Pronunciations of the Whole "-ra -ga -ja" Spell Trees.

[Yar]

How do you pronounce it?

Personally, I think it actually should be pronounced just like the kana way of spelling them. However, I don't always follow my own belief. :p

My ways:

Fira - FEE-rah
Firaga - fee-RAH-guh
Firaja - fee-RAH-juh

Blizzara - blih-ZAH-ruh
Blizzaga - blih-ZAH-guh
Blizzaja - blih-ZAH-juh

Thundara - thun-DAH-ruh
Thundaga - thun-DAH-guh
Thundaja - thun-DAH-juh

Cura - kyur-AH
Curaga - kyur-AH-guh
Curaja - kyur-AH-juh

And then there're funky ones like: Hastega - I seem to alternate between HAYST-guh and ah-STAY-guh.

Are there any provable pronunciations? How do you pronounce them?

[Roto13]

Most of those are pretty obvious. xP I'd go with "Fire-ah" etc. for the Fire spells, though.

[Vermachtnis]

I say, Blizz-ARA/AGA/AJA! in a loud booming voice waking everyone up. Other than that and what Roto said I pronounce like you.

[Momiji]

How do you pronounce it?

Personally, I think it actually should be pronounced just like the kana way of spelling them. However, I don't always follow my own belief. :p


Mainly because you're incorrect. The 'fi' 「フィ」 kana is not used in 'Fire'. 'Fire' in katakana is 「ファイア」 (faia). Therefore, you would pronounce it almost like you would in English--

「ファイア」 (faia) = Fire
「ファイラ」 (faira)　= Fira
「ファイラガ」　(fairaga) = Firaga
「ファイラジャ」　(fairaja) = Firaja

「ブリザド」 (burizado) = Blizzard
「ブリザラ」　(burizara) = Blizzara
「ブリザガ」 (burizaga) = Blizzaga
「ブリザジャ」 (burizaja) = Blizzaja

I'm not exactly sure what 'Thunder' is when changed to katakana though. But these examples should give the main idea. However, since most spell names are in katakana, I just pronounce them in English.

[Zeromus_X]

サンダー (sandaa) = Thunder
サンダラ (sandara) = Thundara
サンダガ (sandaga) = Thundaga
サンダジャ (sandaja) = Thundaja

Anyway, the katakana pronunciation is usually pretty straightforward so I just use that.

[Momiji]

サンダー (sandaa) = Thunder
サンダラ (sandara) = Thundara
サンダガ (sandaga) = Thundaga
サンダジャ (sandaja) = Thundaja

Anyway, the katakana pronunciation is usually pretty straightforward so I just use that.

That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. :p

[Cyric]

Here ya go, bookmark this page...it lists kana, katakana, and even kanji. you gotta enable to kanji manually though (at the bottom of the search results), cuz of all the images that it needs to be loaded...

My favourite japanese word right now is: mokushiroku

It sounds better than the english word...:)...it's also the name I gave to my first battleship in EVE-Online...

Japanese <-> English Dictionary Server (http://enterprise.ottix.net/cgi-bin/j-e/dict)

[Jessweeee♪]

FYE-rah
Fye-RAH-gah
Fye-RAH-jah
etc

Then with Haste, I say Haste-EGG-gah. Like EGGS. Because eggs are quirky, right :</>D?


EDIT:

Some of my friends say AY-gah :p

[Comet]

I go for the Fie-rah and Fie-ragah pronounciation.

and Cue-ra
Cue-raga
Cue-rajah

[ReloadPsi]

I had a dyslexic friend who kept saying "Fiagra".

If there are only two syllables, I emphasise the first one like so:
FAI-ra

Then the middle one if there's three:
Fai-RA-ga

So according to that, I then go:
Thun-DA-ga (Actually I say the Japanese "Sandagaa" because I think it sounds hilarious but that's irrelevant at this point)
HASTE-ga (two syllables for me; "haste" and "ga")
Pro-TECT-ga

...and so on.

