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[Opinions] Re: Edna
by Bear
2/9/2011, 1:56 PM
in reply to a message by vigdis
Ed. I think the masculine nn isn't well liked even for a man, let alone a woman. That's my theory anyway.I like Edna well enough. I just prefer Eithne, (which my mother's dialect pronounces as "ET-nuh,") better. It's similar to a favorite of mine, Edme. I love the heaviness of Edme, compared to light-as-air Esme. So the Ed part of Edna doesn't bother me. We used to have regular on here that would use Edna for a dd some day, in honor of Edna St. Vincent Millay. :-) If I met a little Edna it would make my day. I love seeing almost any "old lady" name being reused. Where others see/hear "old lady" I see/hear "old soul."
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Replies

- Elena
2/9/2011, 7:23 PM
I don't know why ET-nuh sounds so much nicer than ED-nuh, but it does. It's probably the idea of anything with Ed in it for a girl (I don't like Edwina either).
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- Speranza   +2
2/9/2011, 5:16 PM
I like Eithne too - though my ex-employer's mother was and is a horrible woman called Eithne which spoiled the name for me a little. ET-nah is the usual prn through-out Ireland. The En-ya prn is very much a minority - it annoys me a little that it has gotten so well known :p
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- Bear   +1
2/10/2011, 9:31 AM
Thank you.Now I don't feel so alone in the way I pronounce Eithne ("ET-nah"). I always felt I was swimming against the stream. Now I'll suggest it more. :-)
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- Speranza
2/10/2011, 3:43 PM
Yes. It's actually the other way. The Enya prn is the minority. I knew an Eithne from Donegal who said it Ethna so I don't know how common the Enya way is in Donegal even. Enya, spelled this way, is rising in popularity in Ireland by the way.
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