Pronunciation Guide

The question I am most frequently asked seems to be “How do you pronounce Lothere?” And the answer is “Incorrectly.” So don’t feel bad if you have been pronouncing a lot of these characters’ names wrong. In the back of my mind I am familiar with the proper pronunciations, but I still pronounce them incorrectly with gay abandon most of the time.

Below is a table of the more common names that appear in the story. I give the correct, circa Eleventh Century pronunciation—to the best of my knowledge—as well as the pronunciation I really use, where it’s different. And it’s often different.  

You can click on a column header to sort the table by that column.

Name	Origin	Prounciation	Author’s pronunciation
Name	Origin	Prounciation	Author’s pronunciation
Addonwy	Welsh	a-​THON-​wee (th as in there)	ATH-​on-​wee
Aed (Áed)	Gaelic	AWD	AYD or EED
Aelfden (Ælfden)	Anglo-​Saxon	ALV-​den (A as in hat)	ELF-​den
Aengus (Áengus)	Gaelic	EHN-​gus
Aefen (Ǣfen)	Anglo-​Saxon	EHV-​en	AY-​fen
Aering (Ǣring)	Anglo-​Saxon	EHR-​ing
Affrais	Welsh	AF-​rice (rhymes with nice)	af-​FRAY-​is
Aia (Aía)	Elven	EYE-​yuh
Aibinn (Aíbinn)	Gaelic	EE-​veen
Aileann	Gaelic	AY-​leen (AY rhymes with day)	EYE-​leen
Alred	Anglo-​Saxon	ALL-​red	AL-​red (al rhymes with pal)
Alwy	Anglo-​Saxon	ALL-​wih	AL-​wee
Angharat	Welsh	an-​GAR-​at	ANG-​ar-​at
Anshé (“Seven”)	Elven	an-​SHAY
Anson	Anglo-​Saxon	ON-​sun	AN-​sun
Athelis (Aðelis)	Anglo-​Saxon	ATH-​uh-​liss	ath-​EL-​iss
Bedwig	Anglo-​Saxon	BED-​wee	BED-​wig
Ben Muman	Gaelic	BEN VOON
Brandt	Germanic	BRAWNDT	BRANDT (a as in man)
Brede	Anglo-​Saxon	BRAY-​duh
Brinstan	Anglo-​Saxon	BRIN-​stun
Britamund	Anglo-​Saxon	BRIT-​uh-​moond
Brude	Pictish	BROO-​duh	BROOD
Brunhilde	Germanic	broon-​HIL-​duh
Caedwulf (Cædwulf)	Anglo-​Saxon	CAD-​wulf	CAYD-​wulf
Carn Liath	Gaelic	KARN LEE-​uh
Catan	Gaelic	like English cotton	CAT-​un (not COT-​un)
Cathal	Gaelic	KAW-​hul
Cearball	Gaelic	KYAR-​bull or KYAR-​vull
Cenwulf	Anglo-​Saxon	KEN-​wulf
Cedric (typo for Cerdic  )	Anglo-​Saxon	KED-​rich	SED-​rik
Ceinnselaigh	Gaelic	KIN-​seh-​lay or KIN-​slay
Cian	Gaelic	KEE-​un
Cild	Anglo-​Saxon	like English chilled
Cinaed (Cináed)	Gaelic	KIN-​awd
Colban (Colbán)	Gaelic	kole-​BAWN	KOLE-​bun
Colburga	Germanic	kol-​BURG-​uh	kole-​BURG-​uh
Colin (Cuilén)	Gaelic	KUL-​ayn	KOL-​inn
Comgeall	Gaelic	KOM-​yall
Condal	Gaelic	KON-​dul
Congal	Gaelic	KON-​gul
Conrad	Germanic	KON-​rad
Cynan	Welsh	KOO-​nun	KYE-​nun
