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ArchivesRe: Japanese Name
in reply to a message by Jewel
Iva is not a Japanese name. Iva derives from Ivan, which is the Russian form of John, which means "God is gracious" in Hebrew. It has nothing to do with Japanese. In fact, the "v" sound does not exist in Japanese, so Iva would not even be used in Japan.
This message was edited 5/26/2008, 9:51 AM
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Iva does mean what you says it means, but it is also a Japanese name meaning "God's great gift" and, after further investigation, "yew tree" in Japanese. Take a look at the website www.babynology.com/meaning-iva-f35.html if you don't believe me. TTSMLO x
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I'm sorry, but that site is in error. I studied Japanese for many years and earned a minor in Japanese as well as a BA and MA in Linguistics, so I feel qualified to comment on this. Iva is not a Japanese word or name. The Japanese language does not contain the sound /v/. The Japanese word for "yew tree" is "ichii."
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about the meanings and origins of names on the Web. It's necessary to use caution and verify what you find through other sources.
ETA: I just looked through the other "Japanese names" sections of "Babynology" and there are so many errors I can't even begin to mention them all. For instance: Fujita (a surname) is listed as a girl's name; Vini (impossible in Japanese) is included as a boy's name; Akira (primarily used for males) is called a "top Japanese girl's name," and so forth. That site is a very unreliable source.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about the meanings and origins of names on the Web. It's necessary to use caution and verify what you find through other sources.
ETA: I just looked through the other "Japanese names" sections of "Babynology" and there are so many errors I can't even begin to mention them all. For instance: Fujita (a surname) is listed as a girl's name; Vini (impossible in Japanese) is included as a boy's name; Akira (primarily used for males) is called a "top Japanese girl's name," and so forth. That site is a very unreliable source.
This message was edited 5/27/2008, 9:13 AM
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Oh well, I did find it in a baby naming book as well, though that's probably wrong too. Thanks for the info, I won't use that site again!! TTSMLO x
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The claimed meaning of "yew tree" for Iva is possible but, as you pointed, of course not for a suposed Japanese origin.
Iva is a feminine form of Ivo (Spanish and other languages equivalent to the French Yves), that means "yew tree".
(How in the world they mixed that with the Japanese is a complete mystery to me.)
Iva is a feminine form of Ivo (Spanish and other languages equivalent to the French Yves), that means "yew tree".
(How in the world they mixed that with the Japanese is a complete mystery to me.)
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