How do YOU pronounce 'Tolkien'?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Narnangol

Haha, no, yours is fine. The pronunciation I called dubious had the emphasis on the last syllable. Is that not a bit strange? TolkiEN instead of TOLkien.

I tried to say that and couldn't. It just didn't work. I asked someone else to read it the way you wrote it. They also failed ("how the hell do you say that?" reaction). I know theoretically how TolkiEN would sound like, but I just can't say it. How does your friend do it? He must be a linguistic miracle!

Pronouncing it as TolkiYEN makes it sound Chinese (probably because all my failed attempts at pronouncing it turn it into Toukyan ). And Tolkeen/Tolkin - Slavic. And the Tolkayn that I mentioned - German (maybe because of the -ein endings?).

I also happened to be part of a little boring story regarding the name. In Russia, the Professor is known as TOLki-en. However, a copy of an obscure translation of one of his books put down his name on the front cover as TOLkeen/TOLkin (this is a poor effort to recount the pronounciation...). One of the Russian people I know asked me upon seeing the book who on earth wrote it, since the name sounded like a Russian last name, but the photo on the front was Tolkien's.

[Narnangol]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

One of the Russian people I know asked me upon seeing the book who on earth wrote it, since the name sounded like a Russian last name, but the photo on the front was Tolkien's.

Hahahaha! Well, the place a person's from does seem to have an effect. Most people I know say Tolkin/ken but the prevalent pronunciation across the pond seems to be Tolkeeyen/Tolkeen. Is that right?

The name itself is of Germanic origin, isn't it? Tol-kayn sounds German but it just doesn't sound right.

As for my friend, I think that was a slip. He was speaking fast and it just came out.

Eruhen, that was similar to my response to Sore-'n, if less zealous. Must watch that movie again, just for the giggles! Remember 'Aruman'?

[Bom Tombadillo]

Tol-kine, that's it.

[Narnangol]

Originally Posted by Bom Tombadillo

Tol-kine, that's it.

TOLKINE? I am sure that's not the way to say it.

[Mithalwen]

I am fairly sure it is Toll-keen though until I heard the radio adaptation I thought it was Tol-key-enn. A good clue is his nickname was Tollers not Tolkers.

However I must admit in my desire to get to the stories I neglected the pronunciation guides and it took a very long time to overwrite Sore-on and Seleborn and even when the blessed BBC version cured those, I am still not a hundred percent on Kir-dan - he was Sir Dan for too long...

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

However I must admit in my desire to get to the stories I neglected the pronunciation guides and it took a very long time to overwrite Sore-on and Seleborn and even when the blessed BBC version cured those, I am still not a hundred percent on Kir-dan - he was Sir Dan for too long...

Hehe... same here. I still have half a mind to say Selegorm, Seleborn, Selebrimbor, Selebrain, etc... Also, I read half of the "ch" sounds as hh and the other half as k. It's Bragollahhhh, but Erek. I don't know why.

Though I don't recall ever reading Sauron as Soron.

[Narnangol]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Though I don't recall ever reading Sauron as Soron.

Me neither. That's why it baffled me all the more when I first heard it.

Once I got my head around the hard C the Cel- names were never a problem, but for me as well, Sir Dan refuses to leave.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Narnangol

Hahahaha! Well, the place a person's from does seem to have an effect. Most people I know say Tolkin/ken but the prevalent pronunciation across the pond seems to be Tolkeeyen/Tolkeen. Is that right?

I can't say for sure about North America, since the only people that know about Tolkien that I've met are Russian. ( ) I can say that where I'm originally from (which is Russia, and I think that some other European countries near by might also be included) he's known as Tolkeeyen.

Tolkayn sounds like cocaine. Me no like that.