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Mira or Myra
I am slightly torn, but will likely fall to Mira (pronounced MIE-ruh only) as I tend to avoid "y" instead of "i" spellings. This name, however, is exceptional in that Mira is an Indian name meaning "sea" and a Hungarian name meaning "peace," while Myra is an English name meaning "myrrh." I think I prefer the flexible meanings of Mira slightly better.I have decided it is short list-worthy because of the tragic loss of one of my ancestor's beautiful sister named Marian Elmira, "Mira" or "Myra" for short, but no one is sure on which spelling. I prefer Almira to Elmira, but I'd be more likely to use just Mira as a given name.
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I love Mira (or Miri) as a nn for Miriam or Miranda. I realize you're pronouncing it differently. Instinctively, I see MEER-a. I generally dislike the long 'i' sound in names so Myra doesn't appeal to me.
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Another thing to ponderHow do you pronounce Ira?

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 6:33 PM

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Hehe. Makes not a whit of difference, of course, because Mira is still widely known to be a name pronounced MEER-a, and a name pronounced Myra, H or no H, is not conventional.Anyway, IMO people get used to little things like an unconventional pronunciation. It's not ideal because it causes a distraction when people first meet, but good people can keep it from becoming awkward. You don't seem like the sort of person who'd make a compromise on using a conventional name, but I believe you never know for sure what you'd do until you meet the child. I personally wouldn't mind being named Mira pronounced like Myra. Would you? (A sincere question, but rhetorical)

This message was edited 3/28/2008, 12:06 AM

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tritto
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EYE-rah
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ditto
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Maira or Meira are the best I can come up with as alternatives to Myra. Meira seems like the most intuitive choice to me.Array
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Mira would NEVER be pronounced like Myra except for as a nickname.I agree about hating Meera and for that reason would go with Myra, but I don't particularly like either. Myra looks much more comfortable than Mirah IMO, but the pronunciation is more clear with Mirah.
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Are you asking us about Mira or Myra?It's hard to tell since you never actually ask a question.It seems like most of your posts, when not responding to someone else, are just musing out loud. I don't think I've ever seen you actually ask for our opinions. Though considering how lowly you consider us, I'm not surprised. I swear this board is for you mere mental masturbation.+ Rephrased for clarity.

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 2:59 PM

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Unnecessary roughness on the field. Five yard penalty.:-)
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As a recent convertto the niceness wagon, I don't think it is; while the term "mental masturbation" might be a bit much, I think she raises a valid point. =A= is a bit condescending very often. If anything, you might want to flag him for general stick-up-butt. I take it with a grain of salt, but I think Fer isn't out of bounds to bring up the issue.(Pardon the continuance of game-puns.)
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Lael,"Mental masturbation" was the term that brought out my yellow flag. One can bring up an issue nicely, yes?=A= handled the situation calmly, and I gave him / her credit for that. As for not asking a question in the original post, that's true. Is that against the rules? I just didn't think it merited a harsh rebuke like that. Fer,Are you offended? I hope not. :-/
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Accusing me of mentally masturbating on this site is also, to the accuser, self-deprecating, as she is also here for mental stimulation (presumably). It would be like telling someone on here to "get a life." You're here too doing the same things, you realize. The only difference is, I'd find discussing the attributes of an individual poster LESS mentally pleasuring (unlike others).

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 3:32 PM

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It's an idiomatic expression.We're all here for discussion and mental stimulation. You, on the other hand, are condescending toward all of us. This implies you think of us as less worthy of your respect, perhaps even objectifying. Just like, oh wait, what happens when you masturbate to pictures online. *eyeroll* You're clearly not an idiot, so I don't see why I even needed to explain this.
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That wasn't her point, though.She's calling him for being condescending all the time. She was quite polite, and yes that phrase is charged but it wasn't crass. His tone is the problem, whether or not he's calm.
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Now now. Don't be bitter. I'm not attacking anyone.

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 3:07 PM

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She didn't suggest that you did.She said you're condescending and you never actually want opinions despite the board's, well, name.
Pardon my butting in, but I have this peeve when people don't address the actual issue of a post.

