The Deryni FAQ (including pronunciation guides)

[drakensis]

I hadn't noticed (although it is cited above) until watching a youtube video about medieval wales that the dd at the end of Gwynedd is pronounced as a th.

That's going to be a hard habit to break.

[DoctorM]

I hadn't noticed (although it is cited above) until watching a youtube video about medieval wales that the dd at the end of Gwynedd is pronounced as a th.

That's going to be a hard habit to break.

Just put it down to local dialect and go with a "th" or a "d" at your pleasure.

[revanne]

dd is pronounced th in Welsh - at least its easier on English speakers than the Welsh ll which is like the ch in loch.

[DoctorM]

dd is pronounced th in Welsh - at least its easier on English speakers than the Welsh ll which is like the ch in loch.

So the correct pronunciation of Llannedd would be something like "Ch'an-eth?

That's...well...almost disturbing.

[Nezz]

So the correct pronunciation of Llannedd would be something like "Ch'an-eth?

That's...well...almost disturbing.

To pronounce the Welsh "LL," form your tongue like you're going to make the American LL sound, but then breathe out both side of your tongue while you make the sound, so you're making a sound that's a cross between "ll" and "h." It's very breathy with only the barest hint of the "L" sound.

[DoctorM]

So the correct pronunciation of Llannedd would be something like "Ch'an-eth?

That's...well...almost disturbing.

And now I'll be up all night practicing this in the mirror.

To pronounce the Welsh "LL," form your tongue like you're going to make the American LL sound, but then breathe out both side of your tongue while you make the sound, so you're making a sound that's a cross between "ll" and "h." It's very breathy with only the barest hint of the "L" sound.

[drakensis]

Did anyone ever tell the welsh that spelling is supposed to be phonetic?   

[tmcd]

Did anyone ever tell the English that spelling is supposed to be phonetic? People writing in English have absolutely no stones to throw; we're living in the Crystal Palace.

[Avisa]

In its way, Welsh really is phonetic, more so than English! It just has very different orthography. Once you know the rules, things are pretty straightforward, unlike in English where things zigzag all over the place thanks to way too many languages sticking their fingers into the vocabulary.

[Raksha the Demon]

There is an important lady in the geniology list (she is not in one of the novels yet but I suspect she might make an apperance in Road to Killingford).
King Cluim Haldane, son of Uthyr Haldane, is married to Lady Swynbeth, daughter of Tammaron Duke of Cassan.  She is important because she brings the liniage of Camber into the Haldane family tree.

I believe their pronunciations are:
Cluim = Kloom or Kloo-im
Swynbeth =
Swyn Origin and Meaning
The name Swyn is a Welsh girl's name meaning "charm, magic spell".
Which leads me to believe she carries some of those Deryni traits. but how to pronounce it? Certainly NOT "Swine" LOL.  The computer says Swe-in-beth, and Soo-in-beth, I wanted to pronounce is Sv-ien-beth.

Is there definitely going to be a Road to Killingford?  Would love to read another Deryni book...

[Evie]

There is an important lady in the geniology list (she is not in one of the novels yet but I suspect she might make an apperance in Road to Killingford).
King Cluim Haldane, son of Uthyr Haldane, is married to Lady Swynbeth, daughter of Tammaron Duke of Cassan.  She is important because she brings the liniage of Camber into the Haldane family tree.

I believe their pronunciations are:
Cluim = Kloom or Kloo-im
Swynbeth =
Swyn Origin and Meaning
The name Swyn is a Welsh girl's name meaning "charm, magic spell".
Which leads me to believe she carries some of those Deryni traits. but how to pronounce it? Certainly NOT "Swine" LOL.  The computer says Swe-in-beth, and Soo-in-beth, I wanted to pronounce is Sv-ien-beth.

Is there definitely going to be a Road to Killingford?  Would love to read another Deryni book...

KK had started working it a a while back, but then she had a lot of life stuff happen since then (her husband's and mother's deaths, downsizing and moving to a new home, two knee replacement surgeries, etc.), so I don't know if she has had the time or energy to work on it recently.

[Raksha the Demon]

There is an important lady in the geniology list (she is not in one of the novels yet but I suspect she might make an apperance in Road to Killingford).
King Cluim Haldane, son of Uthyr Haldane, is married to Lady Swynbeth, daughter of Tammaron Duke of Cassan.  She is important because she brings the liniage of Camber into the Haldane family tree.

I believe their pronunciations are:
Cluim = Kloom or Kloo-im
Swynbeth =
Swyn Origin and Meaning
The name Swyn is a Welsh girl's name meaning "charm, magic spell".
Which leads me to believe she carries some of those Deryni traits. but how to pronounce it? Certainly NOT "Swine" LOL.  The computer says Swe-in-beth, and Soo-in-beth, I wanted to pronounce is Sv-ien-beth.

Is there definitely going to be a Road to Killingford?  Would love to read another Deryni book...

KK had started working it a a while back, but then she had a lot of life stuff happen since then (her husband's and mother's deaths, downsizing and moving to a new home, two knee replacement surgeries, etc.), so I don't know if she has had the time or energy to work on it recently.

I will keep hoping.  I think KK is only a bit older than I am, so I am feeling the knee problems and I've been through downsizing and it's all draining (not to mention deaths in the family).  I can only hope she will get back to to the book...

[Piedro Aillard]

dd is pronounced th in Welsh - at least its easier on English speakers than the Welsh ll which is like the ch in loch.

So the correct pronunciation of Llannedd would be something like "Ch'an-eth?

That's...well...almost disturbing.

No. LL in Welsh is not supposed to be pronounced like the CH in loch, not at all. It's more like HLL, so that you breath out from both sides of the tongue while pronouncing a long L sound. So Hllann-eth.

[Piedro Aillard]

There is an important lady in the geniology list (she is not in one of the novels yet but I suspect she might make an apperance in Road to Killingford).
King Cluim Haldane, son of Uthyr Haldane, is married to Lady Swynbeth, daughter of Tammaron Duke of Cassan.  She is important because she brings the liniage of Camber into the Haldane family tree.

I believe their pronunciations are:
Cluim = Kloom or Kloo-im
Swynbeth =
Swyn Origin and Meaning
The name Swyn is a Welsh girl's name meaning "charm, magic spell".
Which leads me to believe she carries some of those Deryni traits. but how to pronounce it? Certainly NOT "Swine" LOL.  The computer says Swe-in-beth, and Soo-in-beth, I wanted to pronounce is Sv-ien-beth.

To me Swynbeth sounds more or less Welsh. In Welsh W is pronounced OO, as in soon. So Swynbeth would be SOOIN-beth. And yes, in English that would be swin to rhyme with swim. Like in the English town name Swindon, or in the surname Swinton.

[Piedro Aillard]

Did anyone ever tell the English that spelling is supposed to be phonetic? People writing in English have absolutely no stones to throw; we're living in the Crystal Palace.

Chrystal Palace is really a very apt analogue. Something that was built somewhere, then torn down to be rebuilt in a totally different place and THEN destroyed in a flaming inferno and even the remaining ruins later demolished so that nothing of it remains to be seen today. That's the amount of phoneticity in the English language.