I got picked on by a guildy this weekend. ( in the nicest posible way)
” You say things funny”
It was because I say the names of some places in Wow differently.
I say Da-laran, everyone else says Dal-aran. I think Da-laran is a softer sound, and Dal-aran is too easy to put a harsh Ocka or Bogan Aussie accent to it.
I also call Menethil Harbour Men-Eethil instead of Men-a thill
Loch Modan I say Loch Mod-an and it’s supposed to be Loch Mo-Dan
My native tongue is English, taught in Australian Schools, with Aussie Parents, I did well at Nihongo ( Japanese ) in school, and failed dismally at German, passed French without studying. ( just) I grew up listening to pieces of Russian, and went to school with 30 different nationality’s and languages. Bits of language ( mostly swear words ) that were picked up included Turkish, Arabic, Dutch and Chinese. I had a brief interest in learning some Latin, one of my best friends from Uni was Greek, and I learnt to sing in Italian with the proper pronunciations and rolling of the R’s
So – do I say stuff weird cause I just have developed a weird sense of sound and I am confused how to read foreign words?
Are Wow place names said differently in different parts of the world because of that countries language structure?
Or should I just do what my guildy also suggested, and “Listen to the NPC’s “
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That dwarf in Alterac Valley used to yell “For Khaz Modan!!!” so that establishes the pronunciation of Loch Modan.
Dalaran’s pronunciation was established in Warcraft 3, in all Jaina/Antonidas dialogue. It’s also been pronounced the same way at Blizzcons.
I don’t know about Menethil, but it is Arthas’ last name, and so King Terenas’ as well. So there might be something out there.
Most of this stuff is brainfarts of Chris Metzen, so the canonical pronunciation is probably whatever he has echoing in his head when he put it to paper.
I too get teased by guildies about how I pronounce name places in WoW.
I don’t know why. We have a very similar background, although my dad taught English and any kind of slag was a big no-no in my household so perhaps I speak more formally than most Aussies.
I say Dalaran more like Dalar-ren, certainly not the way I usually hear people pronounce it: Dal-la-ran.
Even when I know I’m in the wrong (because the people trying to educate me are usually very well versed in WoW Lore) I can’t change 😦
Speaking from a European guild – we all tend to have variations on how we say things in WoW. However, as we have that same variation in any application of English, nobody really cares or comments. 🙂
She’ll be right mate… don’t you worry about your edumakation into that English language… after all we know that research after research shows that Kiwis actually speak the most correct Queen’s English…
I do recall Larisa commenting somewhere recently about the hairs on the back of her neck flaring every time she heard a Northrend name pronounced… including the Blizzard in game pronunciations…
I fear I fall into that Aussie trap of…
As long as I am understood, correct grammar and pronunciation are a waste of effort…
Regardless of your dialect, or what educational system you were raised on, I think it’s important to make an effort to pronounce things correctly, especially *after* you’ve discovered what the correct pronunciation is.
People saying “SHOLO-mans” 4.5 years after we all found out it was pronounced “SKO-lo-mans” does nothing but infuriate people. You may find it funny, but in reality, we just find you stupid.
@Jor – Brain farts – I wonder if they did what most fantasy writers did when working out names and places and sit down and throw a few random letters together and see what happens. Besides the people naming their characters after their class – I imagine most toons also go through that same naming process.
@Cassandri – Your more formal background would probably be more correct then anything we can/have come up with – So I wonder how many places are miss pronouced even as a popular pronouciation, and I guess – Do it really matter as Gnome says. Its a fantasy based game, not a Geographical map of our world.
@Hannah – Just the vowel combinations in any Eu language sends my head in a Spin – “but it says Ae – what do you mean I am supposed to say like this…. ”
@Gnome – Exactly! They still know what I am talking about! – and the name places are are weird mish mash of cultures, so I can understand how someone who’s native tounge is clearly being represented and butchered.
@Hanzo – Sheep doing what everyone else are doing are also stupid, as players we come from a variety of different backgrounds, and the languages that we speak affect how we read words, I don’t think saying something that is not an proper english word different is necessarily stupid – stubborn perhaps, but when people play without sounds, and when the only vocalisations of particular words are only done in vent, and not everyone uses vent, playing a game for 3 years and having a prounciation running through your head as you read is not going to change overnight.
I believe erb is a bad pronunciation or herb.. we don’t say ealth (health)… but I live with it…
Is it castle or is it castle…
Is it hearth or hearth…
or as the title says.. you say potato…
If I remember right, as bad as Australian English is, it is still truer English than most of the world.. geez we even include the “u” in words… just the way it was intended in English…
But then of course something like 70% of English is bastardized french… and let’s face it, the rest is someone else’s language that a Pom 2 centuries ago couldn’t pronounce properly…
Let’s not get started on the abuse of the meaning of words.. my Indian wife cries every time she hears the use of the word Behemoth…
@gnome
Whats wrong with Behemoth?
@Pugnacious
I am English, from England and the majority of people in England pronounce words wrongly. Just the other day my colleagues were mocking me because I pronounce Book, Cook and Cookie as “Buk”, “Cuk” and Cukkie” as oppose to “Bewk”, “Cewk” and “Cewkie” – and we’re all English! I’m from a different area in England though (40 minutes away by car from where they are from).
Posts like this birgethn up my day. Thanks for taking the time.
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