Drow Language and Pronunciation

Ssin'urn Streea · Post by **Ssin'urn Streea** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:10 am

[i:cd7pnxim][color=indigo:cd7pnxim]This thread is for discussing the language of the Drow, glphs, symbols, and such.

I've been reading up on and studying the drow language trying to get a feel for how the sounds of letters and words are supposed to be arcticulated. This is what I have found out concerning character name...

If you are familiar with Star Trek it sounds somewhat like Klingon. Think of a whispered cross between High German and the Amazon rain forest language called PirahÃ£ which uses a poping sound effect which involves touching the tip of the tongue against the inside upper gum line and snapping it downward. Her name takes a little practice to pronunciate. Be sure to trill the "r" like you would double (rr) in Spanish and stress the part where there is an apostrophe.

[b:cd7pnxim]Seen-OU-rr-n [/b:cd7pnxim](Ssin'urn) [b:cd7pnxim] St-(pop sound)-rr-ay-ah [/b:cd7pnxim](Streea)
[/color:cd7pnxim][/i:cd7pnxim]

Post by **Shir'le E. Illios** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:20 am

I’ve always considered the apostrophe ([b:5zvj8txf]'[/b:5zvj8txf]) in drow to be pronounced as a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glottal_stop:5zvj8txf]glottal stop[/url:5zvj8txf].

Regarding the pronunciation of Shir’le’s name I’m certain most people get it wrong (or at least other than I imagine it). For one I get the impression that a people tend to pronounce it very similar to the name “Shirley”, simply because it’s the name that looks the closest in the western languages (and I’ve been called that on occasion).

However, in my mind the “i” isn’t pronounced as the “u” in “surely”, but as the “i” in “ship”. And the “le” isn’t pronounced as “lee”, but as “lay”. So take that with the glottal stop for the apostrophe and it sounds something like:

[b:5zvj8txf][i:5zvj8txf]shir[/i:5zvj8txf]-uh-lay[/b:5zvj8txf]

With a holding back of the “uh”.

Of course, “Shir’le” isn’t a proper drow name anyway but one she “made up” herself (she was given another name by her parents, but changed it when she truly became aware of Eilistraee). So I always considered her name part drow, part elven, and part fancy.

I don’t expect anyone to get it right since it’s mostly in my (and her) head. But it does make for interesting introduction.

Her last name is pronounced pretty much as it looks though ([i:5zvj8txf]ill[/i:5zvj8txf]-ee-oss).

Love -x-x-x-

Shir'le

Argoth · Post by **Argoth** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:45 pm

Ok this is the place where I should come to the resque, 'couse I had a final exam on English Phonetics just yesturday.

But without a scanner I can't post a pic of the RP vowels and consonants in phonologic transciption. I'm 100% sure, that somewhere on the net there are sites, where one can find these. A good hint is to look for prof Rubach. He gives lectures in Ohio on University there, and back here in Poland. I'm a bit too busy with other courses so... sorry... I promise to look for that first thing I get some time to spare.

Unen_Stealthfoot · Post by **Unen_Stealthfoot** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:05 pm

[quote="Argoth":37whrwom]Ok this is the place where I should come to the resque,[/quote:37whrwom]

[color=indigo:37whrwom]Too bad they didn't teach you spelling too.

[/color:37whrwom]

Argoth · Post by **Argoth** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:51 pm

Well I had better spelling before I started. Now I just feel more and more stupid...

Ssin'urn Streea · Post by **Ssin'urn Streea** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:59 pm

[quote="Shir'le E. Illios":31odtezz]I’ve always considered the apostrophe ([b:31odtezz]'[/b:31odtezz]) in drow to be pronounced as a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glottal_stop:31odtezz]glottal stop[/url:31odtezz].

Regarding the pronunciation of Shir’le’s name I’m certain most people get it wrong (or at least other than I imagine it). For one I get the impression that a people tend to pronounce it very similar to the name “Shirley”, simply because it’s the name that looks the closest in the western languages (and I’ve been called that on occasion).

