How do you pronounce "centaur" and why?
My wife pronounces it three different ways, each of which she can support. I pronounce it one, but other than that it's the way I've heard it I can't support my pronunciation even after some searches. What's yours and why?
Sen-tar
Because that's the only way I've ever even heard it pronounced. This thread is gonna be wild.
I thought this question would get almost no attention, but so far I've gotten almost one response per minute. Well predicted.
I even learned that local language changes things from a couple replies, which I hadn't considered.
It's still so interesting noticing comments from you, as I used to be frustrated by the bubble letters in your name. Since my client started suppressing that, I find you often contribute to conversations and I appreciate it.
I tried to express this once before, but at that point my client was still somewhat immature and randomly put my comment in a different, irrelevant thread.
Anyway, thanks for being a classic and long lasting part of lemmy and for showing up in my thread! I'm glad it provided you with some enlightenment.
I recognise that “kentawur” is correct, but reject it because “sentar” just sounds more correct.
Just because an English word was originally Latin and is written the same way, doesn't mean it's pronounced the same way. It's an English word now. It has an English pronunciation, pluralisation and definition that can all be different from the original. "Kentawur" is not correct for the English word.
I saw sen-tar as well!
I pronounce it centaur, as in it rhymes with faur, kaur, boobaur. You know, the "aur" sound, like "ooohhuuuurrr" but more dynamic.
sen-tor
As in taurus, which rhymes with torus.
This is the only way in English I've ever known
A bunch of Americans pronounce it sen-tar for some reason that I've never understood.
That's how it looks.
I also pronounce Taurus closer to "Tarus" than toorus.
Seems just like a regional accent thing
That's one of my wife's answers.
You're very prompt.
That's how merriam webster pronounces it! I'd pronounce it like that as well, got curious, so I googled
This is how I pronounce it in Canada
Correctly, smugly and pretentiously
Nice.
ken-tavr, I think that's similar to how it pronounced in a lot of languges around here, it's also pretty similar how original greeks did it (kένταυροι)
Solid.
Like the other commenter I pronounce it sen-tor. Just like the word "dinosaur" I would pronounce die-no-sor if that makes sense. Both words end in "aur".
...though now you've got me curious about how you and your wife pronounce dinosaur :)
Dino-saw. That's just because of how the DNA molecule character pronounces it in Jurassic Park, and it cracks me up.
I always heard it as dina-sour in Jurassic Park, can't shake that mental reference haha
If it’s in a Greek or ancient Latin context I pronounce it with a hard C, but if it’s a general English context I pronounce it with a soft C.
I’m not sure what the third way would be.
So far, the main way I haven't seen suggested.
I guess I owe my wife an apology.
So how do you pronounce it?
Honestly, I'm afraid to say. No one will support me, it seems.
Sen-chwar.
I have not once in my entire life heard anyone say it like that. Where are you from? Maybe it's a regional thing...
>EveryMuffinIsNowEncrypted wants to know your location.
Lol, that is funny. xD
Maryland. Maybe it's regional, like you said. However, I was sheltered growing up, so maybe not.
That very well could be regional. Are you near Baltimore? I grew up around DC, but mostly in Annapolis, and I’ve always said it like cen-tar
Edit - I agree with the person below, your brain probably decided that’s how it was pronounced at a young age. There’s a bunch of words I’ve read but never say out loud because I know I will say them wrong! I should just own them, there’s too many great words out there!
"Hermione"
I am no longer in Maryland, but yes, I spent most of my life within an hour of Baltimore. I was indeed an avid reader, so it's possible that I made my own decision about its pronunciation (that has certainly happened with other words), but I think I got this one from hearing my mom say it. I can't prove that, though.
https://youtu.be/LkjxO9OVwNs
I'm guessing he first encountered the word in text without having heard it and his brain guessed it rhymes with "jaguar", which is understandable.
...yea I wanna explanation
Sorry, I'm not sure how to explain. It's the only way I've ever heard it said.
I told my wife about this thread and about how you said you pronounced it differently and she jokingly said “sen-CHWAR” in a funny voice. When I read your comment off to her she laughed incredibly hard. Her joke turned out to be spot on lol.
Rude.
But I'm glad I could add some levity to your day! I can often make my wife chortle, but when I can make her laugh incredibly hard it's a good day.
Wouldn't that be spelled centuar (like how "actually" is often pronounced "ackschwally") and not centaur?
So on the one hand, I think you are going to find almost nobody agrees with your pronunciation. On the other hand, you should wear your mispronunciations with pride because what that tells me is that you were a reader growing up and likely came about this word the first time in text without any other context, maybe even many times before you heard it spoken. Your brain made an educated guess (I'm guess pulling from the pronunciation of "jaguar"?). It got it wrong, but understandably so, and it has cemented in your brain. Fix it if you care to, but no real need. Either way, kudos for being a young reader.
