Posted by Douglas Nicholas on January 31, 1998 at 16:55:40:
In Reply to: Re: Say " Ecce ", Please posted by Terry Doyle on January 16, 1998 at 07:20:07:
Vance's names have often bothered me, too. They niggle at your consciousness as you read. For example: Gastel Etzwane. ETS-wain? ets-WA-nay? They have an exoticism that does seem completely unforced, but the dark side is that one is ignorant of the rules of pronunciation of the (imaginary) languages involved.
My vote on the third Demon Prince: VEE-ohl (as in viol, the instrument) fa-LOOSH.
Elementary precaution: don't give public readings of Vance. If you mispronounce, Smade will pitch you into the sea.
Best to all,
Douglas Nicholas
: :
: : : How does one pronounce "Ecce"? I've been reading it as "Eck-uh".
: : Pronunciations generally can be a bit tricky in Vance. Normally you can make a reasonably accurate guess, but I have always been flummoxed by "Lens Larque". Lons Lark? Lens Lark? Lons Larker? Lens Larker? There must be other alternatives too...
: I always figured that Jack liked the *sound* of the language which led me, perhaps erringly to believe that there are few silent letters in a proper noun Vanceanlly constructed.
: This view would be contrasted to Vance loving the way his words *looked* on the page in which case you might find virtually unpronounceable place and person names.
: : "Viole Falushe" has long troubled me too.
: My idosyncratic reading is vee-OH-lah fa-LOOSH.
: Terry