How to Say Rakshasa

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AuthorTopic: How to Say Rakshasa
Kelandon
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
 written Friday, July 30 2004 09:32 Profile Homepage #25
quote:
Originally written by Robin:
When I first saw the word back when I was about ten, my first impression was vah-HA-na-tee, so that's what I've been calling them ever since.
So THAT'S why no one can spell the word properly! People are inserting an A after the H! I could never figure out what was wrong.

I pronounce it VAH-nah-tie. In English, the letter combination "ai" never makes the long "ee" sound.

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Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00
+rosycat</b>
Infiltrator
Member # 4389
 written Friday, July 30 2004 10:24 Profile Homepage #26
saem as kel yo

No, I don't see how anybody can prounounce the 'ai' ee. Name one single instance where it's used that way.

Uh. 3:20 PM here and I'm still not dressed. Christ, holidays are bad for you.

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Posts: 407 | Registered: Friday, May 14 2004 07:00
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Friday, July 30 2004 13:26 Profile Homepage #27
For me, it's slith-zer-ih-KAI. The first syllable has a moderate stress, the last syllable is heavily stressed and rhymes with eye.

When the word vahnatai is used as an adjective, I pronounce it like Kel. When it's a noun, I stress the last syllable instead of the first. There is no good explanation.

—Alorael, who actually pronounces both words on a very infrequent occasion. Since he doesn't think in spoken sounds and rarely has to speak those words aloud, it's not an issue that has caused many sleepless nights.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Nicothodes
Lifecrafter
Member # 4682
 written Friday, July 30 2004 13:29 Profile #28
I pronounce vahnatai the way Kelandon does.

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Arancaytar
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
 written Friday, July 30 2004 14:12 Profile Homepage #29
Same for me, Alo. I also stress Vah-Nah-TIE on the last syllable.

I think it has something to do with them ending in a vowel, but I'm not sure.

Edit: Didn't read Alo's post that closely before, but it's exactly the way I do it. The VahnaTAI, but a VAHnatai town.

[ Friday, July 30, 2004 14:34: Message edited by: Arancaytar ]

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Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00
Zephyr Tempest
Guardian
Member # 2339
 written Friday, July 30 2004 14:16 Profile #30
This is how I pronounce them:

Rohk-shaw-(suh)

Slith-zair-ih-(kye)

Vuh-noh-(tye) When I first saw it was "tee", not (tye) when I pronounced it, IIRC.

Italic words=pronounced quickly.

()=Slightly quieter than the rest of the syllables.

Bold words=Slightly louder than the rest of the syllables.

[ Friday, July 30, 2004 14:17: Message edited by: Zephyr Tempest ]

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Posts: 1779 | Registered: Monday, December 9 2002 08:00
Custer
Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
 written Friday, July 30 2004 15:14 Profile Homepage #31
quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

While we're talking about pronunciations of strange Exile/Avernum words, I was wondering where people put the stress on "slithzerikai." I put it on the second syllable, personally, sounding like slith-ZER-ih-kye.

I'm writing slith poems in iambic pentameter (don't ask), which is why it matters.
Slith -- like 'sith' only with an extra L
ZAIR -- like 'hair' only with a Z
ih -- like 'gibbon' only without all of the other letters
kai -- 'k' as in 'kill' and 'ai' as in 'ai yay yay', not as in 'hey' or 'eva'

Before you ask:

NEHF -- like 'left', only without the T and substitute N for L
ill -- like sickness
im -- like 'him' only without the h

VAH
nuh -- like 'vannah', the name, and NOT like 'ivana' or 'Vons'
tie -- like the thing you wear around your neck which is not a noose or a seabird

[ Friday, July 30, 2004 15:21: Message edited by: Ultimate Weapon Custer ]

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Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00
bogus standard candidate
Infiltrator
Member # 4592
 written Friday, July 30 2004 23:10 Profile #32
Is there a reason for the "h" in Vahnatai, Ihrno, Mahr-Tel, etc?
Is that "h" in their names because the vowel before them has a different sound? Maybe shorter, longer, accented, etc?

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Posts: 604 | Registered: Sunday, June 20 2004 07:00
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Infiltrator
Member # 4389
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 08:24 Profile Homepage #33
It makes the sound softer and the vowel longer.

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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 10:37 Profile Homepage #34
Without an H, I would pronounce it like the A in cat. With an H, it comes out as the A in far.

—Alorael, who pronounces nephilim as the dictionary recommends. It's a real world word too, although you might need a Biblical Hebrew dictionary to find it.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
spy-there
Agent
Member # 1993
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 11:08 Profile #35
I don't pronounce them. I only push the mouse button. v_v

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Posts: 1420 | Registered: Wednesday, October 2 2002 07:00
Stugri-La
Guardian
Member # 3521
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 11:47 Profile #36
quote:
Originally written by Lady Davida:

Rawk-SHAW-suh

EDIT: Or maybe you're right, Kel. But the accent is definitely in the middle.
Incorrect. The accent is on the first syllable. I should know- the term rakshasa applies to demons in Hindu mythology.