Heh, thanks, that's a very supportive answer.
I said in another comment, but I was indeed an avid reader and have definitely had that experience with other words (my dad once teased me for my pronunciation of "unequivocally," for example, and no I won't provide my incorrect effort here). However, I'm pretty sure I got this particular pronunciation from my mom, though I can't say why I think that. If I'm correct, I wonder why she thought it was pronounced this way; she also read a lot, so perhaps your theory is correct but generationally shifted.
I've never heard it that way but I get it. A combination of (the relevant bits of) suture and jaguar. Only problem is, it's not spelled centuar, it's spelled centaur.
However, until one shows up to personally correct your spelling and pronunciation, I think you're free to call imaginary creatures whatever you call them.
Chwar? Like... Shwarma?
Now i'm hungry for a Centaur shawarma.
I am now questioning every word I've ever pronounced, but I think "shawarma" has a softer "sh" whereas my apparently incorrect pronunciation of centaur has a harder "ch," like "change."
Perhaps you should consult Tony Stark to satisfy your centaur shawarma cravings. If anyone could make it happen, it's probably him.
I pronounce it like sen + tar, and accent it like boxcar. Can't think of a reason, that's just how it looks to me.
Man, English is a mess.
Be fair. We inherited most of that mess from the French.
You're not wrong.
Scent-ore
Simply "englishified" from French where I’ve ever heard only one way, Centaur (100 tor).
sen-tar
"sen-" like "cent" (like 25 cents), and "-tar" like "a tar pit"
Cent-aur.
Cent-our
¢-aur — I'm not sure why I pronounce it that way; it's just how I've always pronounced it.
sen-tar.
i could see sen-tor.
Ken (as the name) - ta (with a hard T and A as in catapult) - ur (with an u like in Vonnegut's name)
tho I'm from europe speaking a weird ass language
Danish?
that's weird, too, but no
I pronounce it "Phil". And he would appreciate it if you would stop staring at his missing eye.
Cen-toor
Senn-torr
The "taur" is probably the same root as in "Taurus" and "el Toro"¹, which I've only ever heard said like torr, so I say it the same. The first part I don't think is ever said anything other than "senn" right?
¹I can't back that up, since they mean bull not horse and I have no sources. We do see the same root pop up in "Minotaur" from the same language though, and that is a part bull part man.
Tauros in greek is bull, yeah. The minotaur was the Bull of Minos. It may link back to the pre-greek people of crete, known for bull-leaping.
The "ken" in "Kentauros" is thought to mean piercing, but why is a piercing bull a half man/horse? There's no obvious explanation.
I love the idea of -tauros coming to mean a monstrous combination, like franken- in english. But if there were any evidence of that some very excited nerds would've told us, I'm sure.
That is a great theory and until an excited nerd tells me otherwise it's what I'm going to choose to believe (albeit without telling anyone else just in case)
Sehn-tar, because I am American and that's how I learned to say it. How am I meant to justify a common pronunciation?
Sen-tar. I used to say sen-tore as a kid (as in taurine) but I think it sounds better the other way. Also easier to say in my opinion.
After reading this thread i don't know anymore.
Cen tar
Or cen tor
I don't pay close enough attention to myself to be sure which i normally say
Both relatable and understandable. Thank you for the answer!
Sen-towr
sans-taure (because I'm francophone)
C'est la voie.
Sin tar is the usual way, though it'll sometimes come out more sin tawr, where the au is a bit more drawn out.
Sin tore is a fairly common one.
However, sin tar is more common, at least with what I've heard in meat space. That's a fairly limited thing though, since most of the people I have talked to over my fifty years have been fellow southerners. We do tend to use softer vowels in most cases, and tar is softer than tore in the way we tend to do vowels.
However, with the latin and Greek origins of the word, I'd argue that the tar or tawr would lean closer to that than tore, just because of similar words. When an au is present in medical terminology (which is where almost all of my latin and Greek comes from) it usually gets pronounced aw or ah, not oh.
But, I never hear anyone pronounce the initial C as a K, and that's the way it would have been in both of those languages originally. The Greek version is spelled with a K, when written with the usual alphabet rather than Greek. Kentauros.
Which is an aside.
Wikipedia lists the two I did as the usual pronunciations, fwiw. And all the dictionaries with audio options are either those two, or slight variations of them, where the au sound is rounder or flatter than the norm.
Thing is, it's a word in a living language. Whatever the original English pronunciation may have been, that can change, so supporting a pronunciation is kind of meaningless. What matters is consensus over time, and by location.
So, a regional accent that sounds more like cent-ur is just as valid in that region, it just isn't standard. So would any other variant be, if there's enough people using it to be called a consensus.
Personally, I say sen tore.
According to my classics professor ~20 years ago, we can't know how "au" would've been pronounced in the greek.
