How do you pronounce...

[Barrel]

After years of sometimes-quasi-obsession with the Traveller OTU I don't know why this occurred to me now, but how do you pronounce VILANI? I've always said it with a long A, VI-LAH-NEE. Perhaps it's significant in light of their role as the enemies of Terra in Imperium, which I think is where they were introduced, that it could be pronounced with a short A--that is, VILLAINY!

 

[LeperColony]

I recall reading once that the inspiration for the various Humaniti names (Vilani, Solomani, Zhodani, etc) came from a Roman-era war game, where all the tribes had latinized names like Alemanni. So I'd think the pronunciation would be pretty much how you've been doing it, with the "i" being an elongated "e" sound.

 

[aramis]

After years of sometimes-quasi-obsession with the Traveller OTU I don't know why this occurred to me now, but how do you pronounce VILANI? I've always said it with a long A, VI-LAH-NEE. Perhaps it's significant in light of their role as the enemies of Terra in Imperium, which I think is where they were introduced, that it could be pronounced with a short A--that is, VILLAINY!

bee-lawn-deen

 

[Supplement Four]

I say...three syllables...

Vil ...as in Villain

an ...as in "on"

i ..as in "ee".



But, there is a pronunciation key in the Vilani & Vargr soucebook for MegaTraveller, IIRC.

 

[aramis]

I say...three syllables...

Vil ...as in Villain

an ...as in "on"

i ..as in "ee".



But, there is a pronunciation key in the Vilani & Vargr soucebook for MegaTraveller, IIRC.

And the Vilani Language has no V sound...
Looking at the Ref's Companion and the V&V tables...
allowed first sounds: K G M D L SH KH N S P B Z R
allowed vowels: A E I U AA II UU
Allowed ending sounds: R N M SH G S D P K

That A is the sound in lock
The E is short, as in men
the I is supposed to be i as in kit, hit, bit, fit.
the U as in fun, run, gun
The vilani doubles are not on the pronunciation key, but may be different tones on the same base vowel...

 

[Spinward Scout]

I pronounce it:

VIL - like the medicine Advil.
AN - like the name Ann.
I - like the 'y' in Granny

Villainy is close and somebody made a post a while back with the title/subject line: "Scum and Vilani" - a reference to Star Wars when Obi-Wan calls Mos Eisley a "wreched hive of scum and villainy."

 

[GypsyComet]

Vih-LAH-nee

 

[Ishmael]

The initial 'V' represents a voiced bilabial fricative. It is written using a Greek letter beta, according to the international phonetic alphabet, thus the 'B' consonant in the tables and not a 'V'.
A 'V', in english, represents a voiced labiodental fricative, which sounds different and would mark you as having an odd accent.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I pronounce it the way my computers say it.

 

[Barrel]

"Scum and Vilani". LOL I Like it.

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

Vilani (vih-LAH-nee): The name of a human major race (Homo sapiens vlandensis) that developed on Vland from terrestrial human stock 'seeded' there by the Ancients. Vilani are generally known for their social conservatism, cultural pride, and preference for fermented and processed foods.