Some English names are common in Denmark (m)
in reply to a message by mafiosa
Yes, some English names have become common in Denmark, but they are mostly associated with 'white trash'. It is a certain type of domographic that give their children English names, which have led to the common understandning that English name (usually with hideous pronounciation) = white trash/low class. An example is Brian (pronounced BREE-an) - it is now slang for a person who, how should I put it; have difficulty staying on the right side of the law and is generally a bad/violent/ignorant person.
Maybe that's what bugs me about Jolene - it is an English name on a Danish baby, which will probably lead to this little girl being branded by this prejudice (if you will) that she, because of her name, is bad/ignorant/low-class.
Also; the Dolly Parton song is the only reference most Danes have with the name; the whole "Jolene, please don't take my man"-thing will come back to haunt her big time!
Maybe that's what bugs me about Jolene - it is an English name on a Danish baby, which will probably lead to this little girl being branded by this prejudice (if you will) that she, because of her name, is bad/ignorant/low-class.
Also; the Dolly Parton song is the only reference most Danes have with the name; the whole "Jolene, please don't take my man"-thing will come back to haunt her big time!
Replies
There's no such word as pronounciation (though that may have just emphasized your point). The word is proNUNciation... Sorry... It's just a pet peeve of mine.