Sir Gawain--how to pronouce?

[strider]

Is it Gah-Wayne or is it Gah-win? Or is the first syllable Gae (long A)??

G like grape or G like general?

Thanks!

[Blueridge]

Is it Gah-Wayne...

That's the way we say it, accent on the second syllable. I also heard it pronounced that way in a cheesy Middle Ages movie once so that makes it official. :D

[MBM]

That would depend if you're *hoity-toity* or a *straw-chewin' ol' fellow takin' a tour of the crocodile farm.* Sorry! I couldn't resist. Abbeyej's comment about how to pronounce *Tours* in the General Forum had me laughing all day.

:D

To answer your question, I say Guh-wayne, but apparently there are a few ways to correctly pronounce it.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gawain

[Laurie4b]

Dh says it's Gowan, accent on the first syllable (which rhymes with cow)

[Julie in MN]

Is it Gah-Wayne or is it Gah-win? Or is the first syllable Gae (long A)??

G like grape or G like general?

Thanks!

Dictionary.com says it's Gah-win, and you can listen to their pronunciation by clicking on the little loudspeaker.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Gawain

[strider]

Dictionary.com says it's Gah-win, and you can listen to their pronunciation by clicking on the little loudspeaker.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Gawain

What a nifty tool!

[strider]

Thanks everyone. We're going with Gah-win. I'm a bit relieved, as saying Gah-wayne brought some of my unpleasant Texan relatives to mind. (Nothing against Texans in general, just against obnoxious relatives. ;))

[Spy Car]

I ran into this years back, and read an long explanation by a highly literate Welsh speaker/writer who explained it was one syllable with a g/w "blend".

Like "Wayne" but with a GW: Gwayne.

Not the way I ever said it, but I was convinced. I wish I could find this explanation again.

Bill

[Melora in NC]

Excellent -- thank you! But if you scroll down past the first pronunciation, it gives the Gah-wayne' pronunciation as well (which is how I've always said it, only because that's how my daddy said it when he read The Once and Future King aloud).

[Karin]

I ran into this years back, and read an long explanation by a highly literate Welsh speaker/writer who explained it was one syllable with a g/w "blend".

Like "Wayne" but with a GW: Gwayne.

Not the way I ever said it, but I was convinced. I wish I could find this explanation again.

Bill

Interesting, and that makes sense coming from a Welsh speaker, now that I think about it. I hadn't spent much time thinking about Gawain, but I still am waiting for Americans to pronounce the name Leif so that it rhymes with waif. It is NOT a homophone with leaf. Even SWB has this wrong in the edition of SOTW we have. (Leif Erikson, of course, although most people want to spell it Ericson, as in the son of Erik the Red--"Eric" comes from Erich, but the Norse tend to use Erik :))

[Spy Car]

Excellent -- thank you! But if you scroll down past the first pronunciation, it gives the Gah-wayne' pronunciation as well (which is how I've always said it, only because that's how my daddy said it when he read The Once and Future King aloud).

But that is 2 syllables. Gah-wayne.

Where the Welsh speaker said it was one syllable with G and W forming a "blend." Gwayne. A subtle difference, but a difference none-the-less.

Bill

[Karin]

But that is 2 syllables. Gah-wayne.

Where the Welsh speaker said it was one syllable with G and W forming a "blend." Gwayne. A subtle difference, but a difference none-the-less.

Bill

Probably some people just couldn't get it as one syllable. I've lived in a place in the US where people say names such as Bjorn with 2 syllables (they say Beeyorn once they learn that the j is a y). I also meet many Americans who don't think that they can say the J in Jean the way the French do (similar to John, but with a different sound to the J), but they do it almost exactly correctly all the time in words such as treasure and pleasure. Dh's background is Norwegian & my mother's is Icelandic, so this is why you see me bringing up the Norse names as examples.

[Melora in NC]

Ahh! Now I think I have it! "Gwayne" I can do. We are coming up on the King Arthur stories, so I will try to remember that.

