My wife pronounces it three different ways, each of which she can support. I pronounce it one, but other than that it’s the way I’ve heard it I can’t support my pronunciation even after some searches. What’s yours and why?
sen-tor
As in taurus, which rhymes with torus.
This is the only way in English I’ve ever known
A bunch of Americans pronounce it sen-tar for some reason that I’ve never understood.
That’s one of my wife’s answers.
You’re very prompt.
That’s how merriam webster pronounces it! I’d pronounce it like that as well, got curious, so I googled
This is how I pronounce it in Canada
Correctly, smugly and pretentiously
Nice.
ken-tavr, I think that’s similar to how it pronounced in a lot of languges around here, it’s also pretty similar how original greeks did it (kένταυροι)
Solid.
If it’s in a Greek or ancient Latin context I pronounce it with a hard C, but if it’s a general English context I pronounce it with a soft C.
I’m not sure what the third way would be.
The third way would be a difference in how the diphthong is pronounced: “-aur” or “-ower.”
So far, the main way I haven’t seen suggested.
I guess I owe my wife an apology.
So how do you pronounce it?
Honestly, I’m afraid to say. No one will support me, it seems.
Sen-chwar.
…yea I wanna explanation
Sorry, I’m not sure how to explain. It’s the only way I’ve ever heard it said.
I told my wife about this thread and about how you said you pronounced it differently and she jokingly said “sen-CHWAR” in a funny voice. When I read your comment off to her she laughed incredibly hard. Her joke turned out to be spot on lol.
Rude.
But I’m glad I could add some levity to your day! I can often make my wife chortle, but when I can make her laugh incredibly hard it’s a good day.
So on the one hand, I think you are going to find almost nobody agrees with your pronunciation. On the other hand, you should wear your mispronunciations with pride because what that tells me is that you were a reader growing up and likely came about this word the first time in text without any other context, maybe even many times before you heard it spoken. Your brain made an educated guess (I’m guess pulling from the pronunciation of “jaguar”?). It got it wrong, but understandably so, and it has cemented in your brain. Fix it if you care to, but no real need. Either way, kudos for being a young reader.
Heh, thanks, that’s a very supportive answer.
I said in another comment, but I was indeed an avid reader and have definitely had that experience with other words (my dad once teased me for my pronunciation of “unequivocally,” for example, and no I won’t provide my incorrect effort here). However, I’m pretty sure I got this particular pronunciation from my mom, though I can’t say why I think that. If I’m correct, I wonder why she thought it was pronounced this way; she also read a lot, so perhaps your theory is correct but generationally shifted.
I’ve never heard it that way but I get it. A combination of (the relevant bits of) suture and jaguar. Only problem is, it’s not spelled centuar, it’s spelled centaur.
However, until one shows up to personally correct your spelling and pronunciation, I think you’re free to call imaginary creatures whatever you call them.
Chwar? Like… Shwarma?
Now i’m hungry for a Centaur shawarma.
I am now questioning every word I’ve ever pronounced, but I think “shawarma” has a softer “sh” whereas my apparently incorrect pronunciation of centaur has a harder “ch,” like “change.”
Perhaps you should consult Tony Stark to satisfy your centaur shawarma cravings. If anyone could make it happen, it’s probably him.
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I pronounce it like sen + tar, and accent it like boxcar. Can’t think of a reason, that’s just how it looks to me.
Cent-aur.
Man, English is a mess.
Be fair. We inherited most of that mess from the French.
You’re not wrong.
¢-aur — I’m not sure why I pronounce it that way; it’s just how I’ve always pronounced it.
I pronounce it “Phil”. And he would appreciate it if you would stop staring at his missing eye.
Cent-our
Ken (as the name) - ta (with a hard T and A as in catapult) - ur (with an u like in Vonnegut’s name)
tho I’m from europe speaking a weird ass language
Danish?
that’s weird, too, but no
Senn-torr
The “taur” is probably the same root as in “Taurus” and "el Toro"¹, which I’ve only ever heard said like torr, so I say it the same. The first part I don’t think is ever said anything other than “senn” right?
¹I can’t back that up, since they mean bull not horse and I have no sources. We do see the same root pop up in “Minotaur” from the same language though, and that is a part bull part man.
Tauros in greek is bull, yeah. The minotaur was the Bull of Minos. It may link back to the pre-greek people of crete, known for bull-leaping.
The “ken” in “Kentauros” is thought to mean piercing, but why is a piercing bull a half man/horse? There’s no obvious explanation.
I love the idea of -tauros coming to mean a monstrous combination, like franken- in english. But if there were any evidence of that some very excited nerds would’ve told us, I’m sure.
I love the idea of -tauros coming to mean a monstrous combination
That is a great theory and until an excited nerd tells me otherwise it’s what I’m going to choose to believe (albeit without telling anyone else just in case)
sen-tar.
i could see sen-tor.
sans-taure (because I’m francophone)
C’est la voie.
Cen-toor
