How do you pronounce cthulhu?

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Rÿcher, Aug 25, 2008.

  1. Rÿcher

    Rÿcher Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2008
    Location:
    That wretched hive of scum and villany
    I say it "ka-thoo-loo". It's probably wrong. It could be "kith-oo-loo"
     
  2. Brendan Moody

    Brendan Moody Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2003
    Location:
    Maine
    From S.T. Joshi's H.P. Lovecraft: A Life:
    "In various letters Lovecraft appears to give somewhat different pronunciations; his canonical utterance, however, occurs in 1934:
    ...The one pronunciation we can definitively rule out... is Ka-thul-hoo. [Donald] Wandrei states that he had initially pronounced it this way in Lovecraft's presence and received nothing but a blank stare in return."
     
  3. Misfit Toy

    Misfit Toy Caped Trek Mod Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2002
    Location:
    Transporter buffer
  4. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    The one time I've actually heard it spoken aloud was in an episode of the animated The Real Ghostbusters called "The Collect Call of Cthulhu." There, they pronounced it essentially as "k'too-loo." So I've always interpreted the "th" not as a voiceless dental fricative as in English, but as an aspirated T (voiceless alveolar plosive) as in the Ancient Greek pronunciation of the letter theta. Same with the lh; I treat it as an aspirated L.
     
  5. The Borg Queen

    The Borg Queen Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2006
    Location:
    Does it matter?
  6. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2003
    Location:
    Beach condo, Bay of Eldamar
    I try not to.

    I once had to make a saving throw against one of his tentacles because someone said his name aloud. ....didn't seem worth the risk after that. :lol:
    [​IMG]
     
  7. Temis the Vorta

    Temis the Vorta Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 1999
    Location:
    Tatoinne
    Floyd.

    Hmm, what's that I see moving behind me, out of the corner of my eye?
     
  8. grabmygoblin

    grabmygoblin Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2003
    Location:
    Albany, NY
    "kith-oo-loo"
    probably the wisest move. :lol:
     
  9. zenophite

    zenophite Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    May 9, 2003
    Location:
    AlphaVerse
    I don't know but that's who I'm voting for come November.
     
  10. Sephiroth

    Sephiroth Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2004
    Location:
    Sephiroth
    *breaks out Necronomicon* Sagath Cthilhu omnomibus norac avados zen k'avadatha n'guc'to KATHA'BBATH'ANADA'RA
     
  11. captcalhoun

    captcalhoun Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2005
    Location:
    everywhere
    Kuh-thoo-loo

    that's how someone pronounced it to me, who knew Lovecraft more'n me...
     
  12. zenophite

    zenophite Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    May 9, 2003
    Location:
    AlphaVerse
    You said it ALL FUCKING WRONG! gods damn amateurs....
     
  13. Gepard

    Gepard Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2007
    I've always pronounced it "Kthul-hoo." (Kind of swallowing the "kuh" and "thul" sounds together.)

    I think I'd need to hear somebody pronounce that before I could even begin to imagine what it's supposed to sound like!
     
  14. The Borg Queen

    The Borg Queen Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2006
    Location:
    Does it matter?
    Isn't that Klingon for "I want your babies"?
     
  15. Sephiroth

    Sephiroth Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2004
    Location:
    Sephiroth
    ^^aparently i opened a portal to limbo over NYC
     
  16. JuanBolio

    JuanBolio Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2003
    Location:
    Florida Keys, USA
    How do you pronounce mighty Cthulhu's name? You don't. He eats you before you can utter a syllable.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2008
  17. The Laughing Vulcan

    The Laughing Vulcan Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2004
    Location:
    At The Laughing Vulcan's party...
  18. ELURIA

    ELURIA Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2001
    How do you pronounce cthulhu?

    Simple. You don't !

    If you know what's good for you...
     
  19. dragunzng

    dragunzng Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2003
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    I've pronounced it multiple times while reading this thread and nothing's happened to *hurk!*
     
  20. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2003
    Location:
    Beach condo, Bay of Eldamar
    No wonder no one noticed! :p
    [​IMG]