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Help[Facts] Neve?
I'm wondering about the true origin, meaning & pronunciation of the name Neve.
Here are two names that it is supposedly derived from:
Niamh - (Irish) "Bright, Radiant”
Neva - (Italian/Spanish) “Snow”
And here are the various ways that I've heard it pronounced:
NEEV
NAY-vah
NEV-vah
NEV
Which of these is correct, or are they all correct?
Here are two names that it is supposedly derived from:
Niamh - (Irish) "Bright, Radiant”
Neva - (Italian/Spanish) “Snow”
And here are the various ways that I've heard it pronounced:
NEEV
NAY-vah
NEV-vah
NEV
Which of these is correct, or are they all correct?
This message was edited 10/12/2004, 12:38 AM
1
Replies
I've only ever seen Neve pronounced NEEV, but if it was the Italian it could only be pronounced NEH-veh - 'eh' as in the 'e' in 'net' (Italian pronunciation is very specific!).
As for the origins, they are both equally valid - it is *either* an Anglicised spelling of Niamh, *or* an Italian word-name meaning Snow. It's really up to the parent doing the naming - they decide whether they're giving the child the Anglo-Irish Neve or the Italian Neve, and pronounce it accordingly.
Any questions? :-)
As for the origins, they are both equally valid - it is *either* an Anglicised spelling of Niamh, *or* an Italian word-name meaning Snow. It's really up to the parent doing the naming - they decide whether they're giving the child the Anglo-Irish Neve or the Italian Neve, and pronounce it accordingly.
Any questions? :-)
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The NEV pronunciation is odd - but then US language has a history of changing pronunciations (vase being VAIS instead of VAHZ, for instance) so maybe it's just an altered version of Neve/Niamh.
In Neve Campbell's case, if her parents chose the Italian word they may well have only seen it written and have been ignorant of the correct pronunciation.
In Neve Campbell's case, if her parents chose the Italian word they may well have only seen it written and have been ignorant of the correct pronunciation.
1
Yeah, I saw it too.
See said it was Dutch, one generation from Spain; thus it is Spanish, the Dutch part doesn't matter.
The Italian interpretation is just that, an interpretation, an Italian translation from a dictionary.
She was right about one thing though, the Romans had many names for different kinds of snow, and these did filter down to the Romance languages. Maybe 'neve' means that kind of snow she was talking about ('highest part of the mountain' or something).
Shame Conan doesn't pronounce his daughter's name [NEE-uhv], but you know the guy had a hard time with his own name, so you can't blame him.
See said it was Dutch, one generation from Spain; thus it is Spanish, the Dutch part doesn't matter.
The Italian interpretation is just that, an interpretation, an Italian translation from a dictionary.
She was right about one thing though, the Romans had many names for different kinds of snow, and these did filter down to the Romance languages. Maybe 'neve' means that kind of snow she was talking about ('highest part of the mountain' or something).
Shame Conan doesn't pronounce his daughter's name [NEE-uhv], but you know the guy had a hard time with his own name, so you can't blame him.
1