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    Canonfire :: View topic - Silly me. Pronunciation
    Canonfire Forum Index -> World of Greyhawk Discussion
    Silly me. Pronunciation
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    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 23, 2008
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    From: Southern Nevada

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    Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:41 pm  
    Silly me. Pronunciation

    Oerth pronounced Earth? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oerth

    Don't get me wrong, I prefer that, but I always thought it was O (hard O) earth, or Orth.

    How about Oerik. Orik or Air-rik?
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
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    From: Michigan

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    Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:52 pm  

    According to Dragon #93, Oerth is pronounced OYth, rarely URth or AYRth. Oerik is pronounced O-rik. Oerid is pronounced O-rid.

    The Player's Guide to Greyhawk says it's pronounced "orth" (long o) or "oyth." It doesn't mention "urth" as a possible pronunciation. It says Oerik is pronounced "OH rik" and Oeridian is pronounced "oh RIH dee an."

    In my experience, virtually all Greyhawk fans pronounce the name of the world like "Orth." Given that Dragon #93 says that Oeridian is pronounced O-ridian, that seems reasonable. The Dragon article does say that "Urth" (Earth) is a valid pronunciation, but it's not the most common one even there.
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Feb 07, 2007
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    From: The Kingdom of Nyrond (LA County, CA)

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    Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:04 pm  

    rasgon wrote:


    In my experience, virtually all Greyhawk fans pronounce the name of the world like "Orth." Given that Dragon #93 says that Oeridian is pronounced O-ridian, that seems reasonable. The Dragon article does say that "Urth" (Earth) is a valid pronunciation, but it's not the most common one even there.


    I've always favored O-AIR-th and O-AIR-dian myself, going off of the pronunciation of "Aerdi".
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Sep 21, 2003
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    From: Germany

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    Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:53 pm  

    I've always pronounced it as the german umlaut Ö (big surprise, since I'm german, but then again i believe Gygax had german/swiss roots himself so perhaps this is how he meant it. OTOH if he went for the swiss roots the pronounciation could be much weirder. Ö-erth perhaps. Swiss german is very weird.)

    Last edited by Thanael on Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:57 pm  

    Huh. Been getting it wrong all these years.

    I probably won't change it any, but it's an interesting tidbit...
    Site Theocrat

    Joined: Aug 15, 2003
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    From: WoG 2.0

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    Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:35 am  

    Hi all -
    I've always pronounced it O-earth. But at NeonCon 2006, I learned from many other more cosmopolitan and traveled Greyhawk Sages that I've pronounced many things wrong.
    Just as a note to those that don't have the original Dragon 93, the pronunciation guide is also in the Dragon Compendium (although it is just the listing and not the entire article).
    Be Well. Be Well Pronounced.
    Theocrat Issak
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    Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:34 am  
    Jaberjaw

    OYrth reminds me of Jaberjaw. "No respect, no respect..." which I believe is like a animiated shark version of W. C. Fields if I'm not mistaken. I too think of "O-earth" when I read Oerth. I'm not saying I know better than someone else especially when I see that Dragon defined the prononciation but I am a little surprised.

    OYth also reminds me of that Austrailian "oi" or "oi, oi, oi" phrase.
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
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    Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:27 am  

    Your pronunciation is as valid as anyone else's, even Gary Gygax's (though the Dragon article was by Frank Mentzer). It's your Oerth.

    I stand corrected about virtually everyone saying "Orth." I have heard of some people changing the spelling and saying "Oreth."
    Black Hand of Oblivion

    Joined: Feb 16, 2003
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    Thu Jun 11, 2009 7:40 pm  

    People I know have always pronounced it "Oh-erth", "Oh-er-ik", and "Oh-er-ridian", thoug the middle "er" portion in the latter two is a very clipped, short sound that is almost not pronounced at all.
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    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 23, 2008
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    Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:34 am  

    I see some one has gone in and made a change to the wikipedia article... Laughing
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    Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:55 am  

    Talking about pronunciation... how do you pronounce Pomarj?
    Is it like "pomaree" o like "pomarsgee" ("french g")?
    Or neither of the 2?
    GreySage

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    Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:46 am  

    I say it with two syllables: Poe (rhymes with "hoe") and Marj (like the English name Marge, rhymes with barge and large).

    I do use more of a French 'g' sound, but with no final syllable. It sounds like "fromage" or "collage."
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Sun Jun 21, 2009 5:29 pm  

    I always went with something like rasgon's pronunciation, since I remember somewhere reading that it was a contraction / slurring of "Poor March," its name during the Keoish expansionist days. The "Po' March," perhaps vice the "Gran March."
    Master Greytalker

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    Sun Jun 21, 2009 11:36 pm  
    Re: Jaberjaw

    Raymond wrote:
    OYrth reminds me of Jaberjaw. "No respect, no respect..." which I believe is like a animiated shark version of W. C. Fields if I'm not mistaken.


    WC Fields was from Pennsylvania, and had a more neutral accent. My first thought on hearing "Oyth" was Curly of the Three Stooges. It was his exaggerated Brooklyn accent that Jabberjaw was imitating.
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    Black Hand of Oblivion

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    Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:16 am  

    Coytainly! Razz
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    GreySage

    Joined: Oct 06, 2008
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    Fri Jul 10, 2009 10:25 am  

    TheocratIssak wrote:
    I've always pronounced it O-earth.


    I prefer this pronunciation as well. It's the pronunciation we used back in the late '70s. I look at it as a sort of euphemism for "Old Earth."

    In the forward of the '83 boxed set Glossography, Steve Winter and Allen Hammack make statements suggesting such an interpretation. Such as:

    "While modern society is overburdened with technological marvels and scientific explanations, TSR, Inc. is proud to present a mystery, an enigmatic visitor from the dim past . . . Lay aside your 20th century cynicism and examine . . . the history of the Guide.
    "The Savant-Sage compiled his "Catalogue of the Land of Flanaess" . . . it was examined by Pluffet Smedger the Elder . . . How these two books managed to survive and re-surface in this time and place is . . . a complete mystery. . . The Savant-Sage and Pluffet Smedger the Elder are part of the past . . ."

    And so, for me, its O-earth, or "Old Earth." This is in keeping with similar concepts expounded upon by authors like Robert Howard. In his world, there was Kull, then a great cataclysm changed all. Enter Conan, and another cataclysm. From this cataclysm arose modern Europe and Africa. Kull and Conan "lived" in our distant past.

    So, too, did Greyhawk.

    But that's just the way I see it. Cool
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