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Ofelia
It's Pan's Labryinth's fault that I've fallen in love with Ofelia, I'll say that right now. :) I'd pronounce it oh-FELL-ee-ah (which is how it sounded to my ears in the film--while I've been taught that a Spanish E gets an "ay" sound, I didn't hear oh-FAY-lee-ah at all), though if a Spanish-speaker would like to correct my prn, I'm willing to listen to reason. ;)What do you think of the name? I can't really see myself using it as a first name--maybe a middle name--but I'm really digging the sound and the look at the moment.Array
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The Spanish E does NOT get an "ay" sound. It gets an "eh" or sometimes closer to an "ey" sound, but never the harsh (American) English "ay".I really dislike Ofelia and Ophelia. There's Hamlet's psycho girlfriend, and there's the "oh feel ya" problem. I also just find it ugly.It does look nice, though.
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o-FEY-lee-ahIf you can hear the difference; sort of half way between o-FELL-ee-ah and o-FAY-lee-ah. At least, this is what I hear when I hear my Spanish patients speak (I've had several Ofelia's).I prefer Ophelia, prn o-FEE-lee-ah or o-FEEL-yah, as you may know. ;-)I loved Pan's Labyrinth too.
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Very pretty and I really like this spelling as well, it looks more grounded. I pronounce it oh-fee-lee-ah but I don't speak Spanish so I have no idea if that's correct.
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I love it as well as Ophelia. :-)
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It's that great, isn't it?I'd personally use Mercedes, I identified with her character more strongly than Ofelia. I agree that it's a bit much IRL. . . however, I've known a few.Glad you got to see it!
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I loved Mercedes and Ofelia both, and I love both their names, too--but I'd use Mercedes for The Count of Monte Cristo, myself. :)I'm really glad I got to see it, too! It was totally worth it, despite the fact that there were parts I could barely watch and it was bitterly cold outside, heh.Array
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I was the sameSome of the parts were just too accurate. I remember wishing I had someone's shoulder to bury my head in.I haven't read The Count of Monte Cristo, I'm rather bad with the classics. I'll add it to my list.
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I like it. I prefer the PH spelling, but that's because I have no specific reason to prefer the F, as you do, and I just think it looks nicer. It's a pretty name.
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The e can come out differently... "Mesa" or, "table" is MAY-sa, but "papel" or "paper" is pa-PEL. So, eithr AY or EH.But, the only "EE" sound that jumps to mind is when there is an i. Like, Linda is pronounced "LEEN-da." Or, "Quince" or "fifteen" is "KEEN-say."But oh well! I'm sure that, since Ofelia is the Spanish adaptation of Ophelia, they changed a smaller amount of the spelling. (I know what I mean, but I don't think I'm explaining it well). Plus, with names, sometimes the normal pronunciation is different. I've heard of Ofilia, but Ofelia looks nicer to English-eyes. Ofilia looks like "oh-FILL-ee-ah," but with normal Spanish pronunciations would be something like "oh-FEE-lyah." The "lia" would carry a little y sound, and be a diphthong -- My name is Spanish sounds like "WHO-lyah."So, basically, I'd tend to say Ofelia as "oh-FAY-lyah." According to BtN, it's o-FE-lyah, with the E sounding like "bet, care". So that's essentially the "AY" sound, or something similar to it where I come from! ; )I'd love to hear what someone who speaks Spanish as their first language would say, though. It's just my second, thought I'm sufficiently fluent - meaning I don't know it all, but I can get by on just Spanish. And I'm always commented on my accent by Spanish teachers/native speakers/Spanish friends. Still... get another opinion!Even though I'd say it closer to "oh-FAY-lyah," "oh-FEEL-ee-ah" works too. It's really pretty similar, and different regions might say it differently. And if that's how they said it in the movie, mimic that. When I say it, being conscious of the "ay" and "ee" sounds in a Spanish accent, they sound almost identical. So, just go with what you like!ETA: I absolutely adore the name, no matter what spelling/pronunciation. I'm really loving Ofelia "o-FE-lyah" (or "oh-FAY-lyah") right now. There is an actress who played Frida Kahlo in a movie in the 80's... Ofelia Medina. I've never heard her name pronounced... Maybe I'll look into it now, though!

This message was edited 3/11/2007, 1:43 PM

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Even though I'd say it closer to "oh-FAY-lyah," "oh-FEEL-ee-ah" works too.Oh, but I'd be saying oh-FELL-ee-ah (fell as in the English word), not oh-FEEL-ee-ah. That's how I pronounce Ophelia. :)Thank you for all the information, though!Array
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Oh no! I read it wrong!Okay, so oh-FELL-ee-ah would be pretty close to the "authentic" pronunciation, then. That's like "papel" (pa-PEL). Yeah, I'd say your safe using Ofelia with that pronunciation. But, I guess it still stands true that Ofilia would be pronounced like Ophelia in Spanish.Haha... Whoops! Maybe I need new glasses. : P Sorry about that!
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You know, I hated Ophelia as a person's name until I saw that movie. Now I like it too, with the Ofelia spelling. I find it rather elegant. For some reason, I think of Ofelia as an exotic alternative to Sophia.
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I can see it as a mn. I love Ophelia (oh-FEEL-yah) but I can't say I have the guts to use it as a fn. I would prn. Ofelia the same way you are, though I'm not sure that's right either. :b Haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet but I'm looking forward to doing so, so maybe after that I'll like Ofelia more than I like Ophelia right now. But at the moment, I still prefer the "ph" to the "f".
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I like it, primarily because it escapes the fate of having double "ee", a sound which I'm really beginning to loathe. I'm just a little worried that people would pronounce it the same as Ophelia and/or wonder why I "spelled it wrong". ;P
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In Spanish, it is oh-FEL-ee-a or more commonly oh-FEL-ya. I love it. I love this pronounciation especially. I used to love Ophelia and it's pronounciation, until it was brought to my attetion that it rhymed with pedophelia, necrophelia, etc.
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-philiaPedophilia and necrophilia, etc, are spelled and prn differently. Whether one prn Ofelia as FELL or FEEL, it still isn't the same as the FILL sound in those words.

This message was edited 3/11/2007, 4:32 PM

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It's one of my great-aunt's names on my dad's side and it's pronounced oh-fe-lia. That whole side of the family is from Cuba (which is where I was born) and we pronounce the letter E with an "eh" sound as if you were saying the letter A but a little softer.That said, like you, I think I would prefer it as a mn, but it's very pretty.
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It's a form of Ophelia which I prefer to Ofelia.
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