I had one. Created it years ago. I left it out of the book because…well, because I had enough of the “high fantasy” genre flags with a map, a quest, a story that took days instead of hours and a world different from Earth. I just didn’t want that last nail in the coffin of sub-genre labeling.
TT: Not sure why I object to the label “high fantasy.” It should appeal to the elitist in me. Maybe it does and that annoys me.
I also had a high enough page count I couldn’t justify adding another two just so people could pronounce made-up words. I made a mistake. Not my first.
Readers appear to be more comfortable with a pronunciation guide. I’ve had three specifically ask for one, and I’ve had two others respond with “Oh, that’s how you say that?”
Yes, that’s how I say that, but it doesn’t have to be the way you say it. I come from a State where creek and crik are the same thing (a tiny running stream, in case you’re not a Kansan). You can pronounce my made-up words any way you like and I don’t mind.
But, for those who absolutely, positively believe the only way to pronounce a made-up word is the way I pronounce it, here ya go:
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE:
Aerion (AIR-ee-on)
Aeriad (A-ree-ADD)
Caissa Ocren (CAY-shuh OH-cren)
Dryad (DRY-ad)
Ehsu (EH-soo)
Flamas (FLAHM-ahs)
Galena (Guh-LAY-nuh)
Gamaliel (Guh-MAY-lee-el)
Golor (GAH-lahr)
Gowan Rudebec (GOW-an Ruhd-a-BECK)
Grambage Garralar (GRAM-badge GAR-uh-lahr)
Indira Sampath (in-DEER-ah SAM-path)
Manarot (MAN-ah-row)
Merritt MacEwan (MARE-it mac-YOU-en)
Naiad (NIGH-ad)
Neriadim (NARE-ee-ah-DEEM)
Oread (OR-ee-ad)
Nauvoo Vehle (NOW-voo VELL-uh)
Radiac (RAY-dee-ack)
Rhami Harvarkoset (RAH-mee HAR-VAR-koh-set)
Shanti (shawn-TEE)
See, Kansans tend to emphasize the first syllable of a two syllable word. That’s really the trick to pronouncing any word in my world. If there’s a word you don’t see up there and want to, leave me a comment. I’ll be happy to tell you how to pronounce it the Kansas way.
As a fellow Kansan (at heart, obviously), this post offered a nice chuckle. And since I’ll be reading Star of Justice in the near future…good to know! I do like to know how the author’s pronounce it, b/c this is THEIR story. It would be like letting people think my name is Rah-lynn or Rah-lean, when it’s actually Ray-lean. It’s just not the same b/c I am for sure not a Rah-lynn.
Ray-lean is the only way I’ve ever thought to pronounce it. Must be a Kansan thing.