Tyranid Pronunciation

[Deej]

'ello all,

I think I'm on the wrong side of popular opinion. Ever since seeing Tyranids in White Dwarf 145 (still got it!) I've always pronounced it Tie-ra-nids, so the first syllable of Tyranid sounds the same as the first syllable of Tyrant. Over the years, almost everyone else I've encountered calls them Ti-ra-nids, with the first syllable like the beginning of the word "tin".

I mean, why call it a Hive Tyrant if it wasn't a pun? Am I the only one? Prolly worth pointing out I'm English...

[Rangerrob]

Tear-a-nid...around here

"tear" as in the kind you cry, not ripping paper.

Course I'm in Maine and we sound funny to lots of people.

[Mystery.Shadow]

I've always called them TiiR-a-Nidz

Being from the Planet Tyran, and they're kinda like Space Dinosaurs (Think TYRANnosaurus Rex)

Just my two copper pieces.

[Drunkencorgimaster]

This is a great post. I have similar problems with other 40k words.

1) Catachan. Is the "ch" soft as in "Church" or hard as in "Christmas?"

2) Lascannon. Is it a "Laz-cannon," like laser? Or lass-cannon like the female version of a "lad." I have heard both. The first seems to make more sense to me since it is a type of laser.

PS. I would prefer no responses from anyone who grew up in Boston, MA, Aberdeen Scotland, Tupelo Mississippi, or Kingston, Jamiaca. I'd like to actually get the pronunciation close to correct.;)

[[email protected]]

i call tyranid ti-ran-nidz

[ChaosLord127]

'ello all,

I think I'm on the wrong side of popular opinion. Ever since seeing Tyranids in White Dwarf 145 (still got it!) I've always pronounced it Tie-ra-nids, so the first syllable of Tyranid sounds the same as the first syllable of Tyrant. Over the years, almost everyone else I've encountered calls them Ti-ra-nids, with the first syllable like the beginning of the word "tin".

I mean, why call it a Hive Tyrant if it wasn't a pun? Am I the only one? Prolly worth pointing out I'm English...

Everyone that I know in California and the Dawn of War games all call them Tear(crying)-a-nids


This is a great post. I have similar problems with other 40k words.

1) Catachan. Is the "ch" soft as in "Church" or hard as in "Christmas?"

2) Lascannon. Is it a "Laz-cannon," like laser? Or lass-cannon like the female version of a "lad." I have heard both. The first seems to make more sense to me since it is a type of laser.

PS. I would prefer no responses from anyone who grew up in Boston, MA, Aberdeen Scotland, Tupelo Mississippi, or Kingston, Jamiaca. I'd like to actually get the pronunciation close to correct.;)

1) A white dwarf (352 in the US) says it is pronounced Kat-a-kan in the editorial.

2) I pronounce it Lazz (like jazz) cannon. Same thing with lasguns and laspistols. Laz like laser makes me think of the chip too much.

[entendre_entendre]

I've always said Tie-ran-idz, I've also heard tear-an-ids, as well as Tiir-an-ids (but WD backs me up)
I've assumed that it was Kat-a-Chan (like Jackie :p) I also say Lazz-cannon, w/ a double 'z' (but I also say "FREEM!" whenever I fire one...)
on a related note is Chimera pronounced Kye-mera or CHi-mera, I've had heated debates with opponents over this one.
Abaddon is one I come across frequently. I say A-bad-don (logically deduced by my mind for the double 'd') while everyone else says around here says ABBA-don (like the group) if it's meant to be pronounced the second way, why does Abaddon have only 1 'B' and 2 'D's'?

[Nabterayl]

I always assumed Catachan was a faux neologism meaning "the indoctrinated" or, more punningly, "the silent," which would tend toward the kat-a-kan pronunciation.

Chimera is kye-mera, at least on the American side of the pond. Somebody from Britain can correct me on this, but I believe the British pronunciation is kye-meera, owing to peculiarities in how Americans and British pronounce ancient Greek diphthongs that have worked their way into the vernacular (roughly speaking, Americans pronounce them as if they were Latin, and Britons pronounce them as if they were modern Greek).

