# How do you pronounce 'Gawain'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2006, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254 "2006-03-21T05:44:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/1 "2006-03-21T05:44:21Z")
I know that, according intuitive modern spoken English, and therefore the most frequently heard, it’s **guh WAYNE**. But an Arthurian scholar, writer of books and junk, Ph.D., told me it was actually **GOW @n** (@=schwa). To rhyme with **plowin’**. He told me this was determined by analyzing rhymes in Chaucer and things like that. I need conclusive cites, if there is such a thing. Google gets me a 50-50 sampling. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/2 "2006-03-21T07:16:49Z")
I can’t find anything conclusive, either - my googling seems to show that both pronunciations are acceptable - but FWIW, my English Lit teacher in college declared that GOW-@n was correct. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/3 "2006-03-21T07:19:12Z")
Huh. I heard that it was an alternate spelling of “Gavin” and should be pronounced that way. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/4 "2006-03-21T07:49:31Z")
But…but… According to the PBS show “Between the Lions,” it’s pronounced to rhyme with “Wayne” only with a ‘G’ at the beginning. “Gawain’s Word, Gawain’s Word, Party On, Excellent!!” It’s educational television, right? Otherwise, I got nuttin’. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/5 "2006-03-21T08:42:38Z")
Hmm. There are a good handful of folks back home in NB who have this as a last name; it’s pronounced **GOW @n** , as in the OP. I have no idea how it would be pronounced as a first name, though. If I ever encountered it, I’d pronounce it “Gowan” unless corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/6 "2006-03-21T11:37:15Z")
My medieval lit teacher used to pronounce it GOW-ayne. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/7 "2006-03-21T13:12:21Z")
Well, all I can say is that this seems to be a necessary thread - there are almost as many pronunciation options as there are posters, so far. Who can help fight the ignorance here? It surely isn’t going to be me…and we clearly need cites! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/8 "2006-03-21T13:14:55Z")
I’ve always heard it pronounced “Gow@n.” ---
**Author:** ![Dusty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@Dusty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dusty)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/9 "2006-03-21T13:19:06Z")
Back in highschool, we pronounced it G’WAY-in. No cite, that’s just how we said it. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/10 "2006-03-21T13:45:12Z")
I know a Welsh Gawain, and he pronounces it GAH-win, sort of like Gavin, but with a “w” and more stress on the first syllable. I suppose if you substitue an American accent for his Welsh one, it would become “Gowin” to rhyme with “plowin”. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/11 "2006-03-21T14:18:56Z")
Another cite for GAHwayne: my 11th grade English teacher. I like GOW@n better myself. ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/12 "2006-03-21T15:07:07Z")
Yet another completely anecodotal cite: my eldest brother was into literature and told me it was pronounced “GOW-in”. (In fact, he downright scolded me for pronouncing it Gah-WAIN.) I assume some professor told him that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/13 "2006-03-21T15:18:22Z")
> [@Anastasaeon](#): > > Hmm. There are a good handful of folks back home in NB who have this as a last name; it’s pronounced **GOW @n** , as in the OP. I have no idea how it would be pronounced as a first name, though. If I ever encountered it, I’d pronounce it “Gowan” unless corrected. Ok. Pardon my ignorance. Where is **NB**? Sorry to sound so damn nosey but I’m wondering if NB has a large Welsh population. I’m going to kick myself when you tell me, huh? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/14 "2006-03-21T15:51:35Z")
> [@The Chao Goes Mu](#): > > Ok. Pardon my ignorance. Where is **NB**? Sorry to sound so damn nosey but I’m wondering if NB has a large Welsh population. > > I’m going to kick myself when you tell me, huh? I believe that’s New Brunswick. No info about about its Welshiness, though. I was also taught in college that it was GOW @n. I can give you [cites](http://pweb.jps.net/~sangreal/bhall.htm) from [Google,](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=Sir%20Gawain) but my professor was much more reliable a source. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/15 "2006-03-21T15:56:04Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > I believe that’s New Brunswick. No info about about its Welshiness, though. > > I was also taught in college that it was GOW @n. I can give you [cites](http://pweb.jps.net/~sangreal/bhall.htm) from [Google,](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=Sir%20Gawain) but my professor was much more reliable a source. Thanks mate! Oh, and I also was taught to pronounce it _Gow @n_. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/16 "2006-03-21T16:26:22Z")
Ima’ Gawain totha stoah now. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/17 "2006-03-21T16:58:39Z")
It’s pronounced _mangrove throat-warbler_. The correct spelling is “Raymond luxury yacht.” ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/18 "2006-03-21T17:21:43Z")
Well I’m glad that most of you seem to agree with me, of course. There’s a first time for everything! 😃 But see the thing is, I’m in a writing group, and one of us is writing this Arthurian thing, and he says “guh WAYNE.” I corrected him. I was jumped on by the rest of the group, told that I was nuts. It’s seven to one against the TRUTH!!! (A position that is not unfamiliar to me, of course.) I need cites! I need enought authority to rub seven noses in! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/19 "2006-03-21T17:33:41Z")
> [@NE Texan](#): > > Ima’ Gawain totha stoah now. Ooh, I didn’t know they spoke Gullah as far west as Texas! Cool. ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254/20 "2006-03-21T18:06:14Z")
I have about 3,265,857 books of Arthurian Literature at home. Most of them concur with Gow@n. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gawain/349254.md?page=2)