"Gram", and the pronunciation of character names

[crayauchtin]

Except that Graham is a VERY uncommon first name in the U.S. 

It is! I've only ever met one other!

[MusicallyInspired]

I know a Graham here in Canada. We always called him "Gram" and he himself as well. But everywhere in the games he was always referred to as Gray-um. Mah-NAN-nan is the correct pronunciation. And I assumed Titania was "Tit-AH-neeya".

Similarly, I also always used to assume that the X-Files theme started on the off-beat (that is, the measure would start right at the same time the first note starts). I was quite taken aback when I heard other versions of the theme start at a different point (the first note is actually on the 4th count of the previous bar) and then noticed the correlation in the actual theme itself. I was quite let down lol. It's different than I remember it when I was young and changes your whole outlook.

[Kimmie]

Apparently it's a very common name in the UK.

Keemeh, confirm that?

Yes I know several grahams none of them are called Gram! 

[Rosella]

Anyone else really want graham crackers because of this thread?

[theroachyjay]

Anyone else really want graham crackers because of this thread?

Yes.  Especially the chocolate ones.  That sparkle.

[lizardjim]

I get the impression that Gram only came about because this is largely an American production. However, it is weird that a company like Sierra would have the narrator pronounce his name Gray-am (the Anglicised way of saying it). So I don't know - is this a regional thing in the States?!

[Baggins]

Yes, its probably because its American production. I knew a "Graham" once, he pronounced his name "Gram", and yes he was American.

[crayauchtin]

Ewww at all of these people saying it's "Gram" -- Baggins, was this Graham you knew slightly touched in the head? That is simply NOT how you pronounce it! It is sometimes pronounced like "Gra-am" in the US though, now that I'm thinking of it, which might be interpreted as "Gram" when it's really just a silent "h". I can see how that could be misheard...

Anyways, lizardjim, it makes sense they would use the anglicized version of the name since the name originates in England and since Roberta has said that Daventry is supposed to be a place in England a long long time ago.

[MangoMercury]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daventry

We even have a Daventry over here!

[Baggins]

No, he was sane, :p, so were his parents...

As for the US, we have so much variety here regionaly linguistically, you can't just lock it down to one area of pronunciation.

If we go to dictionaries they actually list multiple pronuncations as being "correct", including "gra-ham" and "gram", :p.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/graham

My guess its just subtle dialect differences from different regions. Linguistics can be complicated.

England and since Roberta has said that Daventry is supposed to be a place in England a long long time ago

Actually, she's never said that "specifically". The most specific quote she has ever mentioned on the subject is in the "quote" at the bottom of my posts... She doesn't specifically state its "england", although I can see how that could be assumed. It might also explain why they switched over to older English style in MOE...

If you went the Companion route, Peter Spear states that Daventry in England, as mentioned in Shakespeare has nothing to do with the Kingdom of Daventry.

That being said, the English, Daventry is still alive and well . Archaeology could be interesting there, but people know where it is, it hasn't upped and disappeared. People know exactly where it is, its still thriving.

There is also an injoke in KQ3, where its implied that Daventry is in/near Yosemite, LOL. If you look at a peculiar looking mountain top.

[theroachyjay]

Ewww at all of these people saying it's "Gram" -- Baggins, was this Graham you knew slightly touched in the head? That is simply NOT how you pronounce it!

I actually also knew a Graham who pronounced it "Gram."  I think when it's your name, you have a right to choose how you want it pronounced.  It's an identity thing.  Like, my name "Jules" is a French name that is supposed to be pronounced something to the effect of "ZHYUL," but I much prefer "Jewels."  I don't think that makes me crazy.

[sahara]

Along similar lines, I wondered about the way Lolotte was pronounced in TSL.  Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't the name pronounced Low-LOT-uh?  

[Rosella]

I always pronounced it Luh-lote.

[Baggins]

Lolotte is pronounced in KQ7, but I don't remember how exactly. It might have been "Low-Lote" It's in the end game sequence, I think Edgar prouncounes it if you save him, and either Titania or Oberon prounonces it, if you let Edgar die.

Dialects, its the whole to-may-to, to-mah-to dillemma. Both are right. It all depends on the dialect of the speaker...

There are a few states or cities in the US that have different pronunciations depending on where you are from. Hawaii for example can be pronounced Ha-wai-eee (the modern standard), or Ha-vai-eee (traditional hawaiian). Missouri ranges from Mis-zour-eee to Mis-zour-ruh (depending on which region you are from)

I'd recommend taking a course in linguistics if you want to learn a bit more about languages, pronuncations and dialects.

[MangoMercury]

It was pronounced "Luh-Lote" in KQ7.  I'd always pronounced it "Luh-Lott" before then and still tend to do so.

[kindofdoon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daventry

We even have a Daventry over here!

Wow! That's really cool!

[Kimmie]

not really that cool, there's no castle  if only they'd had forsight and built one, then we could have had a TSL trip

[Baggins]

There are no castles or ruins of castles in the entire district of Daventry (not speaking of the city of Daventry)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daventry_(district)