oliphaunt/dialect

[Bombadillo]

I'm from New Jersey, and there actually isn't any Jersey accent, unless you mean Jersey City accent, which is really a New York accent with less taxis and therefore slightly less yelling. Either way, I'll try to spell this out, I say 'oliphaunt' 'awlifawnt.'

I think this is because of my not being from England as Tolkien is. If your English, how do you say it? Or how does everybody say it; try to spell it out the best you can.

Mods: I wasn't sure if this would stray off topic enough to be put in GM. I think this is the right forum.

[Coney]

In the north of England it would be pronounced Olliefant.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I'm pretty sure I actually have a sound recording, in which Tolkien says the word "Oliphaunt". :)

[Lady of Rohan]

Oli-font is how I pronounce it, but don't go by me for pronunciation. ;) If anyone would know it would be Tolkine, which Gwaimir has pointed out. :)

[Gwaimir Windgem]

From the sound file, it seems that the accurate pronunciation is "Ollie" (as in the name) plus "phawnt", with "aw" like in "lawn".

[Sheeana]

You know, I don't think he's asking how Tolkien pronounced it - he's asking how we pronounce it in our OWN accents.:p I pronounce it Ollie-phauwnt with no real distinction between Ollie and phauwnt - I run them together in typical kiwi fashion. There's no emphasis on the second syllable 'lie', and it almost disappears in my pronounciation. I place the most emphasis on the last syllable. Okay, you can all wake up now! :mad: ;)

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally posted by Bombadillo
I think this is because of my not being from England as Tolkien is. [/SIZE]

Sounds to me like he was talking about Tolkien. I could certainly be wrong though, as we all know. :p

[Sheeana]

Ah yes, but he *did* put "dialect" in there, so there. :p

[gimli7410]

i say i oley phaunt. the oli osrt of sounds a bit french but i barely speak it

[ArwenEvenstar]

I usually say "olip haunt" or "ollie-faunt" depending on the day;)

[Lalaith]

I don't think that I will give it a try. My pronunciation explanations are very weird.

[Linaewen]

Originally posted by Sheeana
You know, I don't think he's asking how Tolkien pronounced it - he's asking how we pronounce it in our OWN accents.:p I pronounce it Ollie-phauwnt with no real distinction between Ollie and phauwnt - I run them together in typical kiwi fashion. There's no emphasis on the second syllable 'lie', and it almost disappears in my pronounciation. I place the most emphasis on the last syllable. Okay, you can all wake up now! :mad: ;)
Yeah, you kiwis and your weird accents. Essentially ours, but with a few weird variations. You guys get all your vowels mixed up!
'i' turns to 'ir' (or Swedish ö), 'e' turns to 'a' and Eru knows what else! :D

On topic, I pronounce it 'Olli-phawnt".

[Bombadillo]

Whoa. Sorry I couldn't clear things up a little earlier. My computer's been pretty 'fouled up' as of late. (My first post wasn't too understandable either.)

Yeah I meant How do you pronounce it? And I was refering to Tolkien's being from England, so he'd speak with an Englsih dialect. I think he literally wrote it down his pronunciation of "elephant" sound by sound. But it wouldn't look right to me, being from NJ and thus having a different dialect.

For me, "elephant" is pronounced: EL-uh-fint but I slur the T so it sounds more like a D

[Sheeana]

Originally posted by Linaewen
Yeah, you kiwis and your weird accents.

Shuddap, Leeenaweeeen. :mad:

See, I told you so, Gwai. Pllllrrrrrrt. :p

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally posted by Bombadillo
I think he literally wrote it down his pronunciation of "elephant" sound by sound. But it wouldn't look right to me, being from NJ and thus having a different dialect.

I doubt it. I've never heard of the English pronouncing "e" like "o". Besides, didn't he also say that Oliphaunts were larger than the elephants of modern day?

Right back at you, Sheeana. Plllrrrrrrrt. :p

[Anglorfin]

In my mind it's "Ollefawnt".

[Radagast The Brown]

because it's translated as 'Olli - fant' that's how I pronounce it.

[katya]

I say oh-li-faunt. or something. with a long "o" anyway. come to think of it i guess i don't "say" it much at all. i mean i don't read out loud or anything.

[cee2lee2]

I pronounce it like Katya does.

[Tanoliel]

OH-lee-faunt. More or less.

And they are different from elephants...because varied and strange as british accents are, I've never heard one that could mistake "oliphaunt" for "elepant". :D

tano

[Einalem]

I say it like this olly-font but the o in font is dragged a little and with a nothing accent :)