# Pronounce Conan (the Barbarian) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098 "2011-06-20T02:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/1 "2011-06-20T02:26:52Z")
Cone-ann, e.g. the Schwarzenegger films, or Koh-nin, like “ronin,” e.g. Conan O’Brien ? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/2 "2011-06-20T02:45:46Z")
Koh-nan. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/3 "2011-06-20T02:53:16Z")
Another for Koh-nan Aside: Is this the weekend of the pronunciation threads or what? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/4 "2011-06-20T03:09:57Z")
As if I was explaining that a goat was included. Co-nan ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/5 "2011-06-20T03:11:50Z")
I prefer KOH-nahn. Only in English (and sometimes in French) does A make the sound as in cat. And only English would use the schwa (KOH-nuhn) or neutral I (KOH-nin). ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/6 "2011-06-20T04:15:26Z")
I used to say it like O’Brien but then when I actually watched the movies, they say koh-nan, so I had to change. A slow, reluctant change, but I did it eventually. Also my friends said koh-nan so I couldn’t be the only one doing it wrong ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/7 "2011-06-20T07:46:22Z")
Other: koʊnən/Koh-nən. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/8 "2011-06-20T08:25:58Z")
I used to pronounce it as in the movies, but after reading the stories and discovering that Howard intended Conan to be a proto-Welshman, I trained myself to say it the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/9 "2011-06-20T09:17:54Z")
Random language note: “Conan” is Hebrew for “disk drive”, as in, “I’m going to defrag Conan D.” ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/10 "2011-06-20T09:33:45Z")
Koh-nan the Baa-baa-ee-Anne (as in Barbara Ann) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/11 "2011-06-20T12:11:08Z")
Koh-nan ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/12 "2011-06-20T13:41:31Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I used to pronounce it as in the movies, but after reading the stories and discovering that Howard intended Conan to be a proto-Welshman, I trained myself to say it the other way. If he were a proto-Welshman, it would Kenan (Modern Cynan). “Kün-ahn” is closest. Conan is for proto-Bretons (modern Konan, kohn-ahn). Depending on how proto, it’s a straight-up U if you go back far enough. The Irish name is related. The Barbarian to me is Cone-Ann. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/13 "2011-06-20T14:13:55Z")
If you don’t know the answer, he will cast you out of Valhalla and laugh at you. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/14 "2011-06-20T14:15:35Z")
The barbarian is Koh-nan. The talk show guy is Koh-nin. These are indisputable, as we have canonical evidence to support each. When Conan O’Brien got his first hosting job and nobody knew who he was, they made it quite clear that his name was not pronounced like the movie character’s name. Other people named Conan may pronounce it however they want, but these two are not in doubt. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/15 "2011-06-20T14:21:57Z")
Ko nahn. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/16 "2011-06-21T06:11:41Z")
If it’s the Schwarzenegger movies, it’s Coh-nann. Otherwise, and in the REH stories, it’s Coh-nun, like O’Brien. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/17 "2011-06-21T12:43:52Z")
If it is a random Irishman I’ve just met, I’ll assume it is pronounced Connen until told otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/18 "2011-06-21T12:47:20Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > If it is a random Irishman I’ve just met, I’ll assume it is pronounced Connen until told otherwise. Yes, but a random Irishman won’t flash his blue eyes and cleave you asunder with his might sinews if you mispronounce his name. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounce-conan-the-barbarian/586098/19 "2011-06-21T13:22:55Z")
Koh-nan