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 3:13 PM

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Well here's an opinion for you. This is my impression:"Hi my name is MEER-uh. Please try not to stand on my throat, as I am unable to pronounce my name nasally enough. I have no backbone of my own.""Hi. My name is MIE-ruh. I exude class. DO stop by my gallery later.":-D

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 6:45 PM

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Ugh.Everyone else's opinion is just as valid as yours. You seem to think yours is more important - or at least correct - than anyone else's. The definition of an OPINION means this isn't the case. You GIVE your opinion all the time but you never TAKE ours into consideration, so WHY BOTHER asking for them? THAT was Fer's point, which no one seems to get.Frankly you're rather disgusting. It's a good thing this is the internet or we wouldn't fit into the room with your ego.
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You're being very malicious. You might consider taking a moment to stop and read the rules.
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ROFLOL...Can we say "ironic"?
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Would you prefer I wentMy opinion:"My name is MEERah and I'm not nasal.""My name is MIErah and I'm kind of trashy."I was just stating my opinion of your attitude because you definitely have one. And fine, I apologize for calling you disgusting. I just find excessive hubris to leave a bad taste in my mouth and was commenting on it.ETA: And I realized, AGAIN, you picked something out to reply to rather than reply to what I actually said. You're condescending, and your opinion is not any more valid than anyone else's. You're right, it was malicious to say you're disgusting and I am sorry, although your ego DOES bug me, which has been my whole point the entire time.ETA2: I'm done arguing with you. There's a little bowl of strawberry ice cream melting as I waste time on this. You're going to be as condescending as you want, and I'm not about to change that, so my keeping pointing it out isn't doing either of us any favors.

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 3:43 PM

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If my personality and opinion indirectly offends you, it is your problem, not mine.
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ROFLAhh, I understand now. You're going through *that* phase.Well, I look forward to finding out what you're really like when you get over yourself.
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Myra gives me the shivers due to Myra Hindley.
Almira Elmira lovely names
Mira nice but might have pronounciation problems
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Mira is a favorite of mine, but only pronounced MEER-ah or MEE-ra. It really bothers me when people pronounce it MY-ra.If you are stuck on the pronunciation MY-ra I would stick with the spelling Myra. Or just go with Elmira for the reason that you mentioned.One from the database that you may or may not like: Myrrine
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How do you feel about Mirah?How do you feel about Mirah?Maybe the 'h' could be permissible in this case for pronunciation clarity, as one would inevitably pronounce Dina as DEE-nuh and Dinah as DIE-nuh. Still, I prefer Mira (MIE-ruh).

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 7:09 PM

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I would pronounce Mirah, "MEER ah". There is a character named Mirah in the book I'm reading (Daniel Deronda). The name was pronounced "MEER ah" in the 2002 film adaptation of the book. (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0321897/)
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What a lowly pronunciation.
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Let me start off by saying that I'm not trying to offend you, or pick a fight. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt, by which logic I must assume that you are unaware of the fact that you appear a little racist of late. Let me clarify:1. MEER-uh - "What a lowly pronunciation." This would be the Spanish pronunciation. Mira is a conjugated form of the spanish verb, "mirar," which means "to look," a lovely meaning, and a lovely pronunciation. I much prefer it to Myra, and when I lauded your choice of Mira in an earlier post, I was pronouncing it like the Spanish word. You must not have realized that you were insulting the Spanish pronunciation of a Spanish word when you said this.2. Mateo - "Too Latin for my tastes." Now, I'm assuming you meant the dead language and the family of languages drawing heavy influence from it. However, you are building an ugly track record, and you might wish to be careful of implying disdain for Spanish and Latin American names (and cultures) if you want to avoid censure on the board. Again, let me reiterate: I am not attacking you, I'm just pointing out possible interpretations that I am sure you did not intend.
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I already cleared up the Latin thing. It, of course, has to do with taste in names, not people, though I am sorry not to have given one more reason to exercise your obloquial skills upon me. Better luck next time.http://www.behindthename.com/bb/view.php?id=3188597&board=baby

