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ArchivesRe: Spanish/French pronounciation of Jonathan?
in reply to a message by The Little Hyphen
The Spanish correct form of the name is Jonatán (khoh-nah-TAHN), but, as many other names from Old Testament, it is not used.
The use of Jonathan appears in 1970s after American films, soap operas and sitcoms; then, the pronunciation tries to be the English one. Since the sound of the English J is inexistent in Spanish, many of the speakers pronounce it as Y (it is the same with other newly used names, as Joel). The group TH is pronounced simply as a T.
Lumia
http://onomastica.mailcatala.com
The use of Jonathan appears in 1970s after American films, soap operas and sitcoms; then, the pronunciation tries to be the English one. Since the sound of the English J is inexistent in Spanish, many of the speakers pronounce it as Y (it is the same with other newly used names, as Joel). The group TH is pronounced simply as a T.
Lumia
http://onomastica.mailcatala.com
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Replies
Thanks for your help. So in all it would be pronounced yoh-nah-tan? I didn't think it sounded right as hoh-nah-than! Thank you again.
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For the French pronunciation, the j- sounds like the -s- in the word "pleasure" (the ʒ in the IPA), the -th- sounds like a -t- and the final -an is nasalized.
In the past, the name was mostly borne by the Protestants and the Jews, but it's become more popular under the American influence (but with the French pronunciation since the English-th- is so difficult to say for French people)
In the past, the name was mostly borne by the Protestants and the Jews, but it's become more popular under the American influence (but with the French pronunciation since the English-th- is so difficult to say for French people)
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