What an interesting topic of discussion. How exactly would one pronounce our stalwart heroes name? Co-nin , Co-nun , Co-nan , Cone – ann , Cawy aynun , Co-nahn? In fact depending on where you are from and who you are and happen to be you can just about say any word in the English language differently from someone else and who’s to say who is correct? Who are we in the vast world of diversity to contradict one another.
The people in BOSS-TUN really butcher the language like nobody else can. But the guys in Brooklyn are actually no better. But then let’s go all the way to Merry old England where our Master language was created. People on the outskirts of the city and in suburban areas and way out in the sticks ( If you will ) all have a cockney brogue and is littered with ignorant and uneducated slang terms…but it is their language. They may not be speaking the Kings English…but if you pay attention you can interpret what they’re saying just fine.
We go from Boston to Brooklyn to the Barrow in Furness all the way to Ojai California where Valley speak became popular…” No wayyy Duude!! “ But the fact of the matter is…we can still say it any way we want…it’s preferential , not mandatory.
People considered Pulp writers like Howard and Lovecraft to be uneducated hack wannabe writers with no real literary clout or credibility. Some say Bob Howard said Conun…for the name of his character. Maybe that’s true. It is quite possible that a TEXAN would follow through and name a Gaelic/Celtic/Welsh fictional creation a regional name with so many diverse pronunciations deliberately to get us thinking.
But the fact stands…it does not matter. We all will say it any way we want. Like the popular argument for “Aunt”….another word people commonly insist on pronouncing like they’ve got an English accent. They say “AWNT” but if you look it up in a Dictionary and look at it phonetically and check the pronunciation it’s clearly supposed to be…”ANT” as in upping the ANTE! But I myself am an AMERICAN not an AMERI-CAN’T and that rhymes with MAN and I’m a Man’s Man and so is CONAN and in fact he is the MAN , Barbarian and a Cimmerian and he happens to be an ancient Hyborean. That’s just my humble opinion.
Even though we cringe when we hear a word we feel is being pronounced the wrong way we need to stop and question ourselves. “Hey?” It’s just different. We are all different. We say it differently and we always will. So for the folks who like to say and firmly believe that Conan’s name is Conin or Conun. I applaud you all for sticking to your gun’s. Because you happen to be right. Then again…so am I. One thing is for certain. 8 decades of an enduring character and counting. As big time ULTIMATE fans of the Broadsword wielding Barbarian we are a force to be reckoned with. Long live CONAN the KING , Thief , Reaver , Slayer , Barbarian , Cimmerian and ULTIMATE WARRIOR!!! Here’s to another 80 years!!!
The people in BOSS-TUN really butcher the language like nobody else can. But the guys in Brooklyn are actually no better. But then let’s go all the way to Merry old England where our Master language was created. People on the outskirts of the city and in suburban areas and way out in the sticks ( If you will ) all have a cockney brogue and is littered with ignorant and uneducated slang terms…but it is their language. They may not be speaking the Kings English…but if you pay attention you can interpret what they’re saying just fine.
We go from Boston to Brooklyn to the Barrow in Furness all the way to Ojai California where Valley speak became popular…” No wayyy Duude!! “ But the fact of the matter is…we can still say it any way we want…it’s preferential , not mandatory.
People considered Pulp writers like Howard and Lovecraft to be uneducated hack wannabe writers with no real literary clout or credibility. Some say Bob Howard said Conun…for the name of his character. Maybe that’s true. It is quite possible that a TEXAN would follow through and name a Gaelic/Celtic/Welsh fictional creation a regional name with so many diverse pronunciations deliberately to get us thinking.
But the fact stands…it does not matter. We all will say it any way we want. Like the popular argument for “Aunt”….another word people commonly insist on pronouncing like they’ve got an English accent. They say “AWNT” but if you look it up in a Dictionary and look at it phonetically and check the pronunciation it’s clearly supposed to be…”ANT” as in upping the ANTE! But I myself am an AMERICAN not an AMERI-CAN’T and that rhymes with MAN and I’m a Man’s Man and so is CONAN and in fact he is the MAN , Barbarian and a Cimmerian and he happens to be an ancient Hyborean. That’s just my humble opinion.
Even though we cringe when we hear a word we feel is being pronounced the wrong way we need to stop and question ourselves. “Hey?” It’s just different. We are all different. We say it differently and we always will. So for the folks who like to say and firmly believe that Conan’s name is Conin or Conun. I applaud you all for sticking to your gun’s. Because you happen to be right. Then again…so am I. One thing is for certain. 8 decades of an enduring character and counting. As big time ULTIMATE fans of the Broadsword wielding Barbarian we are a force to be reckoned with. Long live CONAN the KING , Thief , Reaver , Slayer , Barbarian , Cimmerian and ULTIMATE WARRIOR!!! Here’s to another 80 years!!!
Bravo, Mikey, Bravo!!!
ReplyDeleteThe real question is, how do you pronounce Conan in the Cimmerian language? Now that would be interesting to find out.
ReplyDeleteIn truth, his name - being Gallic - is pronounced "Bon-ee". Yes, "Bonny the Barbarian" - sounds even more manly! LOL
ReplyDelete"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." - James D. Nicoll, Usenet: rec.arts.sf-lovers
While I might disagree that there are no correct pronunciations for words, I take your point about regional and colloquial pronunciations. I grew up in rural Georgia where the difference in dialects within just a few miles is often astounding. However when it comes to names, it's anyone's guess. Since Robert E. Howard isn't alive to tell us how he pronounced Conan (and the various people who knew him can't seem to agree) then one is as likely to be correct as another. As a kid I said it Co (rhymes with slow) nan (rhymes with can) but these days I seemed to have switched the second syllable to rhyme with nun. So Co-Nun.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't how I pronounce Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's middle name however, so go figure.
Exactically! lol
ReplyDeleteI GET IT NOW…after putting in a lot of thought and denial I have finally realized that , The proper pronunciation for the name CONAN is…COH-NEHN…with a short Eh sound. It is actually an Ah..it is a short A and not a strong A as in MAN or CAN. I’ve been wrong all this time.
ReplyDeleteI came to this realization while perusing my old VHS tapes and deciding what it is I want to do with them. I bought the PHANTOM movie serial on DVD so I can get rid of that VHS set. But I came across my CRASH CORRIGAN set ( Undersea Kingdom ) and after I had read it…( Everyone who loves CONAN has CONAN on the brain ) as I was going through the box…I said to myself
“Wait a second!” “CORRIGAN…CORRIGHEN…CORR…I…GHIN!...Shoot….CONAN…wow.” That was so cool how it just popped into my head that way.
It was then and there that I knew for sure. But keep in mind , it’s not CONIN or CONEN…it’s only a short A sound. But still…I admit I’ve been wrong. Even though I know this and admit to it. This will not stop me from saying it the way I have always said it. It’s habit now. That cannot be changed. So revel in your victory those of you who’ve been saying it right all along. You have bested me. But I am not ashamed…I am only smarter.