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HelpRe: Ayla
in reply to a message by A
I like it (prn as EYE-la, Isla).
However it looks too much like it's pronounced to rhyme Kayla, for me to really love it. I don't understand why people prefer the Ayla spelling over Aila or Eila - both of those look more to me like they would be said like Isla.
- mirfak
However it looks too much like it's pronounced to rhyme Kayla, for me to really love it. I don't understand why people prefer the Ayla spelling over Aila or Eila - both of those look more to me like they would be said like Isla.
- mirfak
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Ayla is the name of the main character in the Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean Auel. In the first book, when she's rescued after an earthquake by some Neanderthal people, the Cro-Magnon name she has sounds like Ay-la to them and that's how most people who have come across the name Ayla know to say it.
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Yes, I recall that.
I think the fact that it looks like Kayla is most of what makes Ayla accessible to Americans.
Anyway, Ayla of CotCB / Earth's Children is pronounced to rhyme Kayla.
https://youtu.be/nTR4jQYrmnY?t=48 (Jean Auel talking about Ayla, saying it to rhyme Kayla)
So if people were influenced by that, I think they'd be pronouncing it to rhyme Kayla.
I think people like the sound of the name pronounced either way, because it's a fashionable sound.
I just personally don't understand why so many Americans seem to think Ayla pronounced Isla is intuitive, when only foreign words and names are written Ay- to indicate the initial sound "eye." Unless you count the word "aye." Americans have even respelled Aiden as Ayden ... maybe to make sure nobody says Aiden as eye-den?
I really like a name that sounds like "eye-la" myself, but I'd never use Ayla as the spelling ... because I'm influenced by things like CotCB and Ayden and Kayla, far more than by exposure to foreign languages, and I automatically read Ayla to rhyme Kayla. I like Ayla-prn-"eye-la" alright - as a foreign(ish) name. I know a family whose daughter is Ayla prn eye-la. But I happen to know they have Turkish heritage. If I used that spelling myself, I'd fully expect people to missay it to rhyme Kayla, because that's what I always do. And I'd half-expect people would think I was trying to make it seem "exotic," because my family has no other language or interesting foreign connections.
I think the fact that it looks like Kayla is most of what makes Ayla accessible to Americans.
Anyway, Ayla of CotCB / Earth's Children is pronounced to rhyme Kayla.
https://youtu.be/nTR4jQYrmnY?t=48 (Jean Auel talking about Ayla, saying it to rhyme Kayla)
So if people were influenced by that, I think they'd be pronouncing it to rhyme Kayla.
I think people like the sound of the name pronounced either way, because it's a fashionable sound.
I just personally don't understand why so many Americans seem to think Ayla pronounced Isla is intuitive, when only foreign words and names are written Ay- to indicate the initial sound "eye." Unless you count the word "aye." Americans have even respelled Aiden as Ayden ... maybe to make sure nobody says Aiden as eye-den?
I really like a name that sounds like "eye-la" myself, but I'd never use Ayla as the spelling ... because I'm influenced by things like CotCB and Ayden and Kayla, far more than by exposure to foreign languages, and I automatically read Ayla to rhyme Kayla. I like Ayla-prn-"eye-la" alright - as a foreign(ish) name. I know a family whose daughter is Ayla prn eye-la. But I happen to know they have Turkish heritage. If I used that spelling myself, I'd fully expect people to missay it to rhyme Kayla, because that's what I always do. And I'd half-expect people would think I was trying to make it seem "exotic," because my family has no other language or interesting foreign connections.
This message was edited 9/28/2019, 9:38 PM
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