Character name pronunciations

When I listened to a few chapters from the Storm of Swords CD, some of the pronounciations threw me for a loop! Here are the ones I can remember:

Brienne - "Bry (rhymes with "cry") - "een" (rhymes with "green") = "Bry-een"

Petyr - "Peh - tyr" (sounds like "tire") - This one totally freaked me out! :eek:

Catelyn - "Cat - lin" (rhymes with "pin")

Jaime - "Jay - mee"

Lysa - "Lye - sah"

Cersei - "Sir - see"

Baratheon - "Bah - rath - ee - on"

Hodor - "Ho - door"

Targaryeon - "Tar - gare - ee - on"

That's all I can remember. Personally, I still pronounce Petyr as "Peter"; don't think I'll change that one. ;)
-g-
 
Interesting. When I was at the GRRM book signing a few months back, he mentioned that some of the pronunciations in the audio books were not correct. I wish I could remember the specific examples he cited, though. I *think* Petyr was one. I think. Maybe.
 
AryaUnderfoot said:
Red, I know you're trying to drive me off the deep end with your Dennis jokes. :p
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Hey - you're the one that got me started. I lay the blame completely at your feet. I am absolved if you end up in a straight jacket. :p
 
Well, as I was not here back then, why not do this now.

Arya: Uh-rye-uh or Ar-rye-yuh or Ar-yuh; It really just depends on how lazy I am at the moment.

Jaime- Jay-me
Cersei- Sir-sea or Seer-say or Sare-say or Sare-sea; again depends on how I am reading at the time.

Petyr- Peter or Pea-tear
Brienne- Bree-enne

and since I don't have a list in front of me I will leave you with this last one:

R'hllor- Ra Huhlore; oh yes, I am quite aware that that is not how you pronouce it, but I will keep on doing it like that.
 
Frankly my dears, i don't give a damn - how they're pronounced. ;) I just mumble "R..hu.... - Ruhu.. - Oh, f*ck it. Rhler!" and quickly read onwards and hope noone notices :D
 
R'hllor... being a practical soul, I simply pretend the h is an i, and pronounce it "rill or"!
Regards,
Dffeg
 
Um... no system really! rill as in hill, or as in sore! Hey, it works for me!!!
Regards,
Dyffeg
 
Dolorous Edd said:
Frankly my dears, i don't give a damn - how they're pronounced. ;) I just mumble "R..hu.... - Ruhu.. - Oh, f*ck it. Rhler!" and quickly read onwards and hope noone notices :D
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LMAO

Now that I have changed my undergarments...

Hedgeknight got me all crazy with the pronunciations when he started listening to the audio books, but I am with you Edd. Hell at first I silently prnounced it roller, but now I skip right over it and just plain avoid thinking about who says what.

I do have to agree with Ba-wrath-ee-on for Baratheon, though

snow
 
Okay I suppose that being an American I'm the odd man out here. I definitely would not have pronounced it "roller." Makes me wonder what it would be like to discuss this stuff in person with people from other countries. Would we even know who was being discussed?
 
AryaUnderfoot said:
Okay I suppose that being an American I'm the odd man out here. I definitely would not have pronounced it "roller." Makes me wonder what it would be like to discuss this stuff in person with people from other countries. Would we even know who was being discussed?
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I was being tongue in cheek, I actually have always thought of it as Rah-holler, but my point was until Hedgeknight came along telling me the "correct" way to pronounce names (like Pee-tire instead os Peter - d@mn you hedgeknight!) I was content with hearing it myself.

I am not bashing this thread either, I find it very interesting to hear the way other readers, especially other readers in other parts of the world, pronounce these names.

I would also like to state that for the most part Martin has done a great job of using either completley different or seldom used names and making them realistic.
 
JohnSnow said:
I am not bashing this thread either, I find it very interesting to hear the way other readers, especially other readers in other parts of the world, pronounce these names.

I would also like to state that for the most part Martin has done a great job of using either completley different or seldom used names and making them realistic.
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That is essentially what I was trying to say. It is interesting to hear different pronunciations (although my little brother constantly annoys me by pronouncing Hodor "huh-DOOR").

I agree with you about his good use of names. I give Jordan props for trying, but honestly- names that have to be accompanied by a pronunciation guide at the end just don't do it for me. Especially when the pronunciation makes no sense when compared with the spelling.
 
Katherine Kerr has tried to develop some interesting character names and pronunciations for places in her Deverry series. Check it out, although it does have a pronunciation guide...

Bree-enne
Ser-say
Tea-ree-un
Die-nay-rus
Thee-on
A-ree-a

I'd like to hear the Summer Islanders speak.
 
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