He told us that ancient greek diphthong pronunciation is just made up. Apparently it's much harder to reconstruct those sounds confidently, but that didn't stop past classicists from claiming their reckonings as incontrovertible facts. Oxford and cambridge used to expell students for following the diphthong pronunciations of the other, but both are basically guesses.
Yeah, it's an issue for sure.
Southeast.
sin-a-tar just because it seems right, even though the spelling clearly indicates otherwise.
Well, it seems not a single other person agrees with me on my choice of pronunciation, but it's nice to not be the only one whose answer isn't based on the spelling!
Thank you for the answer.
Cent as sent + taur as tor. We pronounce most greek c's as s in english as is cicero or cent being pronounced with an s sound instead of a k sound. Tor is the same as in taurus. Mine is not the only correct pronunciation, my explanation is just the justification for my specific pronunciation
Wait you’re telling me it’s Kickero? 🤯
Back in his day, yes. In modern greek it is sisero and in modern latin it is Chichero. Similarly, in Julius Caesar's day, his name would have been pronounced Kai-zar and in modern latin and italian, it is Chai-zar.
Kai-tawr, obvs
Sentour.
https://media1.giphy.com/media/uZmlIM3DHkiEo/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952xced9ht7c6yycq8gz5qz7vyq9ethbt3beavzxzik&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g
Awesome reference.
Sɛntɵ
Sentår. Phonetically with Norwegian letter.
Kentævr
Kentaur på min dialekt 🤓
Vestlending?
Stemme det!
Kenta-kun thsnks to a Japanese dota 2 stream
In Finnish we say kentauri and you can go ahead and imagine Japanese pronunciation for it and it's mostly the same. Finnish is just more neutral in tone imo
Hard C and noticeable U: Ken-tower.
Is tower 1 or 2 syllables for you?
Two. The last part of centaur is tau-or.
Similarly, "dinosaur" is pronounced dino-sour, and not as dino-saw.
This is an entirely new one for me. Thanks!
centower
Can’t are
The most incorrect pronunciation i can come up with is probably ken-TAH-oo-ur
That's like the most correct one if there even could be a 'correct' way to pronounce a word of foreign origin in most languages.
the Greeks in here are saying that's basically correct.
Well, apparently my answer ("sen-chwar") is also very incorrect. Someone else in this thread also answered "sen-a-tar." I would argue both beat yours for incorrectness, as they don't fit the spelling.
I thought mine was based on something French, based on almost nothing, but another person in the thread has corrected that theory.
tsen-taür, where ü is not an umlaut, but a diaeresis meaning that you pronounce the second vowel in a row, like in naïve or coöperation.
I come from Poland and we read in a consistent way.
The way shit's written \s.
Such a question would make no sense in Polish.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-curse-of-the-diaeresis
From now on, I shall only refer to them as kentauru.
😡
Not a fan of lojban?
Okay I don't doubt yours is consistent, but it's really hard to grasp. I come from Finland and in the Nordics you would never get oö öo aä or äa combinations I'm pretty sure. Å can go with a but a doesn't really go with ö I don't think and uhm.
Anyways my point is I've no idea how you would go about trying to pronounce coöperation. Or rather what your idea of it is.
I'd couldn't argue which is more constant, but Finnish is every consistent. And pretty much in line with IPA.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Finnish
hevonen [ˈheʋonen]
hernekeitto [ˈherneˌkːei̯tːo]
tule! [ˈtuˌle]
Example of words with their IPA pronunciation. When something like "geography" in English is "ʤɔ́grəfɪj".
Those don't look alike at all. So I'm sure polish can be consistent, but to me at least, I'd be afraid of how complex that consistency is.
In Finnish wr say "kentauri" and in ipa that's pretty much the same.
Finnish pronunciation feels to me like a subset of Polish. The only difference is the stressed syllable.
You are saying you never read two vowels in a row? You just make them longer?
After writing that I see that contradicts the "subset" sentence.
No. I'm saying the ones which are umlauted don't go with their umlauted partners. You can äiti easily. That's mom. But you can't have Äati. That's not a word. Ä + a don't go together.
I may be wrong because of how flexible Finnish is, but I don't think a Finnish word exists where there is either äa oe öo combination. Äo maybe, but not likely. (edit def no äo either, just not a thing, I checked the exceptions and now I'm sure)
Its something calmed vowel harmony, which is sort of why I don't see Polish as being any where near Finnish. The amount of consonants you guys use is unnatural to a Finnish person.
Finnish pronunciation is definitely not a "subset of Polish". Polish is a PIE-language. We're not even in the same language tree bro.
https://www.sssscomic.com/comicpages/196.jpg
What I mean by subset is: a Polish person will pronounce every finnish word correctly and a Finnish person will pronounce most of Polish words correctly.
I'm Finnish and I've had a Polish friend for 15 years and I can say you're most definitely mistaken.
for the sake of fun give me a sentence to pronounce
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Finnish_tongue_twisters