Greetings everyone!
I am currently reading a fantasy novel full of names that are weird, wonderful, fitting and downright peculiar! The people sound vaguely Welsh/Celt and the locations are mystical and a touch Middle Earth.
Now, I 'know' how these should sound in my head, but does the author have other ideas? When you create a character or place, are you particular about how YOU want the name to sound? Do you sneak in phonetics?
When I was a child I knew a Hermione. So when the Harry Potters were published I simply thought it was nice to see a pretty unusual name have such prominence. When the films came out, many people exclaimed they assumed she was HERMY-OWN. That's how they 'heard' the name in their heads.
So, do you make sure the reader knows your pronounciation, or do you let them discover their own?
Enjoy your day x
To my ever deepest shame I used to spell my friend's name "Siobhan" how I heard her say it - "Shevon"! LOL!!
ReplyDeleteMy characters names in my stories are very boring! Oh dear!
Take care
x
I think it can be terribly distracting. Terry Pratchett did it in one of his I read and really made me confused, but them I sometimes think I have dyslexic tendancies. I prefer to find my own pronunication unless the way it is spelled or said is significant in any way :O)
ReplyDeleteI get very annoyed when authors create big mouthfuls of syllables to form a name.
ReplyDeleteMine tend to be easy to pronounce, but that's because I usually ask several people to pronounce the names/words for me so I can see if they will stumble over them.
One of the more potentialy contentious pronunciations (in our house, between my daughter and I) was that of Dorothy Dunnett's wonderful hero Lymond. I can't now remember which of us favoured what pronunciation but for years the incorrect 'Limmond' held as much sway as the correct LYEmond (given in Elspeth Morrison's 'Companion' to the series)
ReplyDeleteAnd I always like the name Tatiana but never did find out how to pronounce it.
I love unusual names, but I do try to keep them easy. I don't want any of my readers to become tongue-tied in reading my novels.
ReplyDeleteI know it sometimes frustrate me if the names are too odd or hard to figure out their pronunciation.
That's why I kept my character's names short and simple. Although I think I tripped up my readers with Ernx...
ReplyDeleteI've come across a few books whose authors have insisted on apostrophes with an X or K followed by several more consonants - it drives me nuts if I can't figure out and settle on a pronunciation.
ReplyDeleteSaoirse (pronounced: ser-shuh) was always a name that stumped me. I read Harry Potter when I was six, but I had a completely different idea of how to say Hermione's name - 'hemerony' which made my mum laugh. :3
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have any names wild enough to merit phonics. Yet. ;)
ReplyDeleteI was confused about Hermione. I don't remember now how I pronounced it, but I knew I had it wrong. I was so happy when JK gave us the correct pronunciation. So, I guess my vote is yes.
I try for simple names so my readers won't get confused. I, too, was confused by Hermione (as Su above said).
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and congratulating me (yesterday) on my book/memoir launch. I appreciate your support very much.
All the Best to you too!
Ann Best, Memoir Author
Hi, the other day I saw this question on FB and someone gave a link to a name generator, where you put in all specifics and somegets thrown up. Now I have to go, look for it and save the link.
ReplyDeleteBut thanks for your interesting post.
Hi Margo...Tony is a sweet friend and a follower for quite some time. It will be nice to have you too as a friend. :)
ReplyDeleteI frankly speaking detest long, or even tongue twisting names. But, in the book I finished writing few days back, I have used few names like Xyla and Krysl. I just hope my readers don't hate me for it.
If I were an author with bizarre names, I'd put in a small pronunciation guide at the beginning. As a reader, I want to know how their names are said!
ReplyDeleteI did have this come up in a past ms. I used another character to rhyme the odd name sound with another word during dialogue so the reader would catch on. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, but you've touched upon one of my problems...Cajun French names in South Louisiana are out of the norm. I struggle to find names that fit within the culture but which aren't difficult to pronounce.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I read odd names, I always come up with the pronunciation in my head only to discover later I had it all wrong! It bugs the heck out of me because although I've learned the right way to say the name, I still hear the "wrong" way when I read.
ReplyDeleteI find awkward names really irritating and also dialect - though it was actually very effective in 'The Help'. I suppose that one's definition of 'difficult' depends on one's location in the world:-)
ReplyDeleteI must admit I have a strong dislike for novels that use names I'm not entirely sure how to pronounce - I feel as if I'm missing something. Consequently, I try to use names where there is no doubt as to how they sound.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I've only used a couple of unusual names, but I think they are simple enough to not cause confusion.
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion.