 |
Word
Pronunciations |
Note: I did not include any deity names because you can fill mega-site's worth of memory simply by doing pantheons! If you have any other words you'd like to see, and if I have the memory, be sure to e-mail me and I will try to put them on here.
Athame: This is one of the first words people have problems with. No, it's not pronounced like "A-frame" even though some other versions are accepted.
Besom: The magickal broom...it can be pronounced with a hard "S" or with a soft "S" ("Z" sound).
Boline: You probably won't hear this one often...some traditions require it, but not always. I've heard it as "Bowl-in" and "Bowl-een."
Celtic: This one's for the girls I saw in Wicks 'n' Sticks and Brentano's Bookstore. It's pronounced with a hard "C" ("Keltic") not "Seltic"! That's the basketball team! *grin*
Coven: Pronounced like "oven" with a "K" sound attached to it, not "Coh-ven."
Deosil: I've heard this one as both, "Day-o-sil" and "Dee-o-sil." For the record, Silver Ravenwolf has it written as being pronounced "Jezz-il"
Esbat: This one has either a hard "S" or a "Z" sound, depending on how you speak.
Qabala (Kaballah, Cabala): Here's another you won't find often unless you're Alexandiran or into Ceremonial Magick. There are many spellings, but they're all pronounced approximately the same.
Sabbat: I threw this one in there for the heck of it. You never know how others will pronounce it, so this is one way.
Sidhe: The Sidhe are a type of faerie...you may see "Beansidhe" as well, but that's the same as "Banshee." Take off the "Bean" (pronounced "Ban") and you have the Sidhe!
Talisman: Pronounced like it's spelled, but I had troubles with this one when I was younger.
Tarot: This is for a girl I know who always pronounced the "T" on the end, even after you repeated the correct form after her. Here's to you, Em!
Widdershins: This is also pronounced like it's spelled, but it can be confusing. It's "Wid-der-shins."
Zephyr: Ah, the West Wind of Greek and Roman myth! This is for 'Manda...it's a name I used a long time ago, too!
Holidays: In alphabetical order, not chronological order:
Bealtaine: An alternate, not often used pronunciation. You'll find it used like this in Britain more than in America.
Beltane: This is the more popular
spelling and pronunciation found in America. Neither is incorrect.
Imbolc: You may also see Imbolc spelled "Imbolg."
It can either end with the hard "G" sound, the hard "C" sound, or end
silently with the "L" as in "Im-boll." For the record, I've heard others
pronounce it "Eew-milk." (Note: The "Eew-milk"
pronunciation is for the word "Oimelc" which means "milk
of ewes" while "Imbolc" means "in the belly."
Not exactly synonymous by any means, but if you're talking about Imboc
with a bunch of folks and someone throws in Oimelc in there, you're still
talking about the same holiday.)
Lammas: Another, easier word for Lughnasadh!
:) (Note: I've been an idiot and didn't notice the mistake here for
a long darn time..."Litha" is another word for Summer Solstice
or Midsummer! I think I have too many pages to keep up with sometimes!)
Lughnasadh: I've seen this spelled in different
ways, as well. It generally sounds like "Loo-nah-sar" but I've heard it
"Loo-nas-ah." (Note: I heard this from folks in the midwest who also
added an extra "r" sound to a lot of words. My university, for
example, was often called "Warsh U." So...yeah, grain of salt.
I'm just repeating as I heard the majority of people I learned it from
say it. =) )
Mabon: This is generally easy...though it's pronounced
"May-bun" rather than "Mah-boon."
Ostara: Think "Easter" when you pronounce this
one...it's where we get the word "Easter," anyway!
Samhain: This is a common pronunciation, though
you may also hear it as "Sow-een," or "Sah-veen," depending on who you
hear it from.
Yule: Not too hard, but it couldn't be left out!
:)
| BASIC
INFORMATION
|
Again, just because I pronounce a word a certain way does not mean that other variations are not acceptable. The best way to find out pronunciations is to go to local Pagan stores and Gatherings to listen in on how people use the words. Renaissance Faires are also good places to hear people speak. When in doubt, here are a few books with some definitions you may find helpful, too:
|
|
||