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Scheherazade - yes/no? Nicknames?
Do you think Scheherazade could work for a Muslim baby girl living in the UK? If so, do you prefer the spelling Scheherazade or Sheherazade? Pronounced Sh-her-ra-zaad (her ryhmes with ter in terror) Whilst I would prefer that she goes by her full name I understand it is very likely she would go by a nickname instead due to the length of the name. What nicknames could this name have? So far have thought of: Hera, Sadie, Sherry, Raza, Zade, Shera, Haze
Please propose some nicknames and state which is your favourite. I love Scheherazade due to her role as Queen and storyteller in 1001 nights and consequent huge literary influence, as well as the Russian orchestral suite and ballet.

This message was edited 12/23/2020, 12:18 PM

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Yeah I like it ok. Nns Hera and Raza are good, also like Zada
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For the life of me I can't figure out how to pronounce it when spelt this way! I much prefer the original spelling of Shahrazad - it has a much more instinctual pronunciation
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Loathe.First of all, it’s the most obnoxious piece of classical music ever written, and they never stop playing it on the radio. I don’t mind Rimsky-Korsakov at all, but I think Scheherazade is probably my least favorite commonly played orchestral composition. It’s literally on like every 80 minutes.Second of all, it plunges the level of pretentiousness to newly squalid depths. I just could not imagine such a train-wreck of a name on an innocent child. 0/10

This message was edited 12/23/2020, 5:46 PM

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I'm not an expert on Islam, so I'm not sure Muslims would choose Scheherazade rather than Shahrazad, but other than that, sure. I prefer the Sheherazade spelling. My favourite nickname from the ones you mentioned is Hera, but I'd go with Zadie.
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I think it could work, but her name will probably get butchered often / she’ll probably have to correct people often if she goes by her full name.I absolutely adore Hera as a nickname for Scheherazade!
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YES!!!I love Scheherazade. It's over the top but oh so gorgeous. A nickname would be an absolute must for everyday purposes - I used to think Sadie or Hera would work well, before finally settling on Zadie.While Scheherazade sits pretty on my GP list currently, it has been in my Top 10 before, and I would actually consider it for real life.
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I'm not sure it would work, many English speakers would mess up the pronunciation. How about Hera, Shera, or Hazel? I think these would work fine in the U.K.
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I love Sheherazade! I prefer that spelling because the "c" is unnecessary. My favorite nickname is Zadie.
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You don't register it as an incorrect spelling of the typical Scheherazade? I also agree that Sheherazade looks less intimidating to say but some people have said that they see it as an incorrect spelling of the name.
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Well, the original Arabic name is Shahrazad. The introduction of the "c" looks like a Germanization.
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I agree
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Zadie or Hera could work as nicknames.For the Shahrazad form, Shahra would be an option.
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I think the original Arabic spelling, Shahrazad, would work better for a Muslim girl. It’s the original form and it’s a bit less hefty.I like Sadie and Shera as nicknames. You could also go with something Arabic, like Shazi or Zahra.
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I love Shazi as a nn. I did consider Shahrazad but the transliteration of the Arabic name doesn't capture the bounce between the H and r that is present in the Scheherazade spelling. Shaherazade is probably most phonetically correct transliteration but would probably register as an 'incorrrect' spelling in the UK. Will need to give this point further thought.
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I think it works. I prefer Sheherazade, nn Hera or Shera.
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Is the Sheherazade preference due to its more simplified spelling? Or is pronunciation more intuitive?
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I think It's a bit more natural. Also, yes, it's more intuitive.
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I mean, I'd die of happiness if I met a Scheherazade IRL. I'd probably use Zade as a nickname. Or Sherry, bleh.
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I find Sherry to be a somewhat sleazy nickname due to it being an alcohol but also recognise it is the most inevitable nickname. I guess will have to weigh up how much I hate Sherry lol.I too would fan girl like crazy if I met a Scheherazade in real life.
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