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ArchivesRe: Is it legit to use Noah on a girl?
in reply to a message by Anneza
Well, it's legit to use Noah so why shouldn't I give her the spelling I prefer? It makes me crazy how people always claim boys names get stolen by girls. NO-a (pr.) is strictly female. In Hebrew Noah (male would be pr. like Noach). So from its origin NO-a is feminine and the boys have stolen this one from the girls (at least the pronunciation).
With a feminine middle name that would be listed on all documents and class lists she wouldn't have any problems at all.
With a feminine middle name that would be listed on all documents and class lists she wouldn't have any problems at all.
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In fact,
Noah (masculine and pronounced NO-a) is not a stolen feminine name but a traditional evolution in English.
The [x] sound (KH) doesn't exist in English, so it seems logical that the name could had been adapted with the [h] sound at the end, because this one is the sound closer to [x] in English. Since is a soft sound, at the end of the word and on an non-stressed syllable, the change from [h] to no sound would not be surprising at all.
NO-a (pr.) is then not strictly female. It is a case of homophony, simply.
Noah (masculine and pronounced NO-a) is not a stolen feminine name but a traditional evolution in English.
The [x] sound (KH) doesn't exist in English, so it seems logical that the name could had been adapted with the [h] sound at the end, because this one is the sound closer to [x] in English. Since is a soft sound, at the end of the word and on an non-stressed syllable, the change from [h] to no sound would not be surprising at all.
NO-a (pr.) is then not strictly female. It is a case of homophony, simply.
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Yep, sure it hasn't really been stolen, just been adapted. I didn't mean it that way, sorry :P But I asked my teacher (she's from Israel) and she pronounced Noah and Noach differently. I mean, yeah it's not a huge difference but you definitely hear it.
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But it is different in English and in Hebrew
All the English names from Hebrew origin are adaptations/evolutions from the originals, every single one. In some cases, the difference from the original is bigger that in other cases, depending on the existence of the sounds, or close, in both languages.
The pronunciation of Noa/Noah in Hebrew and in English can be close, but it is not the same, because in English the vocalic sounds are very different and they have changed a lot throughout time. So, the pronunciation of Noah in English also "has been adapted" (to use your words). It is just that two different "adaptations" (by two different paths) have ended in the same pronunciation (which, by the way, it is not an unusual situation in most of the languages).
All the English names from Hebrew origin are adaptations/evolutions from the originals, every single one. In some cases, the difference from the original is bigger that in other cases, depending on the existence of the sounds, or close, in both languages.
The pronunciation of Noa/Noah in Hebrew and in English can be close, but it is not the same, because in English the vocalic sounds are very different and they have changed a lot throughout time. So, the pronunciation of Noah in English also "has been adapted" (to use your words). It is just that two different "adaptations" (by two different paths) have ended in the same pronunciation (which, by the way, it is not an unusual situation in most of the languages).
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