Guild Wars 2

Before it becomes a thing, Wyvern is pronounced as (why-vern).
/end

Well, if we’re going to be proscriptive, maybe we should go back to the root of the word.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=wyvern

If “wyvern” is derived from the latin word “vipera”, the “v” is pronounced as “w”, and the “i” would be a short vowel. Pronouncing the “i” as “ae” would be incorrect, and the “i” would be pronounced as it is in “whip”.

This only applies if we’re being proscriptive instead of descriptive though. ;p

Yes, and on that webpage you linked, there is another link to Dictionary.com. From there you can click on the little speaker icon to hear how it’s pronounced.

So, not why Vern?

And it matters because … ?

Nexxe’s proscription supports my natural inclination. So I’ll still be calling them whi-verns, tyvm.

LOL Wooden Potatoes has been driving me nuts with his Wivvern-ing…now you guys too?! Wind-up merchants

There’s complaints about this but not JORmag?
I blame Loki. /fistshake

Whine-verns……………………

Naevius.3185:

Whine-verns……………………

Aww, you said what I was thinking.
+1

I now go back to my world of kittehs and doges while I prepare my forces against the dargon Mordymoff.

~clears throat~ Because-vern.

Dictonary shows both pronounciations are applicable: why-vern and wiv-vern.

Wee Vern?
Wü Vern?
Dragon?

ill probably stick to those three, just to annoy people

Why vern? Bah! That’s not important. What’s important is, it’s RANG-ur, not RAIN-jur! As in, the bell rang. Who rang it? The ranger!

See also: ree VEN ant. And el em en TAL ist.

Because no wing is half the battle. See: Zhaitan (zie-TUN).

Why?

Wai-verne.

I’m with Matt Visual: let’s just call them Dragons. Little ones, to be sure. (Heck, if folks can consistently refer to an Elder Dragon’s mere Lieutenant by its boss’ name , I don’t see any trouble with calling Wyverns by a completely different name.)

Alternatively, I would love for ANet to actually tell us (in an official way) how they think Tyrians should pronounce the name (and perhaps its different among the different races, e.g. perhaps Asura say why-vern, but charr say vie-vurn, and grouch-o says, why-not?)

Pretty sure on release day they will just be called “ohcraplookoutimonfireimonfireimonfirecanigetarezplz”

Lol ‘burning, burning, burning!!’ <—— my asura

Greyhound.2058:

LOL Wooden Potatoes has been driving me nuts with his Wivvern-ing…now you guys too?! Wind-up merchants

LoL, W.P. was pretty much what instigated this thread. Bog Otter mentioned “Wivering” in one of his videos too. After watching so much content yesterday and the myriad of way’s people pronounced it, I figured this would be a fun topic to poke at.

And yes, Jim Varney was in my thoughts when I made the title

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I’m with Matt Visual: let’s just call them Dragons. Little ones, to be sure. (Heck, if folks can consistently refer to an Elder Dragon’s mere Lieutenant by its boss’ name , I don’t see any trouble with calling Wyverns by a completely different name.)

A wyvern isn’t a dragon. In fact in most folklore a wyvern has more in common with a basilisk or a mix between a bird and a serpent.

Claw of Jormag is Claw of Jormag, not Jormag himself. Most people I know refer to him as Claw for short, not as Jormag for short. But people who don’t know much about the lore might make the mistake and call him Jormag, just like people who don’t know much about European folklore might make the mistake to think a wyvern is a dragon and/or call it a “wih-vern” instead of how it should be pronounced: “why-vern”.

Greyhound.2058:

Lol ‘burning, burning, burning!!’ <—— my asura

My brain went to Sid Caesar saying “Oh… we on Fiya!!!” in “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World”.

LucosTheDutch.4819:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I’m with Matt Visual: let’s just call them Dragons. Little ones, to be sure. (Heck, if folks can consistently refer to an Elder Dragon’s mere Lieutenant by its boss’ name , I don’t see any trouble with calling Wyverns by a completely different name.)

A wyvern isn’t a dragon. In fact in most folklore a wyvern has more in common with a basilisk or a mix between a bird and a serpent.

Claw of Jormag is Claw of Jormag, not Jormag himself. Most people I know refer to him as Claw for short, not as Jormag for short. But people who don’t know much about the lore might make the mistake and call him Jormag, just like people who don’t know much about European folklore might make the mistake to think a wyvern is a dragon and/or call it a “wih-vern” instead of how it should be pronounced: “why-vern”.

I call it Jormag (with a Y) all the time. =P
Because if I say “claw”, half of the Charr community will turn around, thinking I called their name.

Rauderi.8706:

Because if I say “claw”, half of the Charr community will turn around, thinking I called their name.

There’s an idea for a new Char( r)-name – Jor Magclaw!

Wyverne and Shirley?

Doggie.3184:

Wyverne and Shirley?

HA!

Also, the most common pronunciations I have heard are “why-vern” and “wi-vern” with the second version’s first syllable similar to the word “wicked.”

DanteZero.9736:

Doggie.3184:

Wyverne and Shirley?

HA!

Also, the most common pronunciations I have heard are “why-vern” and “wi-vern” with the second version’s first syllable similar to the word “wicked.”

I think Colin prefers the 2nd one.

What about Nintendo Wii-Vern?

In Disney’s Gargoyles, it was pronounced Wih-vern, not Why-vern, and like any educated and intelligent person in the world, I base all my pronunciations on Gargoyles, because Gargoyles was the greatest kitten ed cartoon ever.

I fully expect the pronunciation I am less comfortable with (wih-vern), as that seems to be the trend in GW2. I’m looking at you, Geormag.

Meanwhile I’m still cringing every time I have to listen to a character in the game say ‘sen-tar’ rather than ‘sen-taw’.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

Meanwhile I’m still cringing every time I have to listen to a character in the game say ‘sen-tar’ rather than ‘sen-taw’.

Forgive me, but I have never heard a single person say ‘sen-taw’ in any context. I believe this is because of the obvious ‘r’ at the end of the word.

Behellagh.1468:

So, not why Vern?
https://dviw3bl0enbyw.cloudfront.net/uploads/forum_attachment/file/183708/Ernest_P._Worrell.jpg

That would be an awesome face to impose on them though. Imagine fighting one and it turns to look at you.

Andred.1087:

FlamingFoxx.1305:

Meanwhile I’m still cringing every time I have to listen to a character in the game say ‘sen-tar’ rather than ‘sen-taw’.

Forgive me, but I have never heard a single person say ‘sen-taw’ in any context. I believe this is because of the obvious ‘r’ at the end of the word.

This thread is filled with so much sawchasm that I’m not sure if anyone’s serious anymore. Also, I can totally imagine an American southern drawl or Bostonian r-dropper to say it that way. =P

corrosivechains.5476:

In Disney’s Gargoyles, it was pronounced Wih-vern, not Why-vern, and like any educated and intelligent person in the world, I base all my pronunciations on Gargoyles, because Gargoyles was the greatest kitten ed cartoon ever.

I disagree.

“Batman: the Animated Series” is a nice hot contender for that, if we’re only counting western/NA cartoons.

. . . and not CGI, otherwise I have “Reboot” as another contender.