcription transfer, I can offer my ears and phonetic spelling enabled keyboard.)

[drammar.livejournal.com]

My sister and I were discussing this several weeks ago. Here is a short list combed from the different ways we pronounce several words. I'm sure there are more but these come to the top:
Daav
melanti
Liaden (long a, short a or something else altogether)
chatrez

And the use of the apostrophe in some words. Is it a full glottal stop, or just a "break"?

Thanks for doing this.

[berneynator.livejournal.com]

I'd love to know which syllable to emphasize in Korval. Also, seconding the long/short a in Liaden.

[redpimpernel.livejournal.com]

I feel very comfortable in asking for the following:
Everyone's name that isn't a normal Dick or Jane.
Planetary Names including all variations of Liad, Liadian, etc.
Liadian words that various publishers made you put in italics.

Now if you need us to do the grunt work and actually list each item we want pronounced, I will hit wikipedia and start my collection.

Thank you SO MUCH for doing this!!!

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Now if you need us to do the grunt work and actually list each item we want pronounced

If you please.

[ellenru.livejournal.com]

Co-signing redpimpernel's list. Until I heard you pronounce it during the WorldCon reading, I had no idea Kamele didn't have three syllables and was, instead, pronounced the same as the name of the consumptive courtesan.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Glunk! It doesn't have three syllables? I've been pronouncing it kam-EH-leh all the time.

I second the request for "all the names", especially the multi-syllable ones (I remember seeing something about them not being separate but don't really grok how that works). And ones with 'th' like 'Er Thom' ('th' as in 'thin', 'this', or as a (possibly slightly 'wet') 't'?).

This is a very good idea, since not very many people know enough IPA to get it in that form and there is always confusion and controversy. Much easier to hear it (and possibly someone who does know IPA could transcribe it as well later, which would also be useful).

I don't get the "consumptive courtesan" reference...

[pedanther]

"Camille", La dame aux camelias, from the novel by the other Alexandre Dumas.

(And for what it's worth, I've been pronouncing Kamele with three syllables as well, though not quite the same three syllables as you.)

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Ah, I have neither read the novel nor seen the film, thanks (I had heard of the film but didn't know anything at all about the character).

Pronounciation ??

[(Anonymous)]

I was happy to hear you prounounce "Aelliana" at Worldcon, then promptly forgot the correct pronunciation. Aargh. Please add to the list. It is the only one that has bugged me consistenly. Thanks so much. Kathy from No CA

Pronunciation Key?

[(Anonymous)]

Respected Masters, (bows with clumsy sincerity)I have been longing for a key to this language since I first saw "Shan." That was pretty early on as "Partners in Necessity" was my introduction to the Liaden Universe many standards ago.
The short list of phrases I would like to be able to pronounce:
Flaran Cha'menthi, Cha'trez, coab minshak'a, Ge'shada, Jelaza Kazone,Melant'i, and the names.
Palesci medassa,
dove

[libraryofalexa.livejournal.com]

I'm going to guess that "the whole list at the back of the Pilot's Choice volume" counts as unacceptable. How about: a'thodelm, al'bresh venat'i, cha'leket, cha'trez, dledema-pernard'i, flaran cha'menthi, ge'shada, melant'i, menfri'at, nubiath'a, van'chela (I guess my biggest question is how do you want the apostrophes pronounced?)

[queenmaggie.livejournal.com]

actually, ( ;D) I don't care. If you do one, I will very likely peruse it, then I will continue to read the words and names as they've been sounding in my head all these years, anyway.

I have an odd sense of how words should sound based on too many languages: I usually put accents on the second syllable(no! the first, I discover, as I experiment), and the french and latin that I took in high school and college means that diphthongs don't bother me.

Pronunciations

[(Anonymous)]

Does this offer extend to Edger's language as well?

