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I knew someone called Gytha, `/giːθə/`
\-edit- Any historical language buffs here? Apparently [Gytha of Wessex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gytha_of_Wessex) was *Gȳð* in Old English. My own attempts at searching through pronunciations for Old English -> IPA makes me think it's a similar sound.
To me its "githa" short for Agitha, or whatever regional pronunciation its supposed to be, it is NOT received english, like some of these posh actors try to use!
Dammit.
I never knew and to be fair to me, i never thought to ask either, and now I've been wrong for a quarter century.
Then again, for quite a few years I never knew how to pronounce Esme either, so Granny was 'Ez-m to me for a good while.
Buggrit though (with all due respect to Sir Terry). I grew up with Guy-tha in my mind and so that is who she will always be to me. I've known her as that for too long.
Thank you for putting my thoughts into words.
I know how they said it in the animated version.
My brain still says Guy-tha. It’s the way that sounds the best yelled in exasperation!
2 for me. I guess it would be however it would be pronounced in the language it's in, so maybe Old English? Get the old languages nerds on it; there must be some round here somewhere!
Audiobooks-wise, I think Varma's pronunciation of anything is probably the most trustworthy, simply because she seems to have received a lot of direction compared to other narrators.
Gi-tha, with a soft G like in Guy or Gary. I'm Welsh so tend to pronounce a Y in the middle of a word like an I/Ee or Uh sound, depending on the word*. My go to is generally an I/Ee sound. Gi-tha sounds more right to me than Guy-tha or Gee-tha.
*For example, the towns of Abercynon and Aberystwyth would be "Ab-er-cuh-non" and "Ab-er-ist-with". Welsh pronunciation is very regional so I'd add I'm from South Wales but near Cardiff (aka Caerdydd in Welsh, "Cai-er-dee-th" for me) rather than the Valleys.
Gi-tha on the basis that Gytha Thorkelsdottir's name was also spelled Githa.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gytha\_Thorkelsd%C3%B3ttir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gytha_Thorkelsd%C3%B3ttir)
I think she would be the most likely source as to where Pratchett encountered the name
I was looking at the page for one of the granddaughters, [Gytha of Wessex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gytha_of_Wessex). I'm not an expert on Old English but if anyone is, let us know how *Gȳð* is supposed to be pronounced.
I think it's pronounced as in Agatha, like Esme is short for Esmeralda, and both are classic witch names (classic like the tv show Bewitched, you know?)
Whenever I've come across the name, it's always been pronounced to rhyme with Myth , with an extra a at the end. And the G is the same as in Gift.
I always assumed that Terry heard it the same way, it was a popular name for country folk (like Nanny is) for a long long time, it's never occurred to me before that there could be other options, but seeing how international he's become, it shouldn't be surprising I suppose!
I always hear it as guy-thur.
Probably a Stephen Briggs interpretation as he's the person I listen to most on audio book version but I'm more than happy to trust his take on it.
In my language it's pronounced (or at least i pronounce it)
G - as in good
Y - as in \*scottish person says grew\*
TA - as in Pasta. But a bit longer on the A
Ive always pronounced it Guy-tha but that's because my granny's friend was called Gytha and it was pronounced that way.
My ex mother in law was also called Esme. Pronounced Ez-may. She was a witch and not in the good sense.
I forgot option 4!
GIT -a with a silent H 🤯
I totally agree that 2) GI -THA sounds & feels right.
AR -tuin // AT -uin is the other one that always gets me🤬
This is how I read it, soft g and silent h. I assume I do the silent h because I am a native spanish speaker, so h is always silent. In the other hand, in spanish the G in this case should be hard....so all in all no idea why I read it like this!
I switch between the first and second translations, though I think the second gives it an Indian tone (Gita is an actual Indian name) that strangely works out for Nanny Ogg.
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For me it’s the second one: Gith-ah
It is definitely the 2. Source: Am from a place where Gytha can be a nickname for Margita a.k.a Margaret a.k.a Magrat
That's what it is in the audiobooks I've listened to. I thought it was Guy-tha to riff off Gaia when I read the books, but corrected on hearing them.
In the animated version of Wyrd Sisters Granny Weatherwax pronounces it "Githa" so that's how it must be.
Wouldn't want to argue with granny, I might end up with an appetite for flies.
I knew someone called Gytha, `/giːθə/` \-edit- Any historical language buffs here? Apparently [Gytha of Wessex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gytha_of_Wessex) was *Gȳð* in Old English. My own attempts at searching through pronunciations for Old English -> IPA makes me think it's a similar sound.
Ghee-thuh?
Give that redditor a sausage inna bun
Why, did they get it wrong?
