Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2020 October 18

Language desk
< October 17 << Sep | October | Nov >> October 19 >
Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.


October 18

edit

Hi, our article Farmer_Giles_of_Ham gives two different phonetic pronunciations for the name of the dragon in the story. Neither is sourced. Wondering if the RefDesk can come up with the correct pronunciation, and a source to back it up, so we can take the other one out of the article? Thanks 70.67.193.176 (talk) 23:32, 18 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

One is the pronunciation of the name Dives, the other is (a) pronunciation of the Latin word dives. DuncanHill (talk) 23:41, 18 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for the reply, but it confuses me entirely. I know the name of the dragon is Dives and wish to know which of the two pronunciations is correct for it. Is your answer pointing to one over the other? Which one? And can you help with a citable source? Thank you again, 70.67.193.176 (talk) 16:30, 19 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
This forum thread goes with "dye-veez" per the OED in respect of Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus, but suggests a number of other possibilities depending on the style of Latin pronunciation employed. Alansplodge (talk) 07:51, 19 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you; I could definitely cite the OED. Are you sure that wouldn't be original research, though? Chrysophylax Dives is not mentioned in the OED, only Dives as a general name for a rich person.70.67.193.176 (talk) 16:30, 19 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Considering that its a fictional character in print, and the names are of Latin origin, mentioning the Latin pronunciation (w/source) would be okay if not helpful (IMO, not necessarily WP approved). 2606:A000:1126:28D:E116:9691:BB76:CCCB (talk) 18:08, 19 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Latin, or Greek? Of course, as Tolkien was a philologist, there's no telling what multilingual wordplay he might have had in mind. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 2.218.14.156 (talk) 15:31, 20 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
An Old Greek word sounding like dives? 2003:F5:6F03:6D00:CB5:9967:6083:46A2 (talk) 11:01, 23 October 2020 (UTC) Marco PB[reply]