This message was edited 3/28/2008, 12:23 PM

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Please go read the rules once more.3. Try to keep debates civil. Everyone has a right to their opinion.And by the way, I would pronounce Mira meer-a and Myra mie-ra. I personally prefer Mira. And I think it's fine that you prefer the pronunciation Mie-ra. And I don't think that your opinion is simply "lowly" because it is not the same as mine.
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It is meant to be a Hebrew name, like Miriam.
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In my family, it wasn't.
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Ever seen Young Frankenstein?"It's Fron-ken-STEEN, not Frank-en-STINE".Sorry, but your family doesn't OWN the name. People are going to pronounce it MEE-ra. When I read the title of your thread, I was assuming to read a "which pronunciation do you like better?" type thread.
You can condescend and bitch and tell us that WE'RE wrong all the time, but that doesn't change the fact that most people don't care about your family history, nor do they give a flying f***, frankly, so people are going to pronounce it wrong.Everyone here is getting sick of your snooty attitude. If you're going to ask for opinions, ACCEPT THEM, and be GRATEFUL when somebody points out that there could be a problem with the name. Don't act all holier-than-thou and/or pretend that we're ignorant or you don't hear us.And BTW, Elmira is pronounced El-MEER-a. I think you're getting yourself mixed up with Elvira. Oh, and just my two cents, since you were so kind as to throw yours in after asking for ours:"My name is MEER-a and I'm classy, spunky and cute."
"My name is MIE-ra and I prefer the term 'dancer' to 'stripper'."
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Your responses are invariably malicious toward me, and do not sway my opinions. See the rules.
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Maria/MariahMariah was the old pronunciation of Maria before Americans realized how Maria was supposed to be pronounced. Using long I's where it's supposed to be "ee" is something that happened a lot in "the olden days" but doesn't happen very much now. This is why Elvira is pronounced El-VIE-ra to you (because you haven't heard it otherwise), but why BtN says it's pronounced El-VEER-a. And this is also probably why =A='s family pronounces Elmira "MIE-ra."Now that everything is globalized and the pronunciation rules of Latinized names are more well-known, Elmira is generally pronounced "elmeera," as the Correct Way.*shrug*
Silly debate
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Silly debate indeed.I agree, Octavia, but it's always the most trivial of things that trigger the patented brand of witchery I have *so* often written off.
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Sorry about that, thanks for the correction :)
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It wasn't spelled Mirah, though.Anyway, you can spelled it Mira (MIE ra) and just correct people if they pronounce it wrong. I still think Myra makes more sense to me, phonetically.
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I love both Mira and Myra, although I pronounce them differently. (Mira "MEER-uh" and Myra "MIE-ruh.")
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I know several girls of Indian descent called Mira (or Meera) said MEE-ra. I can't imagine anyone saying Mira like MIE-ra. Myra makes much more sense.This might just be a UK thing though, but naming a child Myra is asking for trouble because of Myra Hindley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myra_Hindley, it's like a forbidden name, but I have no idea what reactions would occur elsewhere - so this is just my point of view. Elmira is beautiful. She could go by Ella or Mira :)
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Never heard of that association before.
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Yeah I wasn't expecting it to, but I didn't know how famous the case was...so I thought I'd bring it up anyway.
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HBO (cable television channel) had a made-for-TV drama about the Myra Hindley case. It was called "Longford" after Lord Longford's efforts to get her pardoned. Normally, as a (semi-retired) criminal defense attorney I stay away from crime related dramas. But this one looked interesting and I was blown away by the quality of the acting and the storyline in general. The actor who played Ian what's-his-name should get an Emmy, he was soooooo creepy. The way Myra manipulated Lord Longford's kindness was heart-breaking. She definitely comes off as a monster in the drama. She was played by Samantha Morton. Lord Longford was Jim Broadbent, wonderful as always.I don't know if many people here in the U.S. watched "Longford" or not. It hasn't put me off the name Myra because I have other associations with it and I consciously told myself not to as I was watching it.
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MEER-a? No. That's not it.MEER-uh? No. I have never even heard that! MIE-ruh *WOULD* be the pronunciation. It's going to be Mira. Just disregard this thread I guess.
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My niece is Mira.And then you've got Mira Sorvino. So...you're going to GET meer-a and NOT my-ra.
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All right, you've all done a fine job of making me hate a family name. Congrats.I guess I am grateful to know that the general population is unaware of the English pronunciation of Mira (derived from Almira, Elmira), so I will keep this one at the bottom of the short list for now.

