heres some of the ways i pronounce things:
Roland = Row lund (my 'land' sounds like lund when i actually say it out loud) and Deschain = D' shane
Cuthbert = CUTH bert (not with a 'q')
Mejis= i always thought May - Gee (like silent s, and with a soft g (like juh-ee?). even though i know it probably should be spanish sounding (so the j being h - may-hee), but i go with more a frenchy thing (kinda like alain even tho i don't do that with his name! lol)
Sai = sigh
Depape = d' pap (silent 'e')
Alain = I know i should probably pronounce it the french way (silent 'n' kind of) but i think i'd just pronounce it alan
Gilly = Jill - ee
Gilead = Gill - ee- ad
coos = coooose (like scottish slang for cows - coos! lol)
that's all i can think of for now...
Can't believe I haven't seen this thread till now. It has been nearly two years and I can still find new things around. Well it shows I am blind.
I pronounce it just like you.
Yeah, I know how you feel Letti. I have read the first five pages so far. And I am totally confused.
Hahaha. I think that would happen with me, too, if I could understand him better.
Anyway you have excellent pronounciation for my understanding, Letti. I mean it.
I always thought Gilead was pronounced Gil ad
“There are no men like me. There's only me”- The Kingslayer
Well, part of the problem is my hearing is pretty bad anyway. If you were American...with no accent...and in the same room as me I'd be just as likely to ask what you said.
Okay, subtitles-
Melikey- "huh?"
Bricey- "what"
...ad infinitum.
Anyhow...you know it's a joy to talk with you lovely ladies.
I remember Sheemie pronounced Cuthbert's name Key-youth-bert in W&G and I just went o.O
Sorry Sheemie but it's Cuh-th-burt!
Roland = Roe-lund
Deschain = Dess-chain (rhymes with chain as in food chain)
Gan = rhymes with Trash Can Man
Gilead = Gill-ee-id (gill as in fish gills)
Gilly = gill-ee
Mejis = May-hiss
Alain = Alan
Depape = Dih-pay-p
Rhea = Ray-uh
Palaver = pal-uh-vare
Lud = rhymes with mud
Todash = toe-dash
Am I missing any?
So much you did and so much more you would have done, aye, and all without a check or qualm, and so will the world end, I think, a victim of love rather than hate. For love's ever been the more destructive weapon, sure.
This is a fun thread. I stumbled on it when I was searching for some type of consensus on the pronunciation of "Gilead". Looks like this is the wrong place for consensus! Heh.
While there are a lot of Mid-World words (Mid-words?) that seem rather self-apparent, there are a few terms I have very definite preferences for as regards their pronunciation:
Palaver - puh-LAV-er (this one took me a while to get, should have the same stresses as the word "jalopy")
Cuthbert - COOTH-burt (I like the germanic long "u" sound, as opposed to the short u "cuh" or "queue" variants)
Mejis - MAY-jiss (I'm not sure why i like it this way, but the spanish pronunciation MAY-heess is bothersome)
Deschain - duh-SHANE
Alain - ah-LANE
Which brings us to Gilead. I am of two minds. I like the lyricism and mythic nature of GILL-ee-add, but more often than not I now find myself mentally pronouncing it gil-LEAD. Lead is, after all, a Gunslinger's stock-in-trade.
I was not sure how to pronounce Palaver, until I heard it used on a episode of Firefly.
They also pronounced it puh-LAV-er.
“There are no men like me. There's only me”- The Kingslayer
The word 'palaver' came across familiar when I first read it in the DT books. I don't know where I came across it first (probably cowboy films, actually) but I understood it, especially in context.
That is the correct pronunciation. Stephen King got it from our world after all.Which brings us to Gilead. I am of two minds. I like the lyricism and mythic nature of GILL-ee-add
Some of these we can argue about personal preference/interpretation, but I think Cuthbert is settled clearly by the text, as referenced above. In W&G, Part 3, Chapter IX, we have the following:"Cuthbert's my name." He stuck out his hand. "Cuthbert Allgood. How do y'do, and how do y'do, and how do y'do again?"
Sheemie shook the offered hand, then began giggling. It was a cheerful, unexpected sound, and made them all smile. Smiling hurt Roland a little, and he guessed that if he could see his own face, he'd observe a pretty good bum from being so close to the exploding derricks.
"Key-youth-bert," Sheemie said, giggling. "Oh my! Key-youth-bert, that's a funny name, no wonder you're such a funny fellow. Key-youth-bert, oh-aha-ha-ha, that's a pip, a real pip!"
Its neat that you see the 'j' in Mejis like the Spanish see it: like an English 'h'. I agree very much with what Jean said earlier in this thread about naturally reading French-looking words in a very French manner. Anyways, living in Ohio, here's how I see your words.
Roland = Roll-ind.
Deschain = D'Shane
Gan = rhymes with can
Gilead = Gill-ee-ad (gill as in fish gills)
Gilly = gill-ee
Mejis = Meh-jeese
Alain = Uh-Lane
Depape = D(silent e)'PAYp(another silent e)
Rhea = Ree-uh (though Ray-Uh seems to make more sense)
Palaver = puh-la-ver (la as in last, and ver as in version)
Lud = rhymes with mud
Todash = toe-dash
Throughout the entire Dark Tower series I always read Gilead as Gil-lead, not Gil-ee-ad.
Just the way I read it the first time, and stuck with it.