View Message

[Facts] How do you REALLY pronounce...
I've heard the name Lyra said tons of different ways, and I was just wondering what the correct pronounciation is.
vote up1vote down

Replies

With the Swedish pronounction. Ly-ra (the Y is like the Y in Betty)
vote up1vote down
I have a colleague by this name, and she does indeed pronounce it LIE-ra.
vote up1vote down
In HDM, the names do sometimes echo their characters' most important characteristics. Will, for instance, is very strong-minded ... and Lyra is, as she says, a remarkable liar. So pronouncing the name like the musical instrument with an -a on the end gives a sound pleasingly like "liar" - Lyra the Liar - it's a bit Dr Seuss, but the books are still wonderful.
vote up1vote down
It is appropriate.I hate that pronunciation though, it's so ugly. I suppose it'd still be safe for me to use 'leer-ah' though since most people pronounce it 'leer-ah' (my prefered pronunciation)... And I figure since I've met two ladies with that name that said it that way it wouldn't be too bad. And I certainly wouldn't want a daughter to get the nn Lyra the Liar!
"Chan eil tuil air nach tig traoghadh"
"Maybe surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know"

- 'Home', Michael Buble
vote up1vote down
LIE-ra.Follow this link and click the little sound button next to the name:http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/lyraIt's the name of a constellation, as this site and the dictionary link state, so I'd go with the dictionary pronunciation.
Image hosting by Photobucket
www.qwantz.com
vote up1vote down
"leer-ah"I say "leer-ah" as does everybody I know whose read His Dark Materials (including Brits and Americans) as well as the people actually WITH that name...
"Chan eil tuil air nach tig traoghadh"
"Maybe surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know"

- 'Home', Michael Buble
vote up1vote down
That's primarily why I asked. I love the His Dark Materials trilogy and I'd always been saying it "leer-ah". Then there were these other strange people who would say it like "lair-ah" or even something else. I got confused and just wanted to clarify.
vote up1vote down
Yah, I understand. I met two different girls (both English) with the name Lyra and they both pronounced it 'leer-ah' (this was a few years back) and then I just recently read His Dark Materials (just this past fall - due to English friends lol) which brought it back to memory and within these past few weeks I've really started to love it.
"Chan eil tuil air nach tig traoghadh"
"Maybe surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know"

- 'Home', Michael Buble
vote up1vote down
I'd say LIE-ra, given the "lyre" meaning.
Miranda
Image hosting by PhotobucketProud adopter of 15 punctuation marks; see my profile for their names.
vote up1vote down
Hm, okay. Thanks.

This message was edited 2/19/2006, 7:07 PM

vote up1vote down