Pronouncing "BPAL" and scent names!

[indicolite]

Well, I'm not good at using the little symbols that represent certain sounds (the word for which escapes me this morning ),

IPA. International Phonetic Alphabet.

 

But around my workplace, we call it "Life."

 

(Just kidding, I actually do not use the IPA in my daily life and have relegated a whole bunch of it to the back burners of my mind.)

[Electra]

Well, it's Tamil, a classical language of India and older than sanskrit. It's supposed to be, when pronounced and spoken correctly, rather sing-songy. Kumari Kandam, I am extrapolating, wouldn't have stresses on the first syllable (so no CONdom)...I'm no linguist and no student of classical India, but from what I've read and trying to make guesses based on the cadence of a couple of other languages of India I've heard spoken I pronounce it kuMARee kanDAM with all A's short.

 

Well, I figured my pronunciation HAD to be wrong .

 

Thank you, Juniperus! Very interesting.

[starglass]

How would Y'ha-nthlei be pronounced? Thanks in advance!

[columbus]

How would Y'ha-nthlei be pronounced? Thanks in advance!

 

With difficulty!

 

Ba-dum-ching!

 

 

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I am also curious about this one!)

[luvmulder]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that makes up names for the scents they can't pronounce correctly.

 

I've been referring to 'Szepasszony' as 'that Spazzy one' for weeks now.

[bizarrogirl]

And how about Haloa?

[Quinara]

And how about Haloa?

 

My ancient Greek isn't amazing, but looking it up the 'o' is a stresed omega, so it would be something like Hah-loh-ah, where the As are short (as in 'happy') and the stress is on the 'oh' (which is like the O in 'crone'). There isn't actually any H in Ancient Greek, it's just created by a difference in breathing, so the 'hah' would be more of a breathy 'ah' than a conscious 'hah' sound.

 

Heh, and I've just realised that this really isn't how I've been saying it in my head. *fixes brain*

[indicolite]

How would Y'ha-nthlei be pronounced? Thanks in advance!

 

With difficulty!

 

Ba-dum-ching!

 

 

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I am also curious about this one!)

Someone somewhere in this thread pointed out the Lovecraft intentionally made up words that were difficult to pronounce, to give the impression of nasty alien creatures with alien tongues - so Columbus Jones is actually very right.

 

I personally pronounce it Ee-Han-Thly (as if it was an adverb) in my head, but I think the German way, Ee-Han-Thlai, would also work. Anyhow, it's Lovecraft, no native speaker of Elder-Goddish is going to swoop down on you to correct you!

 

ETA: I stress Han. But I suppose one may stress Y. Or both, in a sortof spondaic foot broken by the apostrophe.

Edited December 21, 2006 by indicolite

[tereshkova2001]

How would Y'ha-nthlei be pronounced? Thanks in advance!

 

The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, in their solstice album A Very Scary Solstice, pronounces it more or less phonetically. Listen to "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Fish-Men" to hear the phrase, "Ya-ha-nuth-lay is deeper than they know."

Actually, listen to all of it, because it's funny.

 

Mind you, I'm not saying they're right, or wrong. But that's how I've been saying it.

Edited December 23, 2006 by tereshkova2001

[prettypinkkitty]

Well, it's Tamil, a classical language of India and older than sanskrit. It's supposed to be, when pronounced and spoken correctly, rather sing-songy. Kumari Kandam, I am extrapolating, wouldn't have stresses on the first syllable (so no CONdom)...I'm no linguist and no student of classical India, but from what I've read and trying to make guesses based on the cadence of a couple of other languages of India I've heard spoken I pronounce it kuMARee kanDAM with all A's short.

 

I speak Tamil! What a coincidence...that is about a month late!

 

It's pronounced koo-MAH-ree KUHN-TUHM (the first syllable has the same vowel sound as in come or gun, the second sounds like the stuff you take for heartburn). The second word has equal emphasis on both syllables. It means "Princess Landmass", and yes, the second word does sound slightly unfortunate. Oops. (It means "Princess Landmass," incidentally and if you care, because it is just below what is known as Kanyakumari, the tippy tip of India, where the patron deity is a virgin [kanya] goddess. She's also known as Kumari Amman. It is also, I have learned, where Mohinder spread his dad's ashes in Heroes, though I've not seen it myself.)

 

Sri Lankan Tamil, FYI, is much more sing-songy than Indian Tamil. Indian Tamil has really morphed, even in its highbrow form, and Sri Lankan Tamil has stayed much the same to its classical roots, though they've certainly adopted some Sinhalese. Indian Tamil sounds bubbly, Sri Lankan Tamil sounds songlike.

[Galen]

And how about Haloa?

 

My ancient Greek isn't amazing, but looking it up the 'o' is a stresed omega, so it would be something like Hah-loh-ah, where the As are short (as in 'happy') and the stress is on the 'oh' (which is like the O in 'crone'). There isn't actually any H in Ancient Greek, it's just created by a difference in breathing, so the 'hah' would be more of a breathy 'ah' than a conscious 'hah' sound.