It seems to be generally agreed on here that "ga" is pronounced like the "g" in dog and not the "g" in "gem", which makes sense because "a" is a hard vowel, not a soft vowel ("e" and "i" are soft vowels). This is further hammered home by the presence of "ja" level spells.

Of course the French version of FF8 makes it easier by just saying "Cure, Cure+, Cure Max" and so on. Of course FF8 had no level four spells so I've no idea what level four ones are called.

[Xalioniaf]

Pro-tekt-rah
Pro-tekt-ga
Eh-soon-ah
Poi-sin-ah

[rubah]

hard g, french j.
fear'-ah
fear-ah'-gah
fear-ah'-zhah

[Exdeath]

Eggs-de-th
Keh-ef-kuh
Sep-herr-oth

[Roto13]

I've recently begun questioning my pronunciation of 'regen'. Is it "reh gen" or "ree jen"?

[Exdeath]

As in "regenerate"

[Zeromus_X]

I've recently begun questioning my pronunciation of 'regen'. Is it "reh gen" or "ree jen"?

The Japanese pronunciations makes it sound like "Regain", which makes sense, but I personally think "Regenerate" sounds more natural.

[rubah]

It took me a long time to realize it was supposed to be regen[erate], so I just called it reagan.

who draws out the u sound in esuna? my ff5 rom translated it as esna, but it took a while before I realized it was the same spell so I alternate between pronouncing the u heavily and just kinda skipping over it japanesystyle.

[Yar]

who draws out the u sound in esuna? my ff5 rom translated it as esna, but it took a while before I realized it was the same spell so I alternate between pronouncing the u heavily and just kinda skipping over it japanesystyle.

I used to say Eh-sue-nah, but Tellah in the IV remake seems to say eh-suh-nah.

[Xalioniaf]

I've recently begun questioning my pronunciation of 'regen'. Is it "reh gen" or "ree jen"?

The Japanese pronunciations makes it sound like "Regain", which makes sense, but I personally think "Regenerate" sounds more natural.
What do they call Regain (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Regain) then? I know it's only in one game, but...
Personally, Regen for me is pronounced with a soft g, like Reagan.

[ReloadPsi]

Esuna appears to be a Japanese word (is it?) so I pronounce it muting the "U", though not entirely.

"Regen" I pronounce as part of "regenerate", though the "Regain" pronunciation is certainly interesting! I also knew people who pronounced it "Ray-guhn" as in the German word for "rain", not realising where it actually originated.

[Momiji]

Esuna appears to be a Japanese word (is it?) so I pronounce it muting the "U", though not entirely.

"Regen" I pronounce as part of "regenerate", though the "Regain" pronunciation is certainly interesting! I also knew people who pronounced it "Ray-guhn" as in the German word for "rain", not realising where it actually originated.

Not sure on the origin of Esuna, but it reminds me of Asuna from Mahou Sensei Negima!, so I pronounce it like that, just with an 'eh' sound instead of an 'ah' sound.

As for regen, I pronounce it as if it was part of 'regenerate' as well. For Regain, I'd probably say it like it's spelled, because 'reh-gah-ee-n' just sounds weird.

[21evil1]

I have always said "U-seen-yuh" and "Regain" but I know that's not right at all. ~lol~ There are tons of awkward words in these games. =[
as for the black magic spells:

Fire ( English pronounce)
Fira - Fire- uh
Firaga - Fear (say it fast towards the end ) ah - guh
Firaja - Fear - ah juh
I used to say it like :
Fire
Fire - uh
Fire - gah
Fire - juh

Blizzard (norm. Eng.)
Blizzara - Blizz - air- uh
Blizzaga - Blizz - ah- guh
Blizzaja - Blizz - ah- juh

Thunder (norm. Eng.)
Thundara - Thun - dare - uh
Thundaga - Thun - dah - guh
Thundaja - Thun - dah - juh

Cure (norm. )
Cura - Cure - uh
Curaga - Cure - ah - guh
Curaja - Cure - ah - juh


But all these are just me, OK, how about "Kjata" ? (FFVII )
I say :
Kuh - jah - tuh

I am sure there are TONS more, just in the FF7 installment only (that's the one I am working on right now, for the billionth time...)
12 is useful for the characters speaking, and IDK, about 8, haven't played that in a long time, as well as 9, and 10 has voice.

