I assume the author invented the word, since the first 5 pages of google responses are about the book (might be more, I gave up after that).
My inclination is to pronounce the CW as a QU, making it “Quidder” which sounds like the UK slang equivalent of our Fiver. I’m not sure why I have this inclination, though, since we don’t seem to have any cw words in English, so it’s not based on a similar word…
Does anyone know if the author has ever said how to say it? If not, how would you say it and why?
The bios I looked up say she’s London born and raised, so I suppose it’s possible she was going for Welsh. I haven’t read anything else in the book yet that sounds remotely Welsh, though.
I immediately knew which book you were on about fromm the question. It’s one of my longstanding childhood favourites, though I like Charmed Life even better. In a slight hijack I wonder if the book is famous enough for people to immediately go “cart” at the mention of “cwidder”, like you seem to assume.
As for pronounciation, I’ve always pronounced it just like you do. I’ve never even considered any alternatives. Now that I’ve given it a little thought I think that it is very likely that it is it a “k” sound so that it alliterates with “cart”.
In Welsh, ‘cw’ would be pronounced as it’s written, though the ‘w’ would have a more ‘oo’ quality to it. However, a double-d is a soft ‘th’ sound, so if it is meant to be Welsh, it’d be pronounced “koo-ith-er” with equal emphasis to all the syllables and a slightly roller ‘r’.
Oh, I didn’t think it did. I was just thinking that people with say fiver, so if someone made a slang term for a quid, it could be quidder (no one really says that, though, I assume.) My thought wasn’t about the amount, just that both were money.
While we’re at it, how would a Welsh person pronounce the Australian placename Vale of Clwydd? The locals pronounce it Clue-id, so I guess consensus makes that correct, but I can imagine a Welshman cringing at that. Is it Cley-eth or something like that?
“Cwidder”, IFF going for a Welsh effect, as jjimm says, with the “th” a bit like as in English whether", “though”.
“Clwyd” - TheLoadedDog, I am terribly impressed by your local Aussies - I’d say they are right , only apart from making that final “id” bit sound, again, more like the “th” in “whether”, as opposed, for instance, to the “th” in “through”. I really am impressed, considering the disgusting lack of attempt often made by people visiting Wales to get anything even remotely right. (But I suppose there are jsut always some people like that, no matter what the language - damn and blast them!)
DISCLAIMER, though - I am not Welsh, so when a real Welsh person* comes along, they can answer with more precision than I. I did live in West Wales for a while though, if that helps. Tee hee - and stole my screen name from Welsh - bad me. (And I wish I were there still, sob, sob)
I have a notion that the poster Elenfair speaks Welsh - I think I briefly discussed that with her once.
