Deception's Princess (Princesses of Myth) (38 page)

I thought it would be handy to include a pronunciation guide for the Celtic names, places, and so on in
Deception’s Princess
. In some cases, the pronunciation is so uncomplicated and obvious (“Tara”) that you might wonder why I bothered. I say, better too much information than too little.

Remember, I’m doing this for myself as much as for you. I want to get it
right
when I read
Deception’s Princess
before an audience.

By the way, there may be
alternate
pronunciations for many of the following names and terms, due to variables like dialect and locale. Example: My husband comes from Los Angeles and I come from Brooklyn. When the word in question is
horror
, he pronounces it “HOR-er” and I pronounce it “HAH-rer.” Then we argue about who’s right.

In other words, po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to.

Special thanks to Mary DeDanan, who helped me with this pronunciation guide.

1. M
AEVE AND
H
ER
F
AMILY

MAEVE: MAYV

CLOITHFINN: KLETH-fin

CLOTHRU: KLAW-rah

DERBRIU: DJER (ah)-broo

ÈILE: AY-lah

EITHNE: EN-ah

EOCHU FEIDLECH (son of FINN): OH-ah FED-lekh

FINDEMNA: FINJ-djehm-nah

The fair-haired triplets.

BRES: BRESH

LOTHAR: LAH-har

NÁR: NAHR

MUGAIN: MUH-gan

2. F
RIENDS
, F
OSTERLINGS, AND
O
THER
R
ESIDENTS OF THE
R
INGFORT

BLÁITHÍN: BLAW-heen

BRAN: BRAHN

CAÍLTE: KEEL-teh

CERA: KEHR-ah

COLLA: KAL-la

DAIRE: DAW-reh

DEALLA: DAW-lah

DEVNET: DJEV-nit

DONAL: DUN-al

FECHIN: FEH-heen

GUENNOLA: GWEN-no-la

ÍDE: EE-djah

ÍOBAR: EE-bvehr

KELAN: KIHL-lin

KINNAT: KIHN-nut

NIALL: NEE-ul

ODRAN: AH-drin

OWAIN: AH-win

RUADAN: ROO-ah-din

SABHA: SAW

3. M
ISCELLANEOUS
P
EOPLE AND
D
EITIES

ÁED: AYD

AENGUS: ENG-gus

ÁINE: AWN-ya

ARTEGAL: ar-teh-GIHL

BRIGID: BRI-ged

CAER IBORMEITH: KER eh-BROOM-mah

CINEÁD: kee-NOD

CONCHOBAR: koh-NA-ber

DANÚ: DAN-oo

DONN: DUN

FACHTNA FÁTHACH: FIR(tih)-na FWAH-ah

FLIDAIS: FLI-dish

GUAIRE OF THE GANGANI: GU(ah)-reh / GAN-ga-nee

LUGH:LEW

MORANN: MOH-rin

MORRÍGAN: MOHR-ee-gahn

ULAIDH: uh-LEE

4. A
NIMALS

DUBH: DOO

EA: AW

GUENNOLA: GWEN-no-la

MUIRÍN: mir-EEN

TREASA: TRA-sa

5. P
LACES

AVALLACH: AH-va-loh

CONNACHT: kon-NAWKHT

CRUACHAN: KRUA-kihn

DÚN BEITHE: DOON BEH-heh

EMAIN MACHA: EM-en MA-ha

ÈRIU: AY-ru

TAILTEANN: TAL-ton

TARA: TAH-reh

TECH DUINN: tjekh DIN

TÍR NA NÓG: TEER na NOHG

6. M
ISCELLANEOUS
T
ERMS

BEAN SIDHE: BAN SHEE

CRANNOG: KRAN-og

FIR DOMNANN: Fir DOM-nen

SLIOTAR: SHLIH-ter

TRIQUETRA: CHEH-kew-tra

7. H
OLIDAYS/
H
OLY
D
AYS

SAMHAIN: SOW-in

November 1, festival honoring the dead, start of winter, and the Celtic new year

IMBOLC: IM-bolk

February 1, festival of lambing and births

BELTAINE: BEL-ti-nuh

May 1, festival of fertility, start of summer

LUGHNASADH: LEW-na-sa

August 1, harvest festival, time for fairs

Nebula Award winner E
STHER
F
RIESNER
is the author of over 40 novels and 150 short stories. Educated at Vassar College and Yale University, she is also a poet, a playwright, and the editor of several anthologies. Her Princesses of Myth books include
Nobody’s Princess
,
Nobody’s Prize
,
Sphinx’s Princess
,
Sphinx’s Queen
,
Spirit’s Princess
,
Spirit’s Chosen
, and
Deception’s Princess
.

Esther is married and a mother of two, harbors cats, and lives in Connecticut. Visit her at
sff.net/people/e.friesner
and learn more about her Princesses of Myth books at
princessesofmyth.com
.