[Facts] Re: What is the meaning of my name Quenya
in reply to a message by Quenya
You are right that there is no 'h' at the end of Quenya. However, there is also no 'y' at the end of Quenya either.
Out of the two pronunciations mentioned by you, the one that other people tend to use is the most logical and intuitive (at least in an English-speaking context). The pronunciation that your parents have chosen is highly unusual: theirs is actually the pronunciation that deviates from the norm!
You see, the final 'a' in names that end in -a is always pronounced as 'ah'. You see that in names like Emma, Sara and Theresa. I don't think I have ever seen the final 'a' pronounced as 'ay' before. The letter 'a' is only pronounced as 'ay' when it is in the beginning of some names, such as Jaden and Kate.
With that in mind, your parents would have been wise to adjust the spelling of your name to their chosen pronunciation. If they had spelled it as Quenyae, Quenyay or even Quenye (think of Kanye West), it would have been immediately clear to people that the latter part of the name should be pronounced as 'ay'. But unfortunately, your parents did no such thing. As a result, people will always first assume that the final 'a' in Quenya should be pronounced as 'ah'. They are simply following a basic rule of the English language, and you can't fault them for that.
I am sorry that your parents didn't put enough thought into your name to foresee that they would burden you with a lifetime of having to "correct" people on the pronunciation of your name. :(
In ic quad: "uuie sal geuan mi fetheron also duuon, in ic fliugon sal in raston sal?"
Replies
Thanks but eventually i just learn to accept my name for what it is and i did thought about changing the spelling but nothing look right now i just gotta decide if i want to continue having my name Pronounced as "Quinn-yay" or to go along with everyone else and have it pronouced as "Quinn-yah"