Because in addition to this list of Liaden words:
menfri'at
Jen Sar Kiladi
Aelliana
yos’Phelium
yos’Galan
Luken bel'Tarda
Chane dea’Judan
Ren Zel dea’Judan
Anthora
Shan
Nova
Val Con
Miri
dea’Gauss
Yxtrang
Jela
Pat Rin
Inas Bhar - Juntavas Sector Judge Natesa
dramliz/dramliza
Clonak ter'Meulen
Shadia ne'Zame


I would especially like to know how to pronounce the following in Clutch Turtle:
T'carais
L'apeleka
D'neschopita
K'mentopak
T'carais'amp b'lenarkanarak'ab (and a translation of the second word would be nice, too)
T'caraisiana'ab

Thank you!!!
LynneW

[eoma-p.livejournal.com]

In the spirit of "nothing ventured, nothing gained," here's my very long list compiled from the Wikipedia article, and the lists of phrases at the back of the books that were handy. I believe this includes everything listed above plus a bunch more. I have guesses for some of them, but I'm the person who thought epitome was pronounced to rhyme with home.

aelantaza
Aelli
Aelliana Caylon
al'bresh venat'i
al'kin chernard'i
a'nadelm
Anthora (yos'Galan)
Arin (Gobelyn)
a'thodelm
a'trezla
balent'i kalandon
balent'i tru'vad
binjali
Cantra (yos'Phelium)
cha'leket
Chane dea’Judan
cha'trez
chernubia
chiat'a bei kruzon
ckrakec
Clonak ter'Meulen
coab minshak'a
conselem
Cris (Gobelyn)
Daav (yos'Phelium)
dea'gauss
delmae
denubia
D'neschopita
dramliz
dramliza
dri'at
Dulsey
Dyk (Gobelyn)
eklykt'i
eldema
eldema-pernard'i
entranzia volecta
Er Thom (yos'Galan)
flaran cha'menthi
galandaria
ge'shada
Glavda Empri
Grig Tomas
ilania frrogudon palon dox
i'lanta
illanga ilachi
Inas Bhar
indra
Iza (Gobelyn)
Jabun
Jan Rek ter'Astin
Jela
Jelaza Kazone
Jen Sar Kiladi
Jethri (Gobelyn)
Jon dea'Cort
Juntavas
Kamele
Kareen (yos'Phelium)
Kestra
Khatelane (Gobelyn)
K'mentopak
Korval
L'apeleka
lazenia spandok
l'ganin brat'a, vyan se'untor
Liad
Liaden
lisamia keshoc
Luken bel'Tarda
Megalaar
Mel (Gobelyn)
melant'i
menfri'at
mirada
Miri
misravot
Mizel
nadelm
Natesa
Nelirikk
Norn ven'Deelin
Nova (yos'Galan)
nubiath'a
Paitor (Gobelyn)
palesci modassa
Pat Rin (yos'Phelium)
pel'Kana
prena'ma
prethliu
Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza
qe'andra
Ran Eld (Caylon)
relumma (or relumna)
Ren Zel dea'Judan
Samiv tel'Izak
Seeli (Gobelyn)
Shadia ne'Zame
Shan (yos'Galan)
Sheriekas
Sinit Caylon
T'carais
T'carais'amp b'lenarkanarak'ab (and a translation of the second word would be nice, too)
T'caraisiana'ab
thawla
Theo Waitley
thodelm
tra'sia volecta
Trealla Fantrol
Val Con
Valcon Berant'a
Valcon Melad'a
van'chela
Vandar
va'netra
va'vya
Voni (Caylon)
yos'Galan
yos'Phelium
Yxtrang
zaliata
Zam
zerkam'ka

Liaden words

[claire774.livejournal.com]

I would like to know how to pronounce the name "Liaden" itself.

Also it seems to me that some of the names have changed or changed spellings down through the centuries. Like "Oberin" which obviously started out "O'Brian". And "Kamele" which started out "Camille".

A fun project for sure.
C.

[enleve.livejournal.com]

I'd like to know how to pronounce tra'sia cha'leken, which is on pg. 145 of the hardcover version of Fledgling.

Also, I'd like to know how to pronounce Edger's name. Also the names of Cho sig'Radia and Phobai.

Also, I'd like to know what the apostrophe sounds like. Does it indicate the same sound in all words where it appears, or does it change in different contexts, or is it strictly a visual marker?

Some more words:
gigneri
Efraim
nidj
Chapelia