What did you call that? -- The great SOW debate
The interesting thing about an online, chat type of game like Everquest is that, while we are all immersed in the game and get to know the terminology of the game intimately, we never actually get to hear the names pronounced. Of course, as all the hooked on phonics folks will tell you, even though we are just reading, we are still sounding out the words in our heads. This leads to an interesting, and rather fun clash when a group of Everquest players finally get together in person to discuss their game. Everyone is convinced that the way they pronounce a name or place or phrase is the right way.
The most divided phrase in the game seems to be the most popular as well. When you are shouting for a SOW, are you asking for something that rhymes with Cow or with Tow? Personally, I have always rhymed it with cow. But to my surprise there are a whole load of obviously uninformed people who rhyme it with tow. Go figure. This one debate has practically caused fist fights at the various fan faires.
Other common words also can sound quite odd when you hear others speak them. There may be only 120 or so zones (I lost count), but there are probably a thousand different pronounciations of them. Go ahead and ask your friends how they pronounce such zones as Guk (I personally rhyme it with "luck" but others rhyme it with "luke"), Feerrott, Kelethin, Toxxulia (try changing the emphasis on the syllables and see how the whole word changes), and just about every zone in Kunark (are you really sure you are pronouncing Charasis correctly?). Sounds wierd doesn't it?
It gets even worse when you start to talk about monsters. Do you buy your items in Cabilis from "Cloaks" or "Clocks" or perhaps "Klucks"? And just try to pronounce anything you meet in the Rathe Mountains. Ankhefenmut? Ankhesenaten? Darfumpel Zrubbel? Zazamaharet? Zazaphenebti? There are plenty more like that. Just go through the list and you will find that, with the exception of the orcs, goblins, kobalds and other creatures from myth or literature, there are usually multiple ways you can pronounce each one. The NPC names are even worse. Does anyone really have any idea how to pronounce Lord Doljonijiarnimorinar?
So, taking advantage of the ability to add comments to an article, I figured I would kick off the debate. Below are just a small sampling of words from the game and how I personally pronounce them. Feel free to tell me how wrong I really am.
SOW -- Why just like Cow of course.
Guk -- Rhymes with "luck"
Tizmak -- First syllable rhymes with Wiz, second like Mack.
Klok -- "Clock" of course.
Kaesora -- "Kay" + "sore" + "uh". Emphasis on second syllable
Damask -- Sort of like "The Mask"
Sebilis -- First Syllable rhymes with Deb, then "ill" + "iss" with the emphasis on the first syllable.
Innoruuk -- "In" + "or" + "ook" as in "look"
Teir'Dal -- "Tear" (as in crying) + "Doll"
Feerrott -- "Fear" + "Rot"
Kael Drakkal -- "Kale" + "drack" + "all"
Cabilis -- "Cab" + "eel" + "iss". emphasis on the second syllable.
Ry'Gorr -- "Rye" + "Gore"
Rathe -- like "wrath"
Ankhefenmut -- ank as in "hank" + "uh" + fen as in "pen" + Mutt as in a dog with the emphasis on the first and third syllable.
Luclin -- I used to pronounce this "Loose"lin, but was told by the folks at Sony that they pronounce it "Luck"lin. Amazing how they can mispronounce their own game isn't it?
Drakkel -- "drack" + "ill". Emphasis on the first syllable.
Ulthork -- Ull as in "pull" + thork as in "fork". Emphasis on the first syllable.
Rowyl -- Rhymes with "Howl"
Froglok -- "frog" plus "lock". How else?
Solusek -- Sol as in "Doll" plus "loose" plus sek as in "wreck". Emphasis on the second syllable.
Well, you get the picture. Feel free to add in your own interpretation of these and other common words. Who knows, maybe we will all start to speak the same language after a while.