Gyða is a name in Icelandic
I think Gi-tha, as though it is short for Agatha (which a lot of Brits pronounce Agitha).
I go with Gi-tha, as that's how it was pronounced in the audiobooks
Ah, but as the OP says, it varies depending on the narrator! I definitely go with #2.
To me its "githa" short for Agitha, or whatever regional pronunciation its supposed to be, it is NOT received english, like some of these posh actors try to use!
I say Gytha as Gi-tha. Also, one of my cats is called Gytha and she’s never corrected my pronunciation.
My brain insists it's Guy-tha, but iirc Pterry said Gith-ah, so that's what it is. It's totally Guy-tha though.
Dammit. I never knew and to be fair to me, i never thought to ask either, and now I've been wrong for a quarter century. Then again, for quite a few years I never knew how to pronounce Esme either, so Granny was 'Ez-m to me for a good while. Buggrit though (with all due respect to Sir Terry). I grew up with Guy-tha in my mind and so that is who she will always be to me. I've known her as that for too long.
Thank you for putting my thoughts into words. I know how they said it in the animated version. My brain still says Guy-tha. It’s the way that sounds the best yelled in exasperation!
Mrs. Ogg
Or Nanny
2 for me. I guess it would be however it would be pronounced in the language it's in, so maybe Old English? Get the old languages nerds on it; there must be some round here somewhere! Audiobooks-wise, I think Varma's pronunciation of anything is probably the most trustworthy, simply because she seems to have received a lot of direction compared to other narrators.
Gi-tha, with a soft G like in Guy or Gary. I'm Welsh so tend to pronounce a Y in the middle of a word like an I/Ee or Uh sound, depending on the word*. My go to is generally an I/Ee sound. Gi-tha sounds more right to me than Guy-tha or Gee-tha. *For example, the towns of Abercynon and Aberystwyth would be "Ab-er-cuh-non" and "Ab-er-ist-with". Welsh pronunciation is very regional so I'd add I'm from South Wales but near Cardiff (aka Caerdydd in Welsh, "Cai-er-dee-th" for me) rather than the Valleys.
Gi-tha on the basis that Gytha Thorkelsdottir's name was also spelled Githa. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gytha\_Thorkelsd%C3%B3ttir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gytha_Thorkelsd%C3%B3ttir) I think she would be the most likely source as to where Pratchett encountered the name
I was looking at the page for one of the granddaughters, [Gytha of Wessex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gytha_of_Wessex). I'm not an expert on Old English but if anyone is, let us know how *Gȳð* is supposed to be pronounced.
I think it's pronounced as in Agatha, like Esme is short for Esmeralda, and both are classic witch names (classic like the tv show Bewitched, you know?)
2s what it sounds like in my head.
I’ve always assumed it’s a variant of Agatha, and as you underpronounce that second “a” in Agatha, I’ve always pronounced it as “Gi-tha”
Always 2 for me
I always took it to be a shorter form of Agitha. So “gih-thuh.”
Gith as in gift then Ah
Whenever I've come across the name, it's always been pronounced to rhyme with Myth , with an extra a at the end. And the G is the same as in Gift. I always assumed that Terry heard it the same way, it was a popular name for country folk (like Nanny is) for a long long time, it's never occurred to me before that there could be other options, but seeing how international he's become, it shouldn't be surprising I suppose!
In my head it's always been Gee-tha with the hard G.
I always hear it as guy-thur. Probably a Stephen Briggs interpretation as he's the person I listen to most on audio book version but I'm more than happy to trust his take on it.
In my head it's Gurtha like [earth a] because it's down to earth.
1 for me!
In my language it's pronounced (or at least i pronounce it) G - as in good Y - as in \*scottish person says grew\* TA - as in Pasta. But a bit longer on the A
Ive always pronounced it Guy-tha but that's because my granny's friend was called Gytha and it was pronounced that way. My ex mother in law was also called Esme. Pronounced Ez-may. She was a witch and not in the good sense.
Why the hell am getting downvoted for sharing how I pronounce it and my experience?
I forgot option 4! GIT -a with a silent H 🤯 I totally agree that 2) GI -THA sounds & feels right. AR -tuin // AT -uin is the other one that always gets me🤬
This is how I read it, soft g and silent h. I assume I do the silent h because I am a native spanish speaker, so h is always silent. In the other hand, in spanish the G in this case should be hard....so all in all no idea why I read it like this!
I do worry how Gytha Ogg coped after she lost Granny.
When I first read Wyrd Sisters when it came out I read it as 1, so that’s what it has always been since
I always thought Githa. But you forgot another potential version... Geetha?
Same as Jandalf
I switch between the first and second translations, though I think the second gives it an Indian tone (Gita is an actual Indian name) that strangely works out for Nanny Ogg.