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I was told long ago that Thisbe is a Greek name that means "where the doves live," that it is feminine, and that its original spelling is Thisbe pronounced THIZ-bee.
Lately, I am wondering if I am incorrect. I've seen it spelled as Tisbe and Thisby. I've also seen it written that Thisby is a masculine name.
Can someone here please set me straight on this?
Thanks!
Lately, I am wondering if I am incorrect. I've seen it spelled as Tisbe and Thisby. I've also seen it written that Thisby is a masculine name.
Can someone here please set me straight on this?
Thanks!
This message was edited 3/12/2005, 11:46 AM
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Replies
The original pronunciation was Teesbeh, but the t was aspirated and was later and is now pronounced as Θ (English th). The b progressed from /b/ through /β/ to modern /v/. It had been a town in Greece since ancient times, it doesn't mean where the doves live, but it's epithet was "abounding with pigeons" as Thisbe was known for its wild pigeons since Homer. The rocky coast of the harbour is a natural breeding ground.
This message was edited 6/1/2023, 9:37 AM
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Yes, Teesbeh! I actually prefer that pronunciation.
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The Greek pronunciation is TEEZ-beh, but yes, THIZ-bee is the English pronunciation.
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According to Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott (A Greek-English Lexicon), Thisbe in ancient Greek is a "vessel for containing things"
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I know that it is from an old Greek and Roman mythe (Pyramus and Thisbe, a mythe which explains why the mulberry carries red berries... Ovid wrote one of the versions of this story) In the mythe Thisbe is a female, so I assume it's a female name. I don't know what the name Thisbe means, but in my Latin class we had to pronounce Thisbe as TIZ-bay.
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Thanks everyone!
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Oh man, I just came on the board to ask this same question! Weird!
~ Caitlín
"Blue tinted individuals who go about armed to the teeth and quoting twelfth-century poetry are not easy to comprehend." ~ Lloyd Alexander
~ Caitlín
"Blue tinted individuals who go about armed to the teeth and quoting twelfth-century poetry are not easy to comprehend." ~ Lloyd Alexander
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Thisbe is feminine
It appears in Roman mythology as the female half of the proto-Romeo and Juliet couple of Pyramus and Thisbe. Their story may be found on Wikipedia (http://snipurl.com/de1z), Encyclopedia Mythica (http://snipurl.com/de20, http://snipurl.com/de21), and Timeless Myths (http://snipurl.com/de22).
I'm sorry, I don't know Thisbe's meaning. And while Encyclopedia Mythica says Thisbe's pronounced THIZ-bee, I have no idea whether that's the original pronunciation or not.
Miranda
"Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of diseased mind" -- Terry Pratchett
!!!!!!!!!! ← Maud, John, Alice, Peter, Emma, Edith, Lewis, Henry, Isabel, and Joseph
It appears in Roman mythology as the female half of the proto-Romeo and Juliet couple of Pyramus and Thisbe. Their story may be found on Wikipedia (http://snipurl.com/de1z), Encyclopedia Mythica (http://snipurl.com/de20, http://snipurl.com/de21), and Timeless Myths (http://snipurl.com/de22).
I'm sorry, I don't know Thisbe's meaning. And while Encyclopedia Mythica says Thisbe's pronounced THIZ-bee, I have no idea whether that's the original pronunciation or not.
"Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of diseased mind" -- Terry Pratchett
!!!!!!!!!! ← Maud, John, Alice, Peter, Emma, Edith, Lewis, Henry, Isabel, and Joseph
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