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 3:50 PM

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And since when - in an exteremly multiculutral country -Is the English pronunciation the correct one? I find that incredibly hard to swallow. How do you pronounce Anthony? I suspect it's with an H, which isn't the "English" pronunciation. And how do you pronounce Maria? Unless it's ma-RYE-a you're not using the correct "English" pronunciation. And as someone who is supposedly from DC I find it even funnier - DC is by far the most multi-culturally city in the US. You would never get Mira because it really isn't an "English" city - it's an American city and American's language is far, far different than English merely because we're such an international country!
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I'm not saying that the English pronunciation is the correct one, just, in my opinion, the most alluring.
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How would you spell MIE-ruh without a y (I really just HATE the y is all)?
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Could Maira work?
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Hmmm. That one looks like MAY-ruh. A different sound all-together. I just don't see why Mira (MIE-ruh) is so inconceivable to some.
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I'd pronounce Maira MIE-ra.
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Huh?Since when is it Siri's fault that the pronunciation you want is completely non-intutive?Almira is al-MEE-rah. Elmira is el-MEE-rah. Ergo, Mira is MEE-rah in English as well as all the other languages. I would never think to say Mira as MIE-rah.
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Elmira is el-MY-raThat's the only way I've ever heard it - A actually does have a point, but you do as well. The way Americans look at names has changed dramatically as immigrants have poured into the country changing our language and the way we pronounce things.
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Really?Whoops, my mistake! Sorry!
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At least in my area.I've known a few elderly ladies who went by that. It's the same way, though, as pronouncing Nina NINE-a.
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Forgive me but I am a bit confused. I've never heard Nina pronounced NINE-ah, so are you saying that it's sort of a regional thing/alternate pronunciation like NINE-ah? I'm not sure what you meant by "the same way".
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It's not regional, it's the way things were done in the pastA 100 years ago Nina would have been NINE-a, Maria ma-RYE-a, Elmira - el-MY-ra, etc. Now it's neen-a, ma-ria, el-mir-aSorry, should have been clearer on those points.
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AhThanks, that makes sense!
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Me either.Never heard it as NINE-ah, but I like that better than NEE-na. *Shrugs*But I don't get why, just because some people might pronounce a name differently half the time, it's such a big deal to correct them and that's the end of that. Or why it changes your (not yours, Julia, but -=A=-'s) opinion of the name. Hardly anyone ever gets my name right the first time (and it's not really that hard imo) and correcting it is automatic, absolutely NOT a big deal to me. Only freaking idiots continue to call me the wrong name after I correct them. Like my professor, but that's a different story.For the record, when I see Mira I think MEE-ra about 80% of the time and MY-ra 20%, but if you correct me I will never call you the wrong thing again.

This message was edited 3/27/2008, 8:47 PM

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I pronounce Nina as NEE-nah, but my friend says she had an aunt Nina that was pronounced NINE-ah. So, I guess it is pronounced a couple of different ways.
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ElmiraThen how do you explain the pronunciations of Elmira as el-MIE-ruh, such as the city in New York State, and my family's pronunciation of Elmira?
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Is it possible it is a variation of the Germanic name Elmeira which would be pronounced el-MY-rah? In German, the second vowel in a set of two vowels is long. If there is only one vowel, it is short. So then, in German it would be Elmeira (el-MY-rah) and Elmira (el-MEE-rah). Just a theory.
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It's el-MIE-rah in Texas tooThat's the only pronunciation I ever heard for the first three decades of my life.AND I think everyone who's trashing -=A=- is being very rude. I don't think he did anything worthy of this kind of treatment -- and y'all should all know I'd be right in there if I did.
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Thank you Lillian. While they could stand to take it down a notch, surely you, as well as I, do enjoy such thrashingly impassioned name discussions by these youthful zealots as much as I do. I have a very hard shell. :)
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See my reply to Siri, sorry!
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Ditto, that was completely uncalled for, -=A=-.
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Actually, you may notice it was not spefically directed at her, just placed under her post. Try to be more observant before eagerly whipping out your referee stripes.
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Oh, I'm sorry, were you talking to me? I don't want to assume that you were, just because you obviously and purposely put your response under my post.
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LMAO! Good one!
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MiraI have a friend named Mira who pronounces it MEER-a. That pronunciation makes the most sense to me too. Maybe I'm just confused on exactly what you're saying?
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I prefer Mira. Myra just looks as if it is spelt wrong.
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I prefer Mira, MEER-ah to Myra, MIE-rah myself, but in your case I would suggest Myra given the pronunciations. I don't know anyone who would think Mira is pronounced MIE-rah, although down in DC they might, where Myra is automatically prn that way (again, 'round these parts).
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I pronounce Mira, "MEER-a", so I would spell it Myra.
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