 

Heh, and I've just realised that this really isn't how I've been saying it in my head. *fixes brain*

 

so it sounds like hawaian 'Aloa'?

[Quinara]

My ancient Greek isn't amazing, but looking it up the 'o' is a stresed omega, so it would be something like Hah-loh-ah, where the As are short (as in 'happy') and the stress is on the 'oh' (which is like the O in 'crone'). There isn't actually any H in Ancient Greek, it's just created by a difference in breathing, so the 'hah' would be more of a breathy 'ah' than a conscious 'hah' sound.

 

Heh, and I've just realised that this really isn't how I've been saying it in my head. *fixes brain*

 

so it sounds like hawaian 'Aloa'?

 

A bit (at least the way I would reckon), but without any emphasis on the last A and with a more H-y beginning. So, basically, the middle syllable's the same. (Is 'Aloa' pronounced the same as 'Aloha' but without the H? That's what I'm imagining...)

[evcelt]

And since that day he has run with it! At random times I get a mocking "Terps-eh-core, huh?" I feel the love! I'm just waiting for him to mispronounce something. It's going to be bad for him!

 

Console yourself with this: in New Orleans, they have streets named after the muses.

 

They pronounce "Terpsicore" TERP-see-core... "Calliope" CAL-ee-ope, etc.

 

If you pronounce them classically, they look at you as if you'd grown an extra head.

 

So if you ever go to NOLA, you can always set him up and get your revenge... ;-)

 

The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, in their solstice album A Very Scary Solstice, pronounces it more or less phonetically. Listen to "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Fish-Men" to hear the phrase, "Ya-ha-nuth-lay is deeper than they know."

 

I'm a longtime Lovecraft reader, and that's pretty close to the way I pronounce it- yih-HA-nith-LAY.

 

I agree with an earlier poster that Lovecraftian coinages were meant to be weird and hard to pronounce, so there's not necessarily a proper pronounciation for them... I pronounce "R'leyh" either "ril-YEH" or "rilly-EH"...

[for_the_nonce]

Console yourself with this: in New Orleans, they have streets named after the muses.

 

They pronounce "Terpsicore" TERP-see-core... "Calliope" CAL-ee-ope, etc.

 

If you pronounce them classically, they look at you as if you'd grown an extra head.

 

So if you ever go to NOLA, you can always set him up and get your revenge... ;-)

 

A wee bit off topic, but that reminds me of Austin. Guadalupe is pronounced Gwad-a-loop, instead of the Spanish way. When I first moved down there, I was convinced I would pronounce it correctly, but that didn't last long, because people would give me the strangest looks!

 

Back on topic: how do you guys pronounce the latin names (like Sol Invictus)? I pronounce my 'v's like 'w's, but I know alot of people use Church latin (i.e. where 'v's are like English 'v's and the 'c's are hard, etc). Just curious!

[indicolite]

In Roman Latin, c's were pronounced with a 'k' sound - all of them. We know this because, for example, Cicero's name (which I still mentally pronounce Si-say-row), was transcribed by the Greeks as Kikero. I cannot recall hearing about the v's, but a check on the Wikipedia shows that they were indeed originally w-sounds - you are right, for_the_nonce. By classical Latin, c and k sounded the same.

 

However, I have Spanish pronunciation encoded into my brain, so I mostly pronounce c's by the ka-se-si-ko-ku rule - pronounce it as k in front of a, o, u, and consonants, and s in front of i and e, as well as pronouncing v's as v's. I sin. Deal with that.

[for_the_nonce]

I didn't know that's how Cicero's name was transcribed in Greek. That kinda makes me wonder how the Catholic Church decided that c's could be soft, or even pronounced like the double c (che) in Italian.

 

Unfortunately, classical Latin is so embedded in my brain that I pronounce Caesar as kai-sar... oops.

 

Anyway! I'm always interested to see who pronounces their Latin classically and who pronounces it the Catholic way.

 

Oh, I forgot to add that g's are hard in classical Latin, but can be pronounced like j's in Church Latin. I can't really think of a bpal that applies to, but store it away for future reference.

[lady_pandora]

I've printed out the descriptions of all of the new releases, and I'm carrying them around the house with me. I read, I ponder. I read some more, I swoon. There are ten things I want to buy, but can't all at once. I guess I'll focus on the shorter-term ones I want first (ABHISARIKA, Luperci, and Smut),

 

Hee, I love how we're all posting the Heroine scents in all caps because we're copy/pasting them from the site. I was doing the same thing on my LJ.

 

Congratulations to Beth on coming up with blends I can't spell!

Edited January 3, 2007 by lady_pandora

[ajcj213499]

Hee, I love how we're all posting the Heroine scents in all caps because we're copy/pasting them from the site.

 

Congratulations to Beth on coming up with blends I can't spell!