Cynemaer (Cynemær)	Anglo-​Saxon	KOON-​eh-​mar (OO as in German grün)	KIN-​eh-​mar
Cynewulf	Anglo-​Saxon	KOON-​eh-​wulf (OO as in German grün)	KIN-​eh-​wulf
Daeglan (Dæglan)	Anglo-​Saxon	DAG-​lun
Dana	Celtic	DAN-​uh (like manna)
Dasi (Dasí)	Elven	dah-​SEE	DAH-​zee
Dartesas (Dartésas)	Elven	dar-​TAY-​suhs
Derbail (Derbáil)	Gaelic	DER-​ball
Diarmait	Gaelic	JAR-​mit	DYAR-​mit
Domnall	Gaelic	DON-​ul
Donnchad	Gaelic	DON-​chad (ch as in Scottish loch)
Drage	Danish	DRAW-​guh	DRAG-​uh
Dre (Dré)	Elven	DRAY
Druze (Drúz)	Elven	DROOZ
Eadgith (Eadgið)	Anglo-​Saxon	EAD-​yith (ea as in pear)	EED-​gith
Eadred	Anglo-​Saxon	EAD-​red	AD-​red
Eadwyn	Anglo-​Saxon	EAD-​win	ED-​win
Ealstan	Anglo-​Saxon	EAL-​stan
Editha (Ediða)	Anglo-​Saxon	ED-​ith-​uh
Edris	Anglo-​Saxon	ED-​riss
Egelric	Anglo-​Saxon	EH-​yel-​rich	EH-​gull-​rick
Eirik	Norse	AY-​rick
Eithne	Gaelic	EN-​yuh
Elfleda	Anglo-​Saxon	ELV-​led-​uh	elf-​LAY-​duh
Eochaid	Anglo-​Saxon	YOH-​chad (ch as in Scottish loch)
Eohric	Anglo-​Saxon	YOR-​ich	YOR-​ik
Ete	Gaelic	EH-​tuh
Ethelmund (Eþelmund)	Anglo-​Saxon	ETH-​el-​moond
Ethelwyn (Eþelwyn)	Anglo-​Saxon	ETH-​el-​win
Faelan	Gaelic	FAY-​lawn
Flann	Gaelic	FLAWN	FLANN (rhymes with man)
Ffraid	Welsh	like fried
Gaeth (Gáeth)	Gaelic	GAY
Gaethine (Gáethíne)	Gaelic	guh-​HEEN
Gamle	Norse	GAM-​luh
Gils	Anglo-​Saxon	GILLS
Githa (Giða)	Anglo-​Saxon	YITH-​uh	GITH-​uh
Godefroy	French	go-​deh-​FRAW
Godwine	Anglo-​Saxon	GOD-​win-​uh	GOD-​wine
Gunnora	Norse	goon-​NOR-​uh
Guthrun	Norse	GOOTH-​roon
Gwynn	Welsh	GWEEN	GWIN
Gytha (Giða)	Anglo-​Saxon	GITH-​uh
Haakon	Norse	HAW-​kun	HAY-​kun
Heafoc	Anglo-​Saxon	HEAV-​ok (ea as in pear)	HAF-​uk
Hedwige	Germanic	HED-​vee-​yuh	HED-​veej
Hila (Híla)	Elven	HEE-​luh
Hogge	Anglo-​Saxon	HOG-​guh	HOG
Imin (Ímín)	Elven	EE-​meen	ee-​MEEN
Ilal	Elven	IL-​al	il-​AL
ingen (“daughter of”)	Gaelic	IN-​yun
ingen Aoidhe (“daughter of Aed”)	Gaelic	IN-​yun OO-​yuh
Iylaina (Ílléna)	Elven	ee-​LYANE-​uh
Iylaine	Elven/​English	ee-​LANE
Kia (Kía)	Elven	KEE-​uh
Kiv (Kív)	Elven	KEEV
Kraaia	Flemish	KRAH-​ya	CRY-​uh
Kuntigern	Anglo-​Saxon	KUNT-​ih-​yern	KUNT-​ih-​gern
Lasrua (Lasrúa)	Elven	lass-​ROO-​uh	laz-​ROO-​uh
Lathir	Gaelic	LAH-​heer
Lena (Léna)	Elven	LAY-​nuh
Leof	Anglo-​Saxon	LYOF
Leofgith (Leofgið)	Anglo-​Saxon	LYOV-​yith	LYOF-​gith
Leofric	Anglo-​Saxon	LYOV-​rich	LYOF-​rick
Leila	Arabic	LAY-​luh
Llen (Llén)	Elven	LYANE	LANE
Liadan (Líadan)	Gaelic	LEE-​uh-​dun
