Pronunciation of "Malazan"

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Pronunciation of "Malazan" how does erikson pronounce it?

#1 Arkaic

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 05:34 AM

I've been pronouncing it mu-LAZ-zun, but thinking about how Erikson could pronounce it, I've been wondering about other names and words he may say out loud at book signings and the like.

#2 Illuyankas

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 06:03 AM

I think it's Mal-a-zan.

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#3 worry

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 08:05 AM

I emphasize Mal in my head, similar to the name Salazar I guess. MAL-uh-zahn (the end like Steve Zahn, not a flat zan). Luckily, I never have to say it aloud since nobody I know has read them.

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#4 Traveller

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 10:10 AM

How many ways can there be? Why do yo pronounce it 'mu' when it's 'ma'? It's like that guy a while back who pronounced Anomander as Anom-MUN-der.

I would say it was pronounced as it is spelt, Mal-ah-Zan.

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#5 dktorode

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 10:41 AM

Traveller, on 24 June 2010 - 10:10 AM, said:

This

...┌∩┐(◣_◢)┌∩┐...

Why dont they make the whole plane out of that black box stuff?

#6 Findarato

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 12:02 PM

I put the stress on the first syllable.

And I have more problems as to how I should pronounce 'K'chain Che'Malle' or 'Trygalle'.
The T'lan Imass names I pronounce like they are written, but as no one of us knows their language it may be otherwise...

#7 NikitaDarkstar

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 01:01 PM

Traveller, on 24 June 2010 - 10:10 AM, said:

Same here.

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#8 End of Disc One

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 01:31 PM

Traveller, on 24 June 2010 - 10:10 AM, said:

Hah, I remember that guy. There was also "Duss-em" instead of "Dass-em." I think people from India substitute U's for A's a lot.

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 02:18 PM

Traveller, on 24 June 2010 - 10:10 AM, said:

How many ways can there be? Why do yo pronounce it 'mu' when it's 'ma'?

The sound of a vowel changes depending on whether the containing syllable is stressed or not. Unstressed vowels often come out as an "uh" sound, which is technically named the "schwa".

When I say "Malazan", I stress the first syllable a lot, the last syllable a little, and the middle one not at all. Hence: MAL-uh-zan.

I don't know about this Duss-em guy, but he could just be writing "u" for his unstressed vowels.

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#10 Defiance

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 03:10 PM

I once read that SE pronounces it like "mul-ay-sian" (I blow at phonetics) so of like Malaysia. I could have been drunk/stoned when I read that, though, because I've never seen it since.

Either way, I pronounce it Mal-uh-zan, with the second syllable not stressed at all.

uhm, that should be 'stuff.' My stiff is never nihilistic.
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#11 hmqb

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 06:29 PM

I pronounce it Mal-Uh-Zin

Also for some reason it took me til book 8 to realize I was saying it and thinking of it as Mazalan

This post has been edited by High Mage Quick Ben: 24 June 2010 - 06:30 PM

#12 Harvester

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 09:00 PM

Defiance, on 24 June 2010 - 03:10 PM, said:

You're not alone, but I can't find it either.

#13 HoosierDaddy

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 09:01 PM

We discussed it in the Chicago US meet-up thread.

Evidently we didn't. The fuck? I know we discussed how we all said it differently, must have been in a different thread.

Aha! There's a thread about how you pronounce Malazan names and things somewhere around here. I'll go search....

This post has been edited by H.D.: 24 June 2010 - 09:06 PM

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#14 HoosierDaddy

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 09:08 PM

http://forum.malazan...opic=17370&st=0

Here you go.

#15 Harvester

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 09:34 PM

Hah, thanks.

Bent, on 15 January 2010 - 10:37 PM, said:

I would like to point out, however, that Steve CONFIRMED, that my pronunciation of MALAZAN (muh-lay-zshun...much like malasia, was accurate.)

#16 HoosierDaddy

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 09:34 PM

Keep reading. Mal and Hetan's pronunciations are the official ones, I believe.

#17 ansible

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Posted 24 June 2010 - 10:44 PM

I always enjoyed the glossary with pronunciations at the end of the Wheel of Time books. I remember how much Aes Sedai surprised me. Anyway, I always thought I was pretty good at pronouncing the Malazan words, but I now realize I must be very wrong a lot of the time. An official list would be pretty nice.

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