 

I know not to mention how to pronounce them!

 

"What's that lovely perfume you're wearing?" "It's...uh...ummm...ah....unpronounceable..."

[CLFilm]

OMFG!

 

I've barely even read through all the new offerings, but I must register my utter delight at the fact that Luperci, quite possibly my favorite blend so far (and the one I spilled half of on the bathroom counter, and have been hoarding the last drops of) is BACK. I may need to get two bottles, just in case.

 

Numfar, do the dance of JOY!

 

Done!

 

 

HA! Awesome.

 

I wish I had my bath bombs right. this. minute. (Aren't I grabby and whiny? Heh. )

 

Oh, and same about the Heroine scents. I will NEVER be able to spell or say those from memory. I cringe for the decanters trying to keep them all straight!

Edited January 3, 2007 by CLFilm

[starrynight06]

I've printed out the descriptions of all of the new releases, and I'm carrying them around the house with me. I read, I ponder. I read some more, I swoon. There are ten things I want to buy, but can't all at once. I guess I'll focus on the shorter-term ones I want first (ABHISARIKA, Luperci, and Smut),

 

Hee, I love how we're all posting the Heroine scents in all caps because we're copy/pasting them from the site. I was doing the same thing on my LJ.

 

Congratulations to Beth on coming up with blends I can't spell!

 

 

Lol! I so thought about that the first time I saw it! Someone one makeup alley asked me what I want to get. I'm like, I can't spell em!

[abejita]

Laugh.

 

Pronunciation help:

 

(note, every now and then I may emphasize the wrong syllable, as I was taught Sanskrit and Bengali by westerners who made some minor errors in that area. also, the BPAL site lacks the diacritical marks that help with long vs. short vowels)

 

Ashtanayika (the more standard spelling) - ahsh tuh NAH yee kuh

 

Abhisarika - uh bee SAHR ee kuh

Kalahantarika - kuh luh hun TAHR ee kuh

Khandita - either KHAHN dee tuh or khun DEE tuh

Proshitapathika - pro shee tuh PAH tee kuh

Svadhinapatika (the more standard spelling) - swah dee nuh PAH tee kuh

Vasakasajja - BAH suh kuh sahzh (not sure on the emphasis there)

Virahotkantita - bee ruh hot KAHN tee tuh

Vipralabda - bee pruh LUHB duh

 

Chintamani-Dhupa - chin TAH muh nee DOOP

Kanishta - kuh NISH tuh

 

 

Anyway, that is about as accurate as I can get. I hope it helps a little.

[indicolite]

 

Hee, I love how we're all posting the Heroine scents in all caps because we're copy/pasting them from the site.

 

Congratulations to Beth on coming up with blends I can't spell!

 

I know not to mention how to pronounce them!

 

"What's that lovely perfume you're wearing?" "It's...uh...ummm...ah....unpronounceable..."

What's so hard about pronouncing them? Take it two or three letters at a time, my best guess using historical linguistics:

 

Abhisarika - A-vee-sa-ree-ka

 

Kalahantarika - easiest one - Ka-la-han-ta-ri-ka

 

Khandita - Han-di-ta (like Han Solo's love child with Perdita )

 

Proshitapathika - Pro-shee-ta-path-ika (although I doubt I am the only one constantly thinking "Psychopathica" when I see that word)

 

Svadhinaopatika - "dh" is the "th" in "then", so Sva-thee-na-o-pat-ika (although I am thinking of the Spanish word "simpatica" gone nuts)

 

Vasakasajja - Va-sa-ka-saj-ja

 

Virahotkantita - Vi-ra-hot-kan-tita (I admit I am mentally sounding it "Virago-Candida")

 

Vipralabda - Vi-pra-lab-da and everyone here knows how to pronounce "lab", right?

 

Now, I will need someone who knows Sanskrit to tell me what the stressed syllables are, but I always feel happy with transliterated words, because I KNOW they will sound the way they are spelled.

 

ETA: Abejita, I think you and I were typing at the same time. Thanks for the stressed syllables! And I didn't know that v goes to b when between voiced vowels, thanks.

Edited January 3, 2007 by indicolite

[starrynight06]

*Sigh* if only my parents had stayed together long enough so that my father could have taught me bengali or hindi. Oh well!

[Taniwha]

I've printed out the descriptions of all of the new releases, and I'm carrying them around the house with me. I read, I ponder. I read some more, I swoon. There are ten things I want to buy, but can't all at once. I guess I'll focus on the shorter-term ones I want first (ABHISARIKA, Luperci, and Smut),

 

Hee, I love how we're all posting the Heroine scents in all caps because we're copy/pasting them from the site. I was doing the same thing on my LJ.

 

Congratulations to Beth on coming up with blends I can't spell!

 

I noticed that, and thought about changing it. I actually sat here and tried to memorize the letters, then said screw it!

[Mountaingrrl00]

I took two semesters of Hindi, but those Sanskrit names are another thing altogether ....