However, in my mind the “i” isn’t pronounced as the “u” in “surely”, but as the “i” in “ship”. And the “le” isn’t pronounced as “lee”, but as “lay”. So take that with the glottal stop for the apostrophe and it sounds something like:

[b:31odtezz][i:31odtezz]shir[/i:31odtezz]-uh-lay[/b:31odtezz]

With a holding back of the “uh”.

Of course, “Shir’le” isn’t a proper drow name anyway but one she “made up” herself (she was given another name by her parents, but changed it when she truly became aware of Eilistraee). So I always considered her name part drow, part elven, and part fancy.

I don’t expect anyone to get it right since it’s mostly in my (and her) head. But it does make for interesting introduction.

Her last name is pronounced pretty much as it looks though ([i:31odtezz]ill[/i:31odtezz]-ee-oss).

Love -x-x-x-

Shir'le[/quote:31odtezz]

[color=indigo:31odtezz][i:31odtezz]I have done some more research and found some more on the glottal stop. Think I'll use it since it is alot harder to make the pop sound in the context of names. Thanx!

Always wondered how you would pronounce Shir'le. [/i:31odtezz][/color:31odtezz]

Rooky · Post by **Rooky** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:32 pm

I wonder if I can squeze a gluttal stop in Skippy's name?

Ssin'urn Streea · Post by **Ssin'urn Streea** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:35 pm

[color=indigo:3d39rjik][i:3d39rjik]Hmm...lemme see...Ski'ppy...S'kippy...Skip'py....S'kip'py....Sk'ipp'y[/i:3d39rjik][/color:3d39rjik]

Argoth · Post by **Argoth** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:21 pm

Instead of a glottal stop simply make a devoicing between consonants. [[i:39631iz4]skip[/i:39631iz4] (here a little circle should appear under the first p) [i:39631iz4]py[/i:39631iz4]]

Doxa'era · Post by **Doxa'era** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:26 pm

I thought that the apostrophes in drow names indicated a stop in the word and a break in the way it's pronounced. For example, my chara's name: Doxa'era. I pronounce it Dox-ah` errah with the apostrophe dividing the word to prevent it from sounding like Dox`-air-ah.

Unen_Stealthfoot · Post by **Unen_Stealthfoot** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:51 pm

[quote="Argoth":2ji3oy33]Well I had better spelling before I started. Now I just feel more and more stupid...

[/quote:2ji3oy33]

[color=darkred:2ji3oy33]Quote from BGII by the desharik, after listening to Minsc talk about miniature space hamsters

:

"Wow! I fell stupider already.... Wait a second... Stupider? Ahhhhhhhh!!! Guard, take them away!!!!"

[/color:2ji3oy33]

Doxa'era · Post by **Doxa'era** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:50 pm

[quote="Unen_Stealthfoot":2nezg9cr][quote="Argoth":2nezg9cr]Well I had better spelling before I started. Now I just feel more and more stupid...

[/quote:2nezg9cr]

[color=darkred:2nezg9cr]Quote from BGII by the desharik, after listening to Minsc talk about miniature space hamsters

:

"Wow! I fell stupider already.... Wait a second... Stupider? Ahhhhhhhh!!! Guard, take them away!!!!"

[/color:2nezg9cr][/quote:2nezg9cr]

*blinks as a guard is prompted to take persons away* Who? Did what? To who? For [i:2nezg9cr]how[/i:2nezg9cr] many red jelly beans!?

Unen_Stealthfoot · Post by **Unen_Stealthfoot** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:45 pm

[color=indigo:39s3n3ky]The desharik on the island of Spellhold, ordering the guard to take the party to the asyllum because the main character (and Minsc) are apparently crazy.

[/color:39s3n3ky]

Avin Jingzu · Post by **Avin Jingzu** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:11 am

...

what does my name mean. my friend told me it meant "Holder of Sorrow" but he's slightly insane

so i honestly have no idea.

Malek · Post by **Malek** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:41 am

Your name doesn't have to mean anything. Those names are the coolest ones. Hence: Malek Tarynmoth.