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Stughalf

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Posts: 1798 | Registered: Sunday, October 5 2003 07:00
Arancaytar
Law Bringer
Member # 2984
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 15:41 Profile Homepage #37
The term "copycats" gets a new meaning when you consider Jeff pulled *both* the Nephilim and the Rakshasa out of real world mythology. :P

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Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00
Garrison
Agent
Member # 2820
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 17:16 Profile #38
The word Nephil does derive from something cat related.

But Jeff did say somewhere that he wanted to distance himself as far as possible away from Tolkienish and classic phantasy creations. You'd never find a bonified Dwarf in any of his games. I don't think there were elves at all, either.

The Vahnatai were somewhat original, although they are very similar to the greys and Zeta Reticula aliens that many people love to think about.

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Posts: 1415 | Registered: Thursday, March 27 2003 08:00
spy-there
Agent
Member # 1993
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 17:30 Profile #39
quote:
—Alorael, who pronounces nephilim as the dictionary recommends. It's a real world word too, although you might need a Biblical Hebrew dictionary to find it.
Keep, I don't think, Nephilims are cat related, I never found cats in the bible. They might be kind of avatars or fallen angels, more in human shape.

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Posts: 1420 | Registered: Wednesday, October 2 2002 07:00
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 17:57 Profile Homepage #40
The Bible never really explains what they are. One common opinion is giants. Another is that they're just big, tough guys. Then there's the ever-popular theory that they're fallen angels or angels' offspring.

In fact, given the dearth of clear explanation, they could be nimble humanoid felines. Jeff is a prophet with an inside line to God!

—Alorael, who will drool and worship for a while now in a skribbane-fueled orgy of religious ecstasy.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Custer
Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
 written Saturday, July 31 2004 18:34 Profile Homepage #41
quote:
Originally written by Wholly Halfhearted:

quote:
Originally written by Lady Davida:

Rawk-SHAW-suh

EDIT: Or maybe you're right, Kel. But the accent is definitely in the middle.
Incorrect. The accent is on the first syllable. I should know- the term rakshasa applies to demons in Hindu mythology.
How does 'Rakshasa' sound in its native language, then? I imagine the accent being on the second syllable because it's just more potent that way in english.

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Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00
Sadako
Warrior
Member # 37
 written Wednesday, August 4 2004 19:29 Profile #42
I pronounce them:

Rhak' SHAH" suh,
Slith' ZEHR" eh kee,
Vah' NAH" tee.

There's my 2gp. Do carry on.

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Posts: 179 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Sir David
Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
 written Wednesday, August 4 2004 19:41 Profile #43
Rahk-SHAH-suh

Slith-ZER-ih-kye

VAH-nah-tie (although I always misread it as Vah-HAWN-tee)

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Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00
Sturg
Master
Member # 4614
 written Thursday, August 5 2004 10:20 Profile Homepage #44
slith-ZUR-key. A little different.

Either vah-NAT-ee or VAH-nah-tie. Depends on situation.

NEF-u-lum. Strange or not, I'm not sure.

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Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00
StD
Infiltrator
Member # 1877
 written Wednesday, August 11 2004 04:21 Profile #45
OMG!!11!one 42 people has voted!!11 That must be a sign11!!!1oneoneoneoneoneoneoneone

My pronouncing of Vanawkfkjeifhnigneg has raged from Vanatahi to Vanatai to Vatanai etc. Never really got it right...

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Posts: 662 | Registered: Friday, September 13 2002 07:00
The Almighty Doer of Stuff
Shaper
Member # 73
 written Wednesday, August 11 2004 05:08 Profile #46
quote:
Originally written by Alorael:

Since he doesn't think in spoken sounds and rarely has to speak those words aloud, it's not an issue that has caused many sleepless nights.
You don't think in spoken sounds? I thought everyone did. I do.
EDIT: Unless you mean thinking aloud, of course.

HAO DO U PRUNAONS ALIEN BEAST?!

[ Wednesday, August 11, 2004 05:10: Message edited by: The Almighty Doer of Stuff ]

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Posts: 2957 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00
Wise Man
Master
Member # 1046
 written Wednesday, August 11 2004 06:19 Profile Homepage #47
"I-serve-only-the-Wise-throne."

:P

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Posts: 3323 | Registered: Thursday, April 25 2002 07:00
Garrison
Agent
Member # 2820
 written Wednesday, August 11 2004 06:35 Profile #48
I think it is time for an official verdict:

Rakshasa: 'Rok-shä-suh
Slithzerikai: 'Slith-zər-i-,kī
Vahnatai: 'Vah-nah-tī

Alien Beast: Ā-lēen Bēst

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Posts: 1415 | Registered: Thursday, March 27 2003 08:00
Custer
Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
 written Wednesday, August 11 2004 07:32 Profile Homepage #49
Drakey is a silly bugger, but I feel I have to bring it up: when the hell in real life does "ai" make an "ee" sound?

The pronunciation he recommends for both Vahnatai and Slithzerikai is absurd and illogical, and annoying to boot. Have no truck with it.

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