Ocarina of Time How Do You Pronounce Gerudo?

[Michael Heide]

But as a hobby linguist, I'm still interested even more in the etymology of the word.

I don't speak any Japanese, so the following "explanation" goes without warranty, anybody may feel free to correct me:

I have some basic clues as to how foreign words are transcribed in Japanese (using the Katakana script). As far as I know, most consonant clusters (2 and more consonants in a row, as in "sixths") except /ts/, /tʃ/, /dz/, /dʒ/ and those starting with /n/ are dissolved to syllabes. These syllabes start with the first consonant+u and then the 2nd consonant+following vowel (if there is any) or 2nd consonant+u, except for the consonants /t/ and /d/, which become /to/ and /do/ in absence of a following vowel. Furthermore, /r/ and /l/ fall together in Katakana transcription.
Examples:
A word ending in -cta /-kta/ would be transcribed as -クタ /-kuta/.
A word ending in -ct /-kt/ would be transcribed as -クト /-kuto/.
(Confused yet? )

Not at all.

If I look at "Gerudo" now, it seems very likely that this is a Romaji transcription of "ゲルド", which in turn - considering the transcription rules above - might be derived from "Geld", which is the German word for "money". The fact that there were desert enemies in aLttP called " [/COLOR]Geldarm" and the fact that the Gerudo are desert thieves (and therefore probably strive for money) make this etymology seem very likely to me.

I concur.

And considering that both the Katakana "ゲ" and the "Ge-" in German "Geld" are pronounced with a velar g like in English "get", I'm even more tending towards that pronunciation.

Exactly. By the way "Jerudo" (or rather, "Jeld") would be "ジェルド".

 

[TheWakerofWinds]

Ger-Ru-Doe.

I don't think I say it right (I use to say Hyrulean instead of Hylian xD)

 

[linksbro321]

I say it with a "G". That's how I always thought it was spelled.

 

[onebizarrekai]

I have always pronounced it "Jerudo". So has my sister.
I've never thought of pronouncing it the other way. Ever. To me Gherudo just sounds sort of weird…

 

[Escohobita]

I pronounce it as Guh-roo-doh. I actually have heard some of my friends pronounce it as "jerduo" before, though.

 

[Michael Heide]

(I use to say Hyrulean instead of Hylian xD)

Well, there is both. Hylians are those pointy-eared humans like Link. Hyrulians are all the people living in Hyrule, including Gorons, Zora, Kokiri, Gerudo, etc.

 

[kittensouls]

I sort of slur it into "Gru-dough"

 

[Peace Of Heart]

I pronounce it "jerudo" simply because it looks like it. You know how to pronounce words you've never seen before in your native language because it's just second nature. However, with a name it can be tricky because names don'y obey any rules.

At any rate, when the "g" is followed by a "er" like in Gerudo it automatically looks like it should have a "J" sound because the only word that I can think of having the "g" sound with those letters is with the male name "Ger"(gh-air).

But since Gerudo is a name and that Nintendo hasn't confirmed anything about it(as far as I know) it can go both ways. As I said before, names have no limits as far as spelling and pronunciation

 

[lilwilly]

(gu-ru-dow) i think so... 3:13

 

[mooper11]

gu-roo-doh. thats how i think its pronounced

 

[Heros Temporis]

I've always said it as "Guh-Roo-Doh".

 

[Skalla]

I've always pronounced it "juh-ROO-doh." With a distinct hard g-j sound, and emphasis on the second syllable. I probably wouldn't stop pronouncing it that way even if Miyamoto came out and told us that was the wrong pronunciation. Zelda allows for that kind of creativity when it omits voice-acting. If I wanted, I could pronounce it "jay-row-DAH" and it wouldn't be wrong.

 

[nicktheslayer]

Ive always said guh-ROO-doh

(30 chars now?)

 

[KratosFan]

There REALLY is no correct way to pronounce it, as with many things in zelda. like Hylia and Highlia. The game uses text so you can say things however you want and have your own adventure without it telling you how everything is. I personally prefer this because it makes it more open for people to experience the game their way, as opposed to the same way as everyone else. I personally pronoune it Geh-Roo-Doh but Jeh-roo-doh or any other pronunciation is just as valid

 

[C_Dude1579]

I'm pretty sure it's Ger-roo-doe. I don't think it could be anything else.