[Momiji]

But all these are just me, OK, how about "Kjata" ? (FFVII )
I say :
Kuh - jah - tuh


Oh wow, I have no idea. I always pronounced it as if the j was silent 'Kya-ta' or 'Ka-ta'. I'm pretty much positive that's wrong, but that's what I've always pronounced that one. It would help if I could see the kana for it. :p

[qwertysaur]

クジャタ Kujata
kjata is koo-jah-tah. It's a misspelling of Kujuta.

I tend to use soft sounds when pronouncing spells, except for the u,which is always an oo sound. I also always would pronounce Esuna es-oo-nah. Funny that it's actually the correct way to pronounce it :p


With the -ra, -ga and -ja

I add them to

Fih for fire spells
ex fih-rah for fira
Bliz-zah for Blizzard spells
bliz-zah-rah for blizzara
thun-dah for Thunder spells
thun-dah-rah for thundara
wah-teh for Water spells
wah-teh-rah for watera
kyoo for Cure spells
kyoo-rah for Cura

[NeoTifa]

i always pronounced it ree gun

[Roogle]

I believe that Esuna is based on the concept of 「S-na」 in which S represents status effects and -na represents the concept of negation. Does that make sense?

[Laddy]

I pronounce it the way the based word it and simply addany extra letters to the pronunciation.

[qwertysaur]

I believe that Esuna is based on the concept of 「S-na」 in which S represents status effects and -na represents the concept of negation. Does that make sense?
I never thought of it that way, and it makes perfect sense :p

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

「ファイラガ」　(fairaga) = Firaga
「ファイラジャ」　(fairaja) = FirajaIt's just ファイガ (Figa) and ファイジャ (Fija), actually.

[Ouch!]

[faj̯rə]
[fajrɑgə]
[fajrɑd͡ʑə]

Not gonna do it for the others. Searching down the IPA is a pain in the ass. I should download the bloody font.

[Zeromus_X]

「ファイラガ」　(fairaga) = Firaga
「ファイラジャ」　(fairaja) = FirajaIt's just ファイガ (Figa) and ファイジャ (Fija), actually.

Didn't they start using more syllables starting with FFVIII? Or did they still continue to just use four characters?

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

It's the same as ever. "Firaga" and "Firaja" are inventions of the localization staff.

Same deal with Cure, really. In Japan, it's Curega, not Curaga, for example.

[Freie-Kefka]

Amazing topic XD

Umh, let's see...

Fira - Fairuh
Firaga - Fairuhga
Firaja - Faireija
Blizzara - Bleezzara
Blizzaga - Bleezzaga
Blizzaja - Bleezzeija
Thundara - TH(something between F and S)andara
Thundaga - TH(idem)andaga
Thundaja - THandeija
Gravity - as it's pronounced in English (in Italian this spell is named "Antima")
Graviga (or Gravija) - Greivija (in Italian it's called Antigrav or Antiga)
Flare - Flair
Ultima - Oulteema
Cure/Cura/Curaga/Curaja - Kyoor/Kyoora/Kyooraga/Kyooreija
(In Italian it's called Energia/Energira/Energiga/Megaene)
Regen - Reeg'n
Haste/Hastega - Haist/Haistega
Bio - Beeo
Holy - Holee (in Italian it's Sancta)
Kjata - Keeatuh
Esuna - Esnuh

[Markus. D]

I agree with Esnuh~


and the others are pretty straight forward..