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Help[Opinions] UK/Spanish pronunciation problems
Hi everyone
I posted the other day about my 9 month´s old name, Gabriel Patrick, (father and grandfather).Thanks for all the replies by the way.I was regretting being so unoriginal with the name but now we have another problem...pronunciation!I´m British and my husband is Spanish,(we live in Spain) in fact we call him Gabi and our son Gabe or Gabriel.but of course the Spanish pronunciation is Gabrielle, which in the UK is the girls version.I always say Gabriel, but our 2.5 yr old daughter says Gabrielle and everyone else too.
We´re going to Britain soon and believe it or not my father only calls the baby Patrick, after him, as if he is so proud he wants to ignore the Gabriel part. so I´m thinking, should we just start calling him Pâtrick and be done with all the fuss? Or is Gabriel a much nicer name than Patrick? What do you think? Here in Spain Patrick would be a lovely gesture to my Irish father but they say it quite horribly, like PAtreeeek!Sorry to go on and on but I really would like some advice.Is Patrick really old-fashioned?
Thank you
Lesley
I posted the other day about my 9 month´s old name, Gabriel Patrick, (father and grandfather).Thanks for all the replies by the way.I was regretting being so unoriginal with the name but now we have another problem...pronunciation!I´m British and my husband is Spanish,(we live in Spain) in fact we call him Gabi and our son Gabe or Gabriel.but of course the Spanish pronunciation is Gabrielle, which in the UK is the girls version.I always say Gabriel, but our 2.5 yr old daughter says Gabrielle and everyone else too.
We´re going to Britain soon and believe it or not my father only calls the baby Patrick, after him, as if he is so proud he wants to ignore the Gabriel part. so I´m thinking, should we just start calling him Pâtrick and be done with all the fuss? Or is Gabriel a much nicer name than Patrick? What do you think? Here in Spain Patrick would be a lovely gesture to my Irish father but they say it quite horribly, like PAtreeeek!Sorry to go on and on but I really would like some advice.Is Patrick really old-fashioned?
Thank you
Lesley
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Replies
When in Spain, do as the Spaniards do
You can call him Gabe at home but accept that other people pronounce Gabriel the Spanish way.
When in Britain, you still call him Gabe. Cannot his sister call him Gabe too? If you stay on in Britain, he will be called Gabriel the English way. And your little daughter will automatically pronounce it so to.
I think both Gabriel and Patrick are great names. Even if his granddad loves to call him Patrick, you don't have to switch the names. At least not if you can't stand the Spanish pronounciation of Patrick.
"But it’s all right now.
I learned my lesson well.
You see you can’t please everyone
So you got to please yourself."
Rick Nelson, Garden Party
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
You can call him Gabe at home but accept that other people pronounce Gabriel the Spanish way.
When in Britain, you still call him Gabe. Cannot his sister call him Gabe too? If you stay on in Britain, he will be called Gabriel the English way. And your little daughter will automatically pronounce it so to.
I think both Gabriel and Patrick are great names. Even if his granddad loves to call him Patrick, you don't have to switch the names. At least not if you can't stand the Spanish pronounciation of Patrick.
"But it’s all right now.
I learned my lesson well.
You see you can’t please everyone
So you got to please yourself."
Rick Nelson, Garden Party
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
1
Patrick is a timeless classic. It can never go out of fashion. It is a perfect compliment to equally tasteful Gabriel. You did a wonderful job.
Bottom line: I would keep calling him Gabriel and use the Spanish pronunciation. If you live in Spain then using anything but the Spanish pronunciation is swimming against the stream. The British, on your trips/vacations, will understand.
I think it's adorable that your grandfather calls him Patrick. Let that be his special name for your son; a private understanding that only "the Patricks" are in on.
Bottom line: I would keep calling him Gabriel and use the Spanish pronunciation. If you live in Spain then using anything but the Spanish pronunciation is swimming against the stream. The British, on your trips/vacations, will understand.
I think it's adorable that your grandfather calls him Patrick. Let that be his special name for your son; a private understanding that only "the Patricks" are in on.
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I think the differences in pronunciation of Gabriel is tragic, because both Gabriel and Gabrielle (girl only) are beautiful names. I say, go with Patrick, since even your immediate family gives the name a prn. you don't like. Even the Spanish pronunciation of Patrick isn't too bad, so I think you'll be fine with that. Gabriel Patrick is lovely, btw.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
-Eleanor Roosevelt
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
-Eleanor Roosevelt
1
Why worry just call him by his nickname of Gabe, and wait untill he is old enough to decide for himself what he wants to be called
Both names are good solid traditional names I like them equally
As for his Grandad calling him Patrick if you dont like it tell him or just look at it as a Grandad Grandson thing
I have known people who manage with pronounciation problems a girl I know called Maria was used to being called Ma ree uh by most of her family and Mah ry uh by her grandmother, ( it was the way the grandmothers mother also called Maria pronounced her name )
Children are often known by several names in my family, my daughter is Catherine at school and Catie at home ( due to there being a girl called Katie in her class) she is also Kitkat to one of her cousins
I think you are worrying far too much, is something else bothering you so that its making you focus on his name more, I tend to do that transfer my worry about one thing onto another.
Both names are good solid traditional names I like them equally
As for his Grandad calling him Patrick if you dont like it tell him or just look at it as a Grandad Grandson thing
I have known people who manage with pronounciation problems a girl I know called Maria was used to being called Ma ree uh by most of her family and Mah ry uh by her grandmother, ( it was the way the grandmothers mother also called Maria pronounced her name )
Children are often known by several names in my family, my daughter is Catherine at school and Catie at home ( due to there being a girl called Katie in her class) she is also Kitkat to one of her cousins
I think you are worrying far too much, is something else bothering you so that its making you focus on his name more, I tend to do that transfer my worry about one thing onto another.
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Hm, tricky.
Are you going to continue living in Spain?
If so, does it really matter that much when you visit England? People would pro. Gabriel in the English "male" way when you do, wouldn't they? It would just be that his sister is used to the Spanish pro., and seemingly that your father calls him by another name, that's where it could be confusing.
I think both names are nice. I wouldn't say that Gabriel is "a much nicer name than Patrick" or that Patrick is "really old-fashioned".
The problem seems to me that you're not comfortable with the pro. of either name in Spanish.
How does the father feel about it?
I would lean toward Patrick, maybe because I like the father's name bettar as MN, than father and son being called the same thing, but that's me.
There is the Spanish version Patricio, can't he just be called slightly different things in England and Spain?
Hope you'll figure it out.
Sorry to ramble on, but I face similair issues between America and Sweden, so I feel for your problem.
Are you going to continue living in Spain?
If so, does it really matter that much when you visit England? People would pro. Gabriel in the English "male" way when you do, wouldn't they? It would just be that his sister is used to the Spanish pro., and seemingly that your father calls him by another name, that's where it could be confusing.
I think both names are nice. I wouldn't say that Gabriel is "a much nicer name than Patrick" or that Patrick is "really old-fashioned".
The problem seems to me that you're not comfortable with the pro. of either name in Spanish.
How does the father feel about it?
I would lean toward Patrick, maybe because I like the father's name bettar as MN, than father and son being called the same thing, but that's me.
There is the Spanish version Patricio, can't he just be called slightly different things in England and Spain?
Hope you'll figure it out.
Sorry to ramble on, but I face similair issues between America and Sweden, so I feel for your problem.
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