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Help[Opinions] Names you have pronounced incorrectly
I used to think Sorcha was really lovely, because I thought it was pronounced SORE-chuh. Alas, then I read that it's actually SORE-uh-kah, which makes me think of the Swedish word for voles (sorkar; it also means "young boys" in modern Gutnish, spoken on the island of Gotland).
I liked Remedios, because I thought it was re-me-DEE-os, but then I learned that it's really re-MEH-dee-ohs, which makes me think of mass media.
I liked Saoirse because I thought it was pronounced SHORE-sah, but then I learned that it's really SEER-sha, which I don't like very much.
Other names I used to pronounce incorrectly (I don't even know if incorrectly is the right word to use here, lol!):
Imogen - EYE-mo-ghen? ee-MOO-ghen? Emotion? immo-JEEN? It took me years before I understood it's pronounced IM-mo-jen
Siobhan - I pronounced it SOW-un instead of shi-VAUN
Niamh - nee-UHM or nevee. But it's neev or NEE-uhv, right?
I liked Remedios, because I thought it was re-me-DEE-os, but then I learned that it's really re-MEH-dee-ohs, which makes me think of mass media.
I liked Saoirse because I thought it was pronounced SHORE-sah, but then I learned that it's really SEER-sha, which I don't like very much.
Other names I used to pronounce incorrectly (I don't even know if incorrectly is the right word to use here, lol!):
Imogen - EYE-mo-ghen? ee-MOO-ghen? Emotion? immo-JEEN? It took me years before I understood it's pronounced IM-mo-jen
Siobhan - I pronounced it SOW-un instead of shi-VAUN
Niamh - nee-UHM or nevee. But it's neev or NEE-uhv, right?
This message was edited 1/24/2013, 3:49 AM
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I remember not pronouncing Siobhan and Niamh right in my head.
There are a few Greek names:
Iphigenia --I knew how to say this in Greek before I knew the accepted English pronunciation.
Calliope/Kalliope --Ditto to this one
Panagiota / Panagiotis --I went to school with a Panagiota, but I didn't really know her and only saw her name in the yearbook. I pronounced it as pahn-ah-gee-OH-tah in my head until I learned how to pronounce Greek a bit better.
There are a few Greek names:
Iphigenia --I knew how to say this in Greek before I knew the accepted English pronunciation.
Calliope/Kalliope --Ditto to this one
Panagiota / Panagiotis --I went to school with a Panagiota, but I didn't really know her and only saw her name in the yearbook. I pronounced it as pahn-ah-gee-OH-tah in my head until I learned how to pronounce Greek a bit better.
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One that has always confused the hell out of me is Featherstonehaugh pronounced Fanshaw! I like the original pronunciation, as it looks, much, much better.
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Eseld - I thought for the longest time it was pronounced "eh-ZELD" and loved that.... not as keen on it's actual pronunciation, "EH-zeld"
Aroha - Still unsure on this one. I like the idea of "ah-RO-ha" but have heard it pronounced with stress on the first syllable "AIR-o-ha", and am not sure which is actually correct
Braith - it's said to rhyme with Bryce/Blythe, right, with an 'I' sound? I'd prefer an 'AY' sound, personally
Channary - I really don't know on this one, so if anyone knows for sure...
Liorit - again, not sure here. I like "LEER-it" but have a feeling that's not correct
Naida - I know someone with a daughter named Nida (like Ida with an 'N' in front) and until I actually saw it spelled had assumed it was Naida and that Naida was pronounced in accordance with Naiad. I'd still pronounce Naida like Nida but it seems there are other acceptable pronunciations as well.
Perdita - I refuse to pronounce this one "correctly" - "PER-di-ta" is not nearly as pretty as "per-DEE-ta"
Rainer - growing up, always assumed it was pronounced how it look, "RAY-ner"
Calfuray - yeah, the actual pronunciation is a mouthful and looks nothing like this, really - "kal-foo-RAW-ee"
Aroha - Still unsure on this one. I like the idea of "ah-RO-ha" but have heard it pronounced with stress on the first syllable "AIR-o-ha", and am not sure which is actually correct
Braith - it's said to rhyme with Bryce/Blythe, right, with an 'I' sound? I'd prefer an 'AY' sound, personally
Channary - I really don't know on this one, so if anyone knows for sure...
Liorit - again, not sure here. I like "LEER-it" but have a feeling that's not correct
Naida - I know someone with a daughter named Nida (like Ida with an 'N' in front) and until I actually saw it spelled had assumed it was Naida and that Naida was pronounced in accordance with Naiad. I'd still pronounce Naida like Nida but it seems there are other acceptable pronunciations as well.
Perdita - I refuse to pronounce this one "correctly" - "PER-di-ta" is not nearly as pretty as "per-DEE-ta"
Rainer - growing up, always assumed it was pronounced how it look, "RAY-ner"
Calfuray - yeah, the actual pronunciation is a mouthful and looks nothing like this, really - "kal-foo-RAW-ee"
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A lot of Welsh names
Eluned/Luned
Taliesin
Inari - finnish stress is not where you expect as an English speaker
Eluned/Luned
Taliesin
Inari - finnish stress is not where you expect as an English speaker
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Oh, Eluned. How do you say that one? I come across it occasionally and think it looks quite pretty.
