A Note on Pronunciations

My version of the Faerie realm contains countries inspired by fairy folktales from around the wold. While I love and respect the lore and languages represented in these myths and folktales, I am not a native speaker of any language but English. Neither my Irish nor my husband’s Scandinavian ancestries have given us any abilities to pronounce the names of people or places perfectly, but I have tried my best to research the proper pronounciations for you here.

If you are a native speaker of one of these languages and notice something I got wrong, I’d love to learn from you.

Google + my Canadian accent aren’t going to get it perfect, and some names have more than one way to say them, but I hope this guide will help give you an idea of how the names in The Frost Gate would be spoken.

Characters in The Frost Gate

Aelfred – ay-el-fred – Dwarf – Doctor at Nidavellir

Amber – am-burr – Human – Apprentice Fairy Godmother, Isobel’s younger sister.

Audrey – auh- dree – Human – Apprentice Spellcrafter

Bronach – bro-nahk – Tuatha – Moriath and Oonagh’s sister

Brynjar – brin-yahr – Dwarf – Former Runecrafting Master at Nidavellir

Cara – cah-rah – Asrai – serving staff at Nidavellir

Chloe/Clíodhna – klee-uh-nah – Fairy Godmother

Calder – call – dur – Tuatha/Dearg Due – Cook for the Fianna

Darach – dah-ruh (with a hint of ck) – Piskie – Prince

Declan – deck-lan – Tuatha – Co-captain of the Fianna

Dylan – dill-in – Faoladh

Ella – ell (rhymes with bell) ah – Human – Seelie Queen. Married to Tiernan.

Ena – eh-nah – Brownie – Housekeeper at Kilinaire

Eimear – ay-mur – Asrai – Cara’s mother

Estrid – east-rid – Dwarf – warrior and runecrafter. Ulf’s daughter.

Falcor – fal (rhymes with Mal) core- Ryū(small dragon) – Isobel’s Pet

Fiachra – fee-ah-chra – tuatha – former Seelie King. Tiernan’s father.

Fionnbharr – fyun-var – Tuatha – former Unseelie King. Niamh’s father.

Frederick Otus Sharpbeak the Third (Fluffy) – fred-rick – White Eagle Owl

Gavin – gav-in – Faoladh – Audrey’s boyfriend

Gustav – goos-tahv – Dwarf – head chef at Nidavellir

Haru – hah-roo – Kami – Fianna member and ryu (small dragon) daddy

Hedda – head-ah – Dragon

Hreidmar – hreed (rhymes with reed) -mar – Dwarf – Former Dwarven King

Isobel – is-o-bell – Human – The Rose Princess. Amber’s older sister. Married to Leith.

Jac – jack – Tuatha – Fianna member and spellcrafter

Kylian – kill-ee-an – Aziza – Moriath’s Huntsman. Saoirse’s older brother.

Leith – like Leaf, but a th instead of an f. – The Rose Prince. Married to Isobel

Liadan – lee-a-dan – Cait Sìth

Maeve – mave (rhymes with wave) – Tuatha – Niamh’s younger sister

Moriath – mor-ee-ath– Tuatha – Unseele Queen. Oonagh and Bronach’s sister

Neve – nev – human- baker in Pilot Bay

Niamh – neevf (just a hint of the f) – Tuatha – Unseelie Crown Princess

Nora – nor-ah – Glaistig – Kitchen staff at Nidavellir

Oonagh – oo-nah – Tuatha – Former Unseelie Queen. Niamh’s mother.

Ránach – ra-nack – Falcon – Moriath’s familiar

Saoirse – Sur-sha – Aziza – Fianna co-captain. Kylian’s younger sister.

Sofie – so-phi – Dragon

Solveig – soul-vay – Dwarf – Former Queen

Tait – tate (rhymes with hate) – Poukha – Staff at Killinaire

Tiernan – tear (like crying) nin – Tuatha – Seelie King. Married to Ella.

Treasa – tra-sa – Tuatha – Newest Fianna member

Ulf – oolf – Dwarf – King of Nidavellir – Estrid’s father. Ulrik’s brother.

Ulrik – ool-rik – Dwarf – King of Nidavellir – Estrid’s uncle. Ulf’s brother.

 

• Tuatha is short for Tuatha Dé Danann (too-ha day dan-on)

 

Places

 

Álfheimr – alf-hey-mer – The Norse Faerie Country

The Forests of the Aziza – uh-zee-za – The West African Faerie Country

Kilinaire – kill-ih-nair – The Castle of the Rose Court

Nidavellir – need-ah-ve-klihr – The Dwarven home in Tír na nÓg

Skyretaine – skyr-tain (rhymes with rain) – Home of the Unseelie Monarchs

Tír na nÓg – tear-na-nog – The Celtic Faerie Country