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How do you pronounce Perdita and Megaera?
I feel like I've heard people indicate that they put the stress on the first syllable in both of these names - "PER-dee-tuh" & "MEG-eh-ruh." Put I've always stressed the middle syllable and find the names MUCH prettier that way - "per-DEE-tuh" & "meg-EH-ruh." So I'm just wondering how most people who encounter these names would say them

This message was edited 6/1/2012, 5:25 PM

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"per-DEE-tuh" sounds correct. I think that's how Perdita's name was pronounced in 101 Dalmatians.
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PERdita and meGYEra
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I've only ever heard Perdita as PER-di-ta. I can see how the stress in the middle sounds nicer but I don't think it's correct. The other name I've never heard of so no idea. From instinct I'd say stress on the middle syllable.
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purDEETa megAIRa
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I say Per-DEE-tuh & MEG-eh-ruh
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per-DEE-tuh
meh-GAR-uh
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I put the emphasis in the middle with both names.
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I do put the emphasis on the first syllable in Megaera (that's how it was said in the Disney Hercules movie), but I pronounce Perdita the same way as you.
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(that's how it was said in the Disney Hercules movie)That was Megara, not Megaera. I doubt Disney would like Megaera as a main character / love interest in a children's movie :P
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OhWell, I don't know who Megaera is and never saw the character's name written down, so I assumed that's what it was. :)
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Like you: pur-DEE-tuh and meg-AY-ra. And I agree, it is much nicer that way.
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The same way you do. They're both refreshing--not overly complicated or frilly, a relief from the constant talk of Charlotte, Harper, etc. Magaera is a bit tricky to spell, but not to the degree of unusable.
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I'm half and half I guess. Per-DEE-tuh, and MEG-eh-ruh.
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Perdita's one of my favorite names, I've always pronounced it per-DEE-tuh. I agree, much prettier. Megaera, too, I think, though I've only heard that pronounced in Disney's movie Hercules.
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The English (Shakespearean) pronunciation of Perdita is PUR-di-tə (short "i" sound, not "ee"). That is how it is pronounced in The Winter's Tale. I pronounce it PUR-di-tə because it is a Shakespearean name.Megaera is pronounced mə-JEER-ə in English.
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Looking at the title, I just thought per-DEE-tuh and meg-AY-ruh. So yeah, I'd stress the second syllable too, and I agree, they're both prettier that way.
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