Skip to content

Pronunciations

semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
I've always wondered what the proper pronunciation was for certain names in BG and IWD. How do you pronounce names with strange spellings?

Baldur's Gate:

Sirene: sih-reen

Tazok: taz-zock (as opposed to tay-zock)


Shadows of Amn:

Thaxll'ssillyia: thack-sull-sill-ee-uh

Nizidramanii'yt: Nih-zih-dra-mah-nee-it

Ixilthetocal: ick-sill-thih-toke-ull

Guildmistress Busya: booz-yeah

Pai'Na: pie-nah

Matron Mother Ardulace: arr-joo-luss (like arduous)

Solaufein: so-lao-feen (I used to pronounce it so-law-feen)


Throne of Bhaal:

Nyalee: nyah-lee


Icewind Dale 2:

The Gelugon in the Severed Hand, Yxbudurzmutkimdu: Big Mister Taffy

Comments

  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    Pai'Nah: pie-nah
    Ardulace: arr-do-lass
    Busya: bus-ee-ah
  • OlvynChuruOlvynChuru Member Posts: 3,075
    How do you pronounce Xzar?
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Xzar: zarr

    Xan: zon
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    How do I pronounce Iyachtu Xvim ?
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @DJKajuru: ih-yock-tu svim
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    I can't remember the spellings, but "Thax-il-SIL-ee-a" and "Ni-zee-DRAM-a-eeyt".
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    Shadows of Amn:
    Aerie: AIEEEE~!
    Ok, maybe not the 'correct' pronunciation. But it's usually the way I react to this NPC.
  • tbone1tbone1 Member Posts: 1,985
    DJKajuru said:

    How do I pronounce Iyachtu Xvim ?

    It's spelled "Iyachtu Xvim" but it's pronounced "Throatwarbler Mangrove".
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    semiticgod said:

    @DJKajuru: ih-yock-tu svim

    Thank you!
  • Jaheiras_WitnessJaheiras_Witness Member Posts: 614
    So weird how we all have different interpretations of the same name. A lot of these I would pronounce differently!

    Sirene: sigh-reen
    Tazok: I'm in the Tay-zock camp
    Ardulace: Are-dyoo-lace
    Solaufein: Sol-oh-feign
    Busya: Buss-yer
    Xan: Zan

    Maybe I read stuff too phonetically or country pronunciations influence things.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Duergar: dwair-gar (I used to pronounce it doo-gar)

    Suldanessellar: sull-duh-ness-seh-llar

    Hareishan: haw-ray-shawn
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    How about we throw in a monkey wrench.

    Is Drow said with an owwie or with an ough sound? I swear I hear it both ways, in official things, no less.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Drow: drao

    Ghaunadaur: gon-uh-dar

    Eilistraee: ell-ee-stray-ee
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,525
    I always pronounce "drow" in a way that rhymes with toe, not with cow :smile:
  • IrennanIrennan Member Posts: 54
    edited May 2017
    semiticgod said:

    Drow: drao

    Ghaunadaur: gon-uh-dar

    Eilistraee: ell-ee-stray-ee

    From the wiki:

    Ghaunadaur=gone-ah-dowr

    and
    Eilistraee's name is pronounced variously as "EEL-iss-TRAY-yee",[4] "eel-ISS-tray-ee",[2] "eel-iss-tray-yee",[1] or "eil-iss-tray-yee".[14] Eilistraee pronounces her own name "AISLE-iss-try-ee",[13] while Elminster Aumar, Qilué Veladorn, and the rest of the Seven Sisters pronounce it "Isle-ISS-tree", even when addressing the goddess face to face.[16]
    DJKajuru said:

    How do I pronounce Iyachtu Xvim ?

    You don't :P
  • JarrakulJarrakul Member Posts: 2,029
    Aren't a lot of these said in voiced lines? "Suldanessellar" and "drow" at the very least. I generally assume the voiced lines are correct, unless they contradict one another.

    Fun fact: "drow" in D&D has quite consistently been pronounced as rhyming with "cow" in voiced lines (both in Baldur's Gate and in other games, such as Neverwinter Nights), but the word is an alternate form of the old British "trow", which rhymes with "throw". It's also strongly analogous to the Scandinavian "troll", though, so perhaps we shouldn't take mythological origins too seriously.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    DJKajuru said:

    How do I pronounce Iyachtu Xvim ?

    I think it's yeea-chtu veen (with the "chtu" pronounced like in the German word "Achtung")

    I'm guessing, though
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    Kilivitz said:

    DJKajuru said:

    How do I pronounce Iyachtu Xvim ?

    I think it's yeea-chtu veen (with the "chtu" pronounced like in the German word "Achtung")

    I'm guessing, though
    Assuming we know how to pronounce German words. :wink:
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Gallchobhair: gal-chub-hare

    Draug Fea: drog-fay

    Melissan: muh-liss-sun, like Melissa (until I heard it pronounced mel-liss-sahn)
  • AasimAasim Member Posts: 591
    semiticgod said:

    Yxbudurzmutkimdu

    Now I know how I'll name my next protagonist.
  • OlvynChuruOlvynChuru Member Posts: 3,075
    Jaheiras_Witness said:


    Tazok: I'm in the Tay-zock camp

    You're correct. Remember this voiced line?

    Mulahey and Tay-zock have proven to be nothing more than puppets.

  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    In my first year playing BG I thought that Viconia's name was pronounced "Vee-conia" , until I heard Nalia call her "Vi-Conia" in a voiced banter.
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,525
    I keep calling her Vee-CO-nia regardless :smiley:
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    edited May 2017
    From Siege of Dragonspear:

    M'Khiin: muh-kin

    Morentherene: mor-renth-uh-ren

    Halatathlaer: hall-luh-toth-lair

    Ziatar: zai-uh-tar

    Mizhena: miz-zay-nuh
  • bob_vengbob_veng Member Posts: 2,308
    (stressed syllable is capitalized)
    Sirene: sy-REEN
    Ixilthetocal: ick-sill-theh(like pen)-TOW-kull
    Busya: BUHS(short oo)-yah (name sounds kinda slavic)
    Pai'Na: puh-EE(no diphthong)-nah
    Ardulace: ARD-yoo-luss (like BE arduous)
    Solaufein: soh(short like BE sock)-LAO(like august)-'feign'
    Nyalee: 'nye'-uh-lee
    Yxbudurzmutkimdu: ICKS-buh(short oo)-duhrsz-muht-KIM-duh
    Xan: zaen (like fan)
    Gallchobhair: GULL-cho(like choke)-BEAR
    Draug Fea: drog (like clog) fee
    Melissan: MEL-ih-SAHN
    M'Khiin: muh-KEEN
    Morentherene: mor-RENTH-uh-REEN
    Ziatar: zee-uh-tar
    Mizhena: misz-HEN-nuh


    the rest same as op
Sign In or Register to comment.

2024 Overhaul Games, a division of Beamdog. © 2024 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, Baldur's Gate, Wizards of the Coast and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries, and are used with permission. Hasbro and its logo are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. and are used with permission. © 1998 BioWare Corp. All Rights Reserved. BioWare, the BioWare Infinity Engine and the BioWare logo are trademarks of Bioware Corp. Black Isle Studios and the Black Isle Studios logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. Atari and the Atari logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.