More of a linguistics question
- Thread starter bluejester12
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No, you don't use an umlaut. An umlaut is merely a diacritical mark. The way the mark is interpreted depends entirely on the language. So no.
You have a scene early on in the books where Vaderwood is introduced and someone says "So how do you spell that?"
"It's spelled like Darth Vader, but pronouced like fatherhood with a v," or something.
Robert Parker does this all the time with his character Spenser.
You have a scene early on in the books where Vaderwood is introduced and someone says "So how do you spell that?"
"It's spelled like Darth Vader, but pronouced like fatherhood with a v," or something.
Robert Parker does this all the time with his character Spenser.
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Do you mean you want to aspirate the vowel? Or do you mean the vowel sound should sound long? Linguistically, the symbol for a long "arrr" sound (like in "bata" - in Aussie English at least) is:
a:
From rusty memory of my linguistics teachings, your word would look like this linguistically:
va:dəwʊd
...but if you're just trying to get across to the reader that the "a" sounds needs to be more like "arrr", I'd go with Medievalist's approach.
a:
From rusty memory of my linguistics teachings, your word would look like this linguistically:
va:dəwʊd
...but if you're just trying to get across to the reader that the "a" sounds needs to be more like "arrr", I'd go with Medievalist's approach.
Err . . . don't use the IPA, either. Most people don't know it, and there's about five different versions of it.
If it's important, build it into dialogue.
If it's important, build it into dialogue.
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Someone asks "How do you spell 'vodderwood'?"
Or you just don't worry about it. Readers are going to do their own thing anyway.
Or you just don't worry about it. Readers are going to do their own thing anyway.
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I've tried lots of times to control how my readers pronounce things, but it's hard. I suppose you could double the a, making it "Vaaderwood," or put in the h as some have been doing. But at the same time, if you want to keep the root word "vader" then you may be up a creek. 
Mostly I just try to take deep breaths and be okay when somebody pronounces my name Gur-gurne as "gr-grrn" instead of "goor-goornay."
Mostly I just try to take deep breaths and be okay when somebody pronounces my name Gur-gurne as "gr-grrn" instead of "goor-goornay."
Why not just call him Vahderwood?
the characters asking how to say it/saying it wrong thing is a bit gimmicky.
the characters asking how to say it/saying it wrong thing is a bit gimmicky.
You could always spell it using X-SAMPA:
"vA:.d@`.%wUd
Now if only more people could read X-SAMPA...
"vA:.d@`.%wUd
Now if only more people could read X-SAMPA...
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