Hmm. Personally, I'm happy as a reader to stumble my own way through pronunciation, ignoring any detailed authorial notes - what really bugs me is having a lot of names that look similar (especially same first letter) on the page, rather than sounds. I can understand that names can be a barrier to readers, but surely sf/f readers are looking for at least a little dislocation? (I also wonder why, in fantasy, are gratuitous apostrophes acceptable when extraneous vowels aren't - I think this goes back to some of the subject of the original post, about what nonWestern experiences are reflected in literature)
Agree re Nai-ree, but I'm never sure if that's Anglicisation or pronunciation variant (and I've only met Pakeha Ngaires); I am also scarred by a past argument with a very determined British person about how to say "Tonga" that has left me very keen on representation of /ng/ :)
(also, with regard to your name - I think we know each other off-line, so suspect I have an advantage!)
no subject
Date: 5 Jul 2011 10:17 am (UTC)Agree re Nai-ree, but I'm never sure if that's Anglicisation or pronunciation variant (and I've only met Pakeha Ngaires); I am also scarred by a past argument with a very determined British person about how to say "Tonga" that has left me very keen on representation of /ng/ :)
(also, with regard to your name - I think we know each other off-line, so suspect I have an advantage!)