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Idony. Truth be told, I still don't know how to pronounce it. I always assumed the emphasis was on the first syllable, but then someone told it was actually on the second one. So here I am, completely confused ;)
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Tried to figure this out a while back...
...and the best I could determine, from internet searching, is that most sources believe Idony derived from Norse Idunn (don't know how to make the "d" into that special character). Idunn seems consistently to be stressed on the first syllable and, according to multiple sources including a male from Iceland on Forvo, it's an "ee" sound, not a long "i". Some sites also connect Idony to Idonea and, best I can tell, this begins with an "ee" or "ih" sound, but is stressed on the second syllable.
A general google search turned up some "tube" videos featuring individuals named Idony. In America, the second syllable was more often stressed and the "I" was pronounced as either "ee" or "ih". In Britain, all examples, ranging from toddler to teen, were stressed on the first syllable and the "I" was long, as in "ice".
It seems likeliest, to me, that "EE-do-nee" is most correct, but I love the sound of "IE-do-nee", so that's how I choose to say it. Very similar, in my mind, to the old British pronunciation my family used of "so-FIE-uh" rather than "so-FEE-uh".
Of course, I only made an internet search, did not consult any name/language experts or tomes, so take the above with a grain of salt.
...and the best I could determine, from internet searching, is that most sources believe Idony derived from Norse Idunn (don't know how to make the "d" into that special character). Idunn seems consistently to be stressed on the first syllable and, according to multiple sources including a male from Iceland on Forvo, it's an "ee" sound, not a long "i". Some sites also connect Idony to Idonea and, best I can tell, this begins with an "ee" or "ih" sound, but is stressed on the second syllable.
A general google search turned up some "tube" videos featuring individuals named Idony. In America, the second syllable was more often stressed and the "I" was pronounced as either "ee" or "ih". In Britain, all examples, ranging from toddler to teen, were stressed on the first syllable and the "I" was long, as in "ice".
It seems likeliest, to me, that "EE-do-nee" is most correct, but I love the sound of "IE-do-nee", so that's how I choose to say it. Very similar, in my mind, to the old British pronunciation my family used of "so-FIE-uh" rather than "so-FEE-uh".
Of course, I only made an internet search, did not consult any name/language experts or tomes, so take the above with a grain of salt.
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I love Idony, but I agree that the pronunciation is tricky. I always say "EYE-doh-nee" and don't really care if that's correct, heh. I think it's so pretty with that pronunciation.
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Yep, I've always said it as "EE-doh-nee" but I know that's not right. Forvo says it's something like "eye-DOH-nee"
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Ditto. EYE-duh-nee? ID-oh-nee? eye-DUH-nee?!
I personally like EYE-duh-nee
I personally like EYE-duh-nee
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Idonyven know which prn i prefer
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Niamh is technically, "NEE-uhv," but everyone in Ireland that I've heard says it so quickly that it's more like "neev," rhyming with Eve.
A friend of mine from another country and language had me in stitches. When she moved to the U.S. from Asia in the 1970s Geoffrey Bean was a top designer. She thought "GOOF-ree" was such an odd sounding name. And she was right. :-)
I have no excuse. I should have known how to pronounce names like Damaris but still got it wrong. I assumed it was "dah-MARE-is" or "dah-MAHR-is," not "DAM-uh-ris." I know there are others but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
Fun.
A friend of mine from another country and language had me in stitches. When she moved to the U.S. from Asia in the 1970s Geoffrey Bean was a top designer. She thought "GOOF-ree" was such an odd sounding name. And she was right. :-)
I have no excuse. I should have known how to pronounce names like Damaris but still got it wrong. I assumed it was "dah-MARE-is" or "dah-MAHR-is," not "DAM-uh-ris." I know there are others but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
Fun.
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Emil is fairly common where I live, pronounced pretty much the way you don't favour;though perhaps more AY-meel.
It's used as a stand-alone name, or as a combo, mostly Paul-Emil.
It's used as a stand-alone name, or as a combo, mostly Paul-Emil.
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I kept saying my great-great uncle was EM il, but last family reunion, I heard his descendants say AY mul.
This message was edited 1/25/2013, 3:50 AM
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Now that I think about it, Sofia did tell me once that's how they say it in Croatia (unless I totally made that up... it was a long time ago)!
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Yup, Emil is pronounced like Emily without the y in my neck of the woods, so it’s a perfectly legitimate pronunciation. http://www.forvo.com/search-hr/emil/
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Here's another German pronunciation: http://www.nordicnames.de/Aussprache.html
It sounds more like EE-meel to me.
It sounds more like EE-meel to me.
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Um, it's way too late here to describe pronunciations, so I'll just have this guy talk to you: http://de.forvo.com/word/emil/#de ;)
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