Lothere (Hlóþere)	Anglo-​Saxon	LOW-​thuh-​ruh	LOTH-​here
Luitgarde	Germanic	LOOIT-​gar-​duh
Madra	Elven	MAH-​dra
Mae (Mǽ)	Anglo-​Saxon	MEH
Mael Muad (Máel Muad)	Gaelic	MAL MOO-​ud
Maire (Máire)	Gaelic	MAW-​ruh
Malcolm (Máel Coluim)	Gaelic	MAL-​KOL-​um	MAL-​kum
Malo (Machlou)	Breton	MAL-​oh or MACH-​loo (ch as in Scottish loch)	MAL-​oh
Mash	Elven	MAWSH	rhymes with smash
Maud	Anglo-​Saxon	MAWD
Murchad	Gaelic	MOOR-​chad (ch as in Scottish loch)
Myrddin	Welsh	MOOR-​thin (th as in then)	MUR-​thin
Naedre (Nædre)	Anglo-​Saxon	NAD-​ruh
Natanleod	Anglo-​Saxon	NAT-​an-​lyod
Nimea		nim-​AY-​uh
Nothelm (Noþhelm)	Anglo-​Saxon	NOTH-​helm	NOT-​helm
Oenucan (Óenucán)	Gaelic	OH-​nuh-​CAWN
Ogive	French	oh-​JEEV	OH-​jeev
Orlaith (Órlaith)	Gaelic	OR-​lay
Osfrey	Anglo-​Saxon	OZ-​fray	OSS-​fray
Osh (Ósh)	Elven	OSH (long O as in rose)
Osric	Anglo-​Saxon	OZ-​rich	OZ-​rick
Oswald	Anglo-​Saxon	OZ-​wald
Peleia	Greek	peh-​LAY-​ah
Pol (Pól)	Elven	like pole
Raegan (Rǽgan)	Anglo-​Saxon	REH-​gun
Raegiming (Rægiming)	Anglo-​Saxon	RAG-​ih-​ming
Ragnhild	Norse	RAGN-​hild
Ramsaa	Norse	RAM-​saw
Ris (Rís)	Elven	REES
Sadb	Gaelic	SIVE (rhymes with five)
Saralla	Elven	sar-​AL-​ya
Saeward (Sǽward)	Anglo-​Saxon	SEH-​ward	SAY-​ward
Sebdann	Gaelic	SEV-​awn
Sebright	Anglo-​Saxon	SEB-​richt (ch as in Scottish loch)	SEE-​brite
Seigine (Séigíne)	Gaelic	SHAYN
Sela (Séla)	Elven	SAY-​luh	SEE-​luh
Selle	Anglo-​Saxon	SELL-​luh
Selwyn	Anglo-​Saxon	SELL-​win
Shosudin (Shósúdín)	Elven	sho-​SOO-​deen
Shus (Shús)	Elven	SHOOS
Sigebert	Anglo-​Saxon	SEE-​yuh-​bert	SIG-​uh-​bert
Sigefrith (Sigefrið)	Anglo-​Saxon	SEE-​yuh-​frith	SIG-​frith
Sina (Sína)	Elven	SEE-​nuh
Stein	Norse	STAYN (ei is pronounced as in Eirik)	STINE (rhymes with mine)
Surr (Súrr)	Elven	SOOR (r like in French)	like sir
Synne	Anglo-​Saxon	SOON-​nyuh (like German grün)	SIN-​uh
Theobald (Þeobald)	Anglo-​Saxon	THAY-​oh-​bald	THEE-​oh-​bald
Tidraed (Tidræd)	Anglo-​Saxon	TID-​rad	TID-​rade
Tryggve	Norse	TRIG-​gwuh	TRIG-​vuh
Tuathal	Gaelic	TOO-​ah-​hal
Uallach	Gaelic	OO-​ah-​lach (ch as in Scottish loch)
Vash	Elven	VAWSH	rhymes with smash
Waerburh (Wærburh)	Anglo-​Saxon	WARR-​burch (ch as in Scottish loch)	WARE-​burr
Wendelbeorth (Wendelbeorþ)	Anglo-​Saxon	WEN-​dul-​byorth
Wulsy	Anglo-​Saxon	WOOL-​zee
Wynflaed (Wynflæd)	Anglo-​Saxon	WIN-​vlad (rhymes with bad)	WIN-​flade (rhymes with blade)
Wynna	Anglo-​Saxon	WIN-​nuh
Yusuf	Arabic	YOO-​soof
Yware	Anglo-​Saxon (from Norse Yvar)	ih-​WAR-​uh	ee-​WARE