[Ansteorra] Pronunciation was Re: "Ansteorran: of or pertaining to the Kingdom of Ansteorra"

[John Hirling]

In that case, then if you can pronounce Pooh's best friend's name . . .
~ihon

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass . . .
it's about learning how to dance in the rain!"

Unknown (but I wish it had been me)


On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 1:07 PM, HerrDetlef <herrdetlef at gmail.com> wrote:

> Your Excellency, the problem with "yore" is that stress is placed on the
> "o"
> and not on the "e". In Old English diphthongs, stress is placed on the
> first
> vowel of the cluster, and not on the second vowel. With the "eo" diphthong,
> the "e" is pronounced as a long "e" (thanks to the fifteenth century vowel
> shift, now the long "a", such as in "late"), and then the "o" is pronounced
> as an unstressed schwa, like the "e" in "waiter".
>
> Think again of the name "Beowulf". We don't pronounce it "beh-YO-woolf" but
> as "BAY-uh-woolf". The same pronunciation rule should apply to the "eo" in
> "Ansteorra". I think the dominant pronunciation (stressing the "o" and not
> the "e") is a result of confusing the "eo" in "Beowulf" with the "eo" in
> such Greek derivatives as "geometry".
>
> Much of Old English is not music to anybody's modern ears...at least, until
> you've had a chance to hear a lot of it. Then it becomes quite melodious.
> Old English is even more gutteral than Modern High German. If you've ever
> had a chance to hear the Hildebrandslied read (in Old High German), or
> better yet, "Der Heliand" in Old LOW German, you might get a better taste
> of
> what those old languages sound like.
>
> As a grad student, I was told I should have no trouble reading Old English
> since I knew German, but Old English isn't even close enough to Modern High
> German to be that easy. Quite a lot of difference separates Old Low German
> from Modern High German.
>
> I had the great fortune in 2005 of hearing part of Beowulf read in Old
> English at Trinity Church in Houston. I believe the performer who read it
> was Benjamin Bagby. As he chanted the Old English text, Modern English
> surtitles were displayed on a screen, but after a while, I quit reading the
> titles and listened to the sound of the language. It's quite beautiful,
> once
> you've gotten used to it.
>
> On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 12:48 PM, John Hirling <jhirling at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Correct me if I'm wrong - and I'm centain someone will :) - but if one
> can
> > pronounce the word 'yore', one should have no trouble with the 'eo'
> > diphthong.  An-STAIR-ra is not music to these ears.
> > ~ihon
> >
> > "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass . . .
> > it's about learning how to dance in the rain!"
> >
> > Unknown (but I wish it had been me)
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 10:54 AM, Hugh & Belinda Niewoehner <
> > burgborrendohl at valornet.com> wrote:
> >
> > > HerrDetlef wrote:
> > >
> > >> ...I've even suggested, if the "eo" is too difficult, to look at it as
> > >> "an-STAIR-ra" (since the diphthong represented here by "ai" is very
> > >> similar
> > >> to the OE "eo" diphthong). It's been like talking to a brick wall.
> Maybe
> > I
> > >> haven't been loud enough.
> > >>
> > >>
> > > I like that and will endeavor to start using it although it will
> probably
> > > draw some strange looks.  It will also not 'ring' as well in many of
> the
> > > traditional bardic pieces.  I've enjoyed this discussion not only for
> its
> > > historical interest (as to the original intent in choosing the name)
> but
> > > also the linguistic education.  Languages fascinate me although I am
> far
> > > from an expert on any of them.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Ismet
> > >
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>
>
>
> --
> He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
> and what does the LORD require of you
> but to do justice, and to love kindness,
> and to walk humbly with your God?
> --Micah 6:8
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