New Post
Search
Help[Opinions] Sonja in English? (m)
in reply to a message by Jacinta Ismene
I've heard Sonia and Sonya pronounced SAWN-ya in English, and I think that's correct, but Sonja isn't a name that I would use in English and pronounce SAWN-ya, because it's just not "natural" in English to pronounce a "j" like a "y", and I think it would be no blessing for the child wearing the name. I think it's alright and often nice to use a name from another language in, say, America, but then I would also pronounce the name *entirely* in the language of the respective country in most cases, and especially with single letters being pronounced differently in English, it's critical to me.
In German, Sonja is a very common name, but it's not pronounced SAWN-ya, but ZONN-yah, with a very short "o" and the "S" pronounced like a "Z".
In German, Sonja is a very common name, but it's not pronounced SAWN-ya, but ZONN-yah, with a very short "o" and the "S" pronounced like a "Z".
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
Well
If you're going to follow your own rule of using the pronunciation of the language that the name is from them the German pr. would hardly be accurate since Sonja is not a German name, but a Slavic one in origin.
But like most names it's used in many countries/languages and each of those can adapt the pronunciation/spelling to fit its phonetic rules. Croatian does it all the time with English, French or German names.
If you're going to follow your own rule of using the pronunciation of the language that the name is from them the German pr. would hardly be accurate since Sonja is not a German name, but a Slavic one in origin.
But like most names it's used in many countries/languages and each of those can adapt the pronunciation/spelling to fit its phonetic rules. Croatian does it all the time with English, French or German names.
This message was edited 4/18/2009, 5:48 AM
1
I don't see...
I didn't say I would want a name to be pronounced in the original language, but the exact opposite: I think it's easier and OK and mostly even better to pronounce a name from a different country not in the original language, but in the language of the country you live in. That's why I thought it was strange to pronounce Sonja "SAWN-ya" in English, and not "SAWN-ja".
I didn't say I would want a name to be pronounced in the original language, but the exact opposite: I think it's easier and OK and mostly even better to pronounce a name from a different country not in the original language, but in the language of the country you live in. That's why I thought it was strange to pronounce Sonja "SAWN-ya" in English, and not "SAWN-ja".
1
Oh, I thought that when you said 'respective country' that you meant the country of origin and not the country/language in which the name is being used. Sorry!
1
Oh, that was the misunderstanding ;).
1
Well, Sonja isn't my preferred spelling and I personally wouldn't use it, but I think the majority of people in the US realize that '-ja' names are just un-Anglicized spellings that are pronounced '-ya'. I wouldn't blink twice at a KAHT-yah spelled 'Katja', and I think anyone silly enough to try to pronounce it KAHT-juh would be the one who'd end up embarrassed. The same goes for anyone who'd try to pronounce Sonja SAWN-juh. Then again, it is possible that I'm giving the general populace too much credit here.
I agree that it would be a challenge to get most English-speakers to say ZONN-yah, as that pronunciation is particularly unintuitive from an English-speaking perspective.
I agree that it would be a challenge to get most English-speakers to say ZONN-yah, as that pronunciation is particularly unintuitive from an English-speaking perspective.
1
Re:
Oh, OK, I get it, well, then maybe it's not even such a big thing to call your child this as it wouldn't be mispronounced all the time ;).
Oh, OK, I get it, well, then maybe it's not even such a big thing to call your child this as it wouldn't be mispronounced all the time ;).
1
My aunt's name is Katja prn kat-ja. The only Sonja I know prns it sawn-ja.
ooh, the second one's a lie. I know two Sonjas, and one does pronounce it sawn-ya.
ooh, the second one's a lie. I know two Sonjas, and one does pronounce it sawn-ya.
This message was edited 4/17/2009, 3:23 PM
1
Really? That's interesting, I never would have expected that. I think being on BtN so much kind of warps my perceptions of how people might pronounce things, since I just expect everyone to know/use the pronunciations in the database, lol.
ETA: Of course in the database the given pronunciation for Sonja is ZAWN-ya, so I don't know why I wouldn't expect it to be pronounced that way, then. *shrug*
ETA: Of course in the database the given pronunciation for Sonja is ZAWN-ya, so I don't know why I wouldn't expect it to be pronounced that way, then. *shrug*
This message was edited 4/17/2009, 3:30 PM
1