# How do you pronounce "fhtagn" and what does it mean?



## 333 Dave

I just got CoC (what I've read so far is cool, very good tips on running the game), and I've seen in a couple of places the word fhtagn. What does it mean and how is it pronounced?


----------



## Holy Bovine

_fhtagn_ is a single word from the larger phrase

_Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn_

Which translated into english means;

_In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming_

I am unsure what language Lovecraft meant it to be in besides some 'unknowable' dead language I also have no clue how it could be pronounced in english maybe 'Fah - tag'?.  I have always assumed (although this is by no means accuate just my interpretation) that fhtagn meant either dead or dreaming.  The phrase is from the Lovecraft story Call of Cthulhu (and stragely enough this is the second time tonight i have replied to a messageboard about this particular Lovecraft tale).  It is my favourite and one of Lovecraft's best.


----------



## skulrik

you can check this site, he have a .wav, pronouncing the phrase in the dead language, and in english.

http://www.gizmology.net/lovecraft/cd/index.htm


----------



## Spiteful Dwarf

Lovecraft initially made up the words to be unpronounceable to humans.  Just another way of illustrating how truly alien the Old Ones, etc.  were.


----------



## Epametheus

I generally pronounce it "fah-taug-en.."   I'd approximate "Cthulhu ftaghn" as "Cthulhu awaits".. or ftaghn as the "waits" in the translation of the whole sentence.


----------



## Aaron L

I pronounce it : feh-TAUG-en.  It is also used in the shortened expression "Cthulhu fhtagn", meaning "Cthulhu dreams".

(cuh-THOO-loo feh-TAUG-en)

CTHULHU FHTAGN!
CTHULHU FHTAGN!


----------



## hong

Under no circumstances do you pronounce the silent K.


----------



## The Crimster

Aiiiiieeeee!!

Say it no more! Or you shall summone up ye livlieste awfullness!


----------



## Eryx

For some reason, I've always pronounced it as "far-TARN".


----------



## madriel

The Crimster said:
			
		

> *Aiiiiieeeee!!
> 
> Say it no more! Or you shall summone up ye livlieste awfullness! *




No that's only with He Who Shall Not Be Named.

You know; Hastur (say it three times and he can appear).


----------



## evileeyore

madriel said:
			
		

> *
> 
> No that's only with He Who Shall Not Be Named.
> 
> You know; Hastur (say it three times and he can appear). *




What about Hastur?  Ya know he's really a nice guy.  I asked him how to pronounce the afor mentioned mentioned phrase.  Hastur said just say it like its spelled.  And its monsyllabic.  Anyway I hope this clears things up.  Later today we're headed out to a movie, its one of Hast-...


----------



## Hastur Hastur

_ From out of the netherworld a slime coated bulk, covered in swaying tentacles rushes evileeyore and crushes him to a pulpy mess.  

Bellowing his triumph to the unhearing stars the horrific abomination storms across the thread scooping up handfuls of EnWorld posters.

As hong and The Crimster hang helplessly from the monsters claws it turns its swollen, mishappened head to the screen and screams;

*This is only the beginning mortal fleas!*_


----------



## Dispater

Huh? Hast-


----------



## tenelo

Someone out there has a sig 'Cthullhu Toboggan' which caused my other half to fall off his chair laughing when he noticed it. Of course, I then had to get the whole thing explained to me before I got the joke


----------



## Tom Cashel

It is pronounced monosyllabically.


----------



## Aaron L

Cthulhu Toboggan!  OMG!  
(falls off chair)
(stands back up)
(falls down again)


----------



## Hand of Vecna

Remember:

Cthulhu loves you (dipped in chocolate)!

Cthulhu saves (in case he's hungry later)!


----------



## Tom Cashel

Hey, nice sig, Vecna.  Given the recent news from Germany, that's in _extremely_ good taste.  No really, don't ever change.

edit: Sorry for the obnoxiousness...coming from that story to this board and seeing "KILLING HONOR ROLL STUDENTS" in caps is just really sucky.  I know it's a joke and all, but if it were actually funny it might be worth keeping.


----------



## Hand of Vecna

If I knew what you were talking about, Tom, I might be inclined to change my.sig...


----------



## Hand of Vecna

Addendum: Tom, I just leapt over to CNN.com and saw what you were referring to. If I inadvertently offended you, I do apologize. As you can see, out of respect for the tragic event, I've changed my .sig.

_I_ thought the saying was funny when I first saw it on a button several months ago, and added it to my .sig; in light of recent events, I can see how it would offend.


----------



## Feliath

*Enunciate clearly*

I believe the word is spelled "fthagn", i know it means "dreaming" or "is dreaming", and I believe it's pronounced starting with a sharp F, followed by a sharp th (as in three, but much more powerful), then "ANG". fff-TH-ANG, sort of...  
The elf, he is bad at explaining...

/Feliath


----------



## madriel

tenelo said:
			
		

> *Someone out there has a sig 'Cthullhu Toboggan' which caused my other half to fall off his chair laughing when he noticed it. Of course, I then had to get the whole thing explained to me before I got the joke *




That's Piratecat's SO, KidChulhu.  She explains the origin of her sig here:

http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=779&perpage=20&pagenumber=7


----------



## Zappo

Uhm, excuse me... about Hastur... do you pronounce it "HAStur" or "hasTUR"?

*gets eaten*


----------



## Tom Cashel

Hand of Vecna said:
			
		

> *
> I thought the saying was funny when I first saw it on a button several months ago, and added it to my .sig; in light of recent events, I can see how it would offend. *




It could also be that I was being a little too sensitive...Vecna, you're a right good human being, you know that?  Nice to know good folks are out there...


----------



## Hand of Vecna

Eh, I try...  

*scurries up to attach himself to the wrist of some poor, unsuspecting fool*


----------

