Message: "Re: What nickname would you use for Raphael?"

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[Opinions] Re: What nickname would you use for Raphael?

by mirfak

12/18/2011, 6:30 PM

A couple I know sometimes call their son Raphael "Rafi" ... not sure how they'd spell that. It approximately rhymes with taffy, maybe a slightly longer A - same vowel as in Raphael. I think it is the best nickname for Raphael.

Rafe pronounced RAYF doesn't seem like a nickname for Raphael, IMO, since it's basically Ralph and the different pronunciation from Raphael makes it seem contrived to me. Raf (rhyme laugh) would work, and no I don't think the term "riff raff" would ruin it. I think it sounds nicknamey. Rafa seems contrived to me, too.

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- abbasdaughter +4

12/18/2011, 11:52 PM

how is it Ralph? There's no l until the end of Raphael... and the roots are completely different.

- mirfak +3

12/19/2011, 9:36 AM

Rafe is Ralph. Raphael isn't. That's why I don't think Rafe is a nick for Raphael (but I think it's more important that they don't sound the same: Rafe is RAYF / Raphael is RAHF or RAFF).

I didn't know Rafe = Ralph either until I read the BtN entry ... but then, I had never even heard of the name Rafe until BtN.

This message was edited 12/19/2011, 9:38 AM

- coldplayer9

12/20/2011, 4:57 PM

As for your point on Rafe not having the same sound as the Raph in Raphael...Teddy doesn't sound exactly like Theodore, but people still use it. Jim doesn't sound like James. Hank doesn't sound like Henry. It happens.

- abbasdaughter +1

12/19/2011, 6:48 PM

Some people may use Rafe as a nn for Raphael... sometimes you just have to know which case it is for certain people... just like Kate could be for Kathryn or Kathleen or Katelynn or just Kate or Katie and you can't just assume which it is. The main difference is that those are at least related.

Jenny/Genny could just be Jenny or could be Jennifer or Geneva or Genevieve. Doesn't mean it's only valid for 1 of those even though they're totally different names.

- coldplayer9

12/20/2011, 4:56 PM

Exactly. Good point with Katie. And Susie can be a nickname for Susan or Susanne or Susannah. A nickname, like Rafe, can stand more multiple names.

- coldplayer9 +1

12/18/2011, 8:05 PM

Well I wouldn't have the problem of Ralph/Rafe because in the US, Ralph is pronounced RALF, not RAYF.

- mirfak

12/18/2011, 10:16 PM

Uh huh, I know. But Rafe is a form of Ralph, and also doesn't even sound like the Raph in Raphael. I guess if I didn't know Rafe = Ralph, I might dislike Rafe for Rafael a bit less, but I'd still think it sounded contrived. YMMV

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