[Grotzooka]

I've always said Tie-ran-idz, I've also heard tear-an-ids, as well as Tiir-an-ids (but WD backs me up)
I've assumed that it was Kat-a-Chan (like Jackie :p) I also say Lazz-cannon, w/ a double 'z' (but I also say "FREEM!" whenever I fire one...)
on a related note is Chimera pronounced Kye-mera or CHi-mera, I've had heated debates with opponents over this one.
Abaddon is one I come across frequently. I say A-bad-don (logically deduced by my mind for the double 'd') while everyone else says around here says ABBA-don (like the group) if it's meant to be pronounced the second way, why does Abaddon have only 1 'B' and 2 'D's'?

I have never heard Abaddon pronounced ABBA-don. I think you're right in your way of saying it.
Saying "FREEM!" is good. But do you scream "Twin linked, fool!" whenever you miss with such a weapon?

[ChaosLord127]

I have never heard Abaddon pronounced ABBA-don. I think you're right in your way of saying it.
Saying "FREEM!" is good. But do you scream "Twin linked, fool!" whenever you miss with such a weapon?

I like to say A-bad-don, but DoW says Abba-don.... and yes, I say "Twin-linked fool!"

[Drunkencorgimaster]

I like to say A-bad-don, but DoW says Abba-don....

I pronounce his name "Abba-dabba-doo."

[Ferro]

Tyrant is pronounced Ty-rant, but tyrannical--which is derived from it, is pronounced Teh-ran-i-cal.

See http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyrannical

There are loads of other nouns whose adjective forms change from hard to soft vowels, though I can't think of any right now cause I've been drinking for a couple hours.

They were dicovered on the planet Tyran (Ty-ran), and therefore are called Tyranids (teh-ran-ids, commonly teer-a-nids).

Anyone calling it Ty-ran-ids is breaking a simple rule of English grammar, not that there's anything wrong with that :)

[KnightShift]

I've some Gretchin that I'll be using for the first time tomorrow in my Ork army. But I can't figure out how to pronounce "runtherd" :confused:

Is it "runt-herd" (which kinda makes sense) or "run-thurd"?

[entendre_entendre]

I have never heard Abaddon pronounced ABBA-don. I think you're right in your way of saying it.
Saying "FREEM!" is good. But do you scream "Twin linked, fool!" whenever you miss with such a weapon?
Damn straight I do! (Almost) Works every time!
ok thanks 4 the backup on this, everyone around here says it that way, but it always struck me as odd that the Despoiler of Worlds was really the dancing queen when everyone wasn't looking :p

[Andrew283]

It is pronounced Tee-ran-ids

[Deej]

Well, whilst we don't seem to be close to a consensus, I at least now feel like I'm not the only one who was a bit confused!

BTW, sales dude in local GW told the wife that the new 'Nid Codex would land early next year. Old news, but yet another corroborating source.

[Grotzooka]

I've some Gretchin that I'll be using for the first time tomorrow in my Ork army. But I can't figure out how to pronounce "runtherd" :confused:

Is it "runt-herd" (which kinda makes sense) or "run-thurd"?

"Runt-herd" does make much more sense. Thats the way I say it, anyway.

[Nabterayl]

Me too.

[Kahoolin]

I once met someone who pronounced Tau "Taw." Not for long though...

[TSINI]

i pronounce Chimera "Shimmira" just because if they wanted it to be pronounced like the mythical creature they should have spellled it the same "Chimaera"

[TSINI]

I've always called them TiiR-a-Nidz

Being from the Planet Tyran, and they're kinda like Space Dinosaurs (Think TYRANnosaurus Rex)

Just my two copper pieces.

this all depends on how you pronounce tyrannosaurus rex, i imagine americans would pronounce it tirannosaurus, where we (english) would pronounce it tie-rannosaurus. but then, you shouldnt go with americans, look how they pronounce aluminium - aloominum

:P

[Nabterayl]

Chimera is an accepted spelling (at least in America :p). Besides, it was the nineties. Nobody transliterated well back then ;)