[Spy Car]

Probably some people just couldn't get it as one syllable. I've lived in a place in the US where people say names such as Bjorn with 2 syllables (they say Beeyorn once they learn that the j is a y). I also meet many Americans who don't think that they can say the J in Jean the way the French do (similar to John, but with a different sound to the J), but they do it almost exactly correctly all the time in words such as treasure and pleasure. Dh's background is Norwegian & my mother's is Icelandic, so this is why you see me bringing up the Norse names as examples.

I will consult you when we get to the Nordic stories. :001_smile:

And the spelling of Gawain isn't much help to English speakers, as who would get "Gwayne" from that. I will say I was convinced by the impressive explanation this Welch speaker gave on a literay forum, and I just wish I could find it again.

Bill

[Julie in MN]

Excellent -- thank you! But if you scroll down past the first pronunciation, it gives the Gah-wayne' pronunciation as well (which is how I've always said it, only because that's how my daddy said it when he read The Once and Future King aloud).

Ah, good catch!

[Spy Car]

Ah, good catch!

See post #11 :D

[elegantlion]

I say Gwain with one syllable. And can not helping but think about Gwain's word, Gwain's word on Between the Lions every time I say it. :lol:

[Spy Car]

I And can not helping but think about Gwain's word, Gwain's word on Between the Lions every time I say it. :lol:

Huh. I always think: GWAYNE'S WORLD! GWAYNE'S WORLD!!! :lol:

Bill

[Laura Corin]

In Britain, but I'm not Welsh.

Laura

[Julie in MN]

See post #11 :D

Ah, yes, but I wouldn't even *presume* to enter into the part of the conversation that referenced authentic Welsh speakers... You studious Latin language types intimidate me. :lol:

[Shawna in Texas]

I ran into this years back, and read an long explanation by a highly literate Welsh speaker/writer who explained it was one syllable with a g/w "blend".

Like "Wayne" but with a GW: Gwayne.

Not the way I ever said it, but I was convinced. I wish I could find this explanation again.

Bill

When dd was little we used to watch Between the Lions and I pronounce it Gwayne because of the Gawain's Word skit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWk9AZ11Bys).

ETA--Elegantlion, I shoulda kept on reading.

[Spy Car]

When dd was little we used to watch Between the Lions and I pronounce it Gwayne because of the Gawain's Word skit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWk9AZ11Bys).

ETA--Elegantlion, I shoulda kept on reading.

I'm glad you didn't because I had no idea what she was talking about :D

And Julie can stop being intimidated knowing our knowledge comes from You Tube videos :tongue_smilie:

Bill

[melissaL]

I ran into this years back, and read an long explanation by a highly literate Welsh speaker/writer who explained it was one syllable with a g/w "blend".

Like "Wayne" but with a GW: Gwayne.

Not the way I ever said it, but I was convinced. I wish I could find this explanation again.

Bill


that is the way I say it.

[elegantlion]

When dd was little we used to watch Between the Lions and I pronounce it Gwayne because of the Gawain's Word skit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWk9AZ11Bys).

ETA--Elegantlion, I shoulda kept on reading.

Some songs never leave your head. :D

[Karin]

In Britain, but I'm not Welsh.

Laura


One of the things about Britain is that there are so many different accents that it makes it a bit easier to be authentic, doesn't it? Gwayne, Guh-wayne. Since none of us lived back when this tale is set, one could argue that none of us really knows how to pronounce it :). This part of New England is the same way; almost every single town & city has its own accent. Since my favourite high school teacher is Welsh, I'll go with Gwayne for now, since I've decided to choose this arbitrarily. Now, the Norse I have some backing for, since the Icelanders still speak a language very close to what Norwegian was 1000 years ago (perhaps an arbitrary reason as well;)).

[Jugglin'5]

Dh says it's Gowan, accent on the first syllable (which rhymes with cow)


That's how my high school Brit Lit teacher pronounced it, too; so that is how I've been saying it.

[newbie]

I'm glad you didn't because I had no idea what she was talking about :D

And Julie can stop being intimidated knowing our knowledge comes from You Tube videos :tongue_smilie:

Bill

And here I thought you were a mega-educated dude. Well, time to check out you tube.