How is the word "geas" in the spell Geas/Quest meant to be pronounced?
I've found conflicting information on the internet and none that I could trace to a reputable source.
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1\$\begingroup\$ Interesting commentary - languagehat.com/geas \$\endgroup\$– Dave CostaOct 25, 2020 at 22:13
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3 Answers
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The "How do you pronounce...?" section of the old Dungeons & Dragons FAQ on the Wizards of the Coast website says:
Geas: GEE-ass, or GYASS (both with a hard "g")
So I suppose it would be something like /gi:æs/.
The FAQ says that they are "dictionary pronunciations where they are available and common-practice pronunciations or TSR rulings where they not". I don't know which of these does that pronunciation of geas fall under.
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From https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/geas:
„/ɡɛʃ/“, or „/ˈɡi.əʃ/“ in the phonetic alphabet.
Side note: Geas is a term from ancient irish mythology, and means a vow or obligation placed upon a person, which is what the spell of the same name does in DnD.
Using http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm, I could reconstruct these to be pronounced
“gesh” (with e as in “bed” and g as in “flag”),
or “gí-ash” (with added stress mark, g / sh as in the other pronounciation, long i as in “see” and the a pronounced as the e in “cinema”).
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1\$\begingroup\$ I found that Wiktionary link, too, but it doesn't have sources, and it was contradicted by comments on Reddit (who also don't have sources). \$\endgroup\$ Jul 1, 2020 at 7:40
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5\$\begingroup\$ I think Wiktionary is still more trustworthy than what redditors say at their table without providing sources or reasons that would attest to their competency. Also, it is clear that their is not one correct answer. \$\endgroup\$– AnagkaiJul 1, 2020 at 8:01
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\$\begingroup\$ See my comment under Nagor's answer. What you posted is incorrect, but it's not your fault since your source is wrong. \$\endgroup\$ Oct 25, 2020 at 21:26
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In school (in Northern Ireland, so it is a local word) we were taught it as basically "Gay ass" to the utter amusement of the classroom of young boys.
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\$\begingroup\$ It's not gay ahs (with the 'a' being sounded like ah)? I ask due to having pronounced it since about 1976 as gay-ahs or gay-ahz The alternative was to pronounce it like geese and none of us liked that. \$\endgroup\$ Oct 25, 2020 at 21:23