There's an old band named Freur. Assuming it is German, I *think* it would be pronounced Froyer. Can someone correct me?

Here's their Wiki for context:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freur

Vielen dank

EDIT: Apparently it's Welsh instead. Any Welsh speakers here?

 

Last edited: Dec 13, 2023

"Freur was a Welsh new wave and synth-pop band".
Isn't it a Welsh word? (No idea)

I'm German and that's not a German word.

Edit: Did some googling and it seems to be a Scottish and US surname.

 

Last edited: Dec 13, 2023

Can't believe I missed that. Thanks for pointing it out. No idea where to find a Welsh speaker

 

Welsh or not, Froyer, Froy-ah or Froy-yah is how Germans would pronounce it. The latter two are much more common.

 

I believe it was a made up word,the band later morphed into Underworld.

 

Not Welsh. According to the band's wikipedia entry...

"It originally had only a graphic 'squiggle' for a name. In 1983, after recruiting John Warwicker and drummer Bryn Burrows (formerly of the Fabulous Poodles), they got a recording contract with CBS Records. As the label insisted on a pronounceable name, the band made the compromise that the squiggle was pronounced Freur."

 

It's not Welsh either, perhaps one of the members took German in school when they came up with the phonetic pronunciation of their original name which was a squiggle (also from the Wiki), and knew the appropriate diphthong (eu) to use in this made up name. Also, https://postpunkmonk.com/2011/04/15/freur-pronounced-froy-er/

 

Many thanks and Likes to you all for your help! I'm gonna go with Froy-ah as mentioned in this thread.

 

To find out how we would pronounce it got to https://defr.dict.cc/?s=fleur, click on the speaker, use Mathieu and replace the l with and r (in your head) and Bob's your uncle.

 

Freur is not a Welsh word. I've never head this in my life, being a first language Welsh speaker.

 

So but how do you pronounce Froy-ah?

No seriously I know we would probably pronounce it freuEr in Germany, is that the same?

[ˈfʁɔɪ̯ɐ] ?

 

Last edited: Dec 13, 2023

In the Canu Llywarch Hen it refers to "Ffreuer werydre" or "lands of Freur".

 

This is incorrect I believe. Ffreuer is a Welsh female name. It is the Welsh variant for Freya, and stems from medieval Welsh. It has nothing to do with "Freur" as far as I'm aware, and Ffreuer in old medieval text and poems, such as Canu Llywarch Hen (and Canu Heledd) refer to a female's name.

 

You're quite right. "lands of Freur" was a mistranslation.

 

never knew underworld started as a new wave band. i always loved new wave in my childhood and early teens and in later teens and adulthood electronic music this makes perfect sense

 

It''s pronounced Frew-were.
It's not welsh, it's a made up word.