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HelpRe: Board preferences, Amharic names
in reply to a message by Miranda
I didn't mean to imply anyone was closed-minded. I thought about the wording after the fact. :-(
I'm just not sure, in general, how popular foreign names are. Especially the extremely difficult-to-pronounce African ones. I'm even more uncertain as to how a caucasian would feel naming their child such a name.
I don't find that at all discriminatory. It's very understandable- it would be awkward for the child, if the name were so extreme.
That is why I am searching for African names that aren't spelled too strangely and are simply to pronounce. So far, those names are NOT Amharic.
:-D
-Erica
I'm just not sure, in general, how popular foreign names are. Especially the extremely difficult-to-pronounce African ones. I'm even more uncertain as to how a caucasian would feel naming their child such a name.
I don't find that at all discriminatory. It's very understandable- it would be awkward for the child, if the name were so extreme.
That is why I am searching for African names that aren't spelled too strangely and are simply to pronounce. So far, those names are NOT Amharic.
:-D
-Erica
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No, no, I didn't mean to imply anyone here was discriminatory! I meant "open-minded" as in "Hm, I'm unsure of what I think of this name. My first instinct is to say I don't like it because it's unfamiliar and looks odd to me, and might cause the kid problems here in North America. But if it has a good origin and the family has a good reason to use it, I might like it for this family" as opposed to "That name is too weird for any kid who's living in NA, no matter what the origin of it is or what/who it honours!"
I would personally use an Aramaic fn and an Amharic mn if you're that concerned about pronunciation. Aramaic names, or their derivatives, are familiar amongst English speakers: Bartholomew, Barnabas, Mahalia, Martha, possibly Rebecca, Salome, possibly Samantha, Tabitha, Talitha, Thaddeus, and Thomas all have Aramaic roots listed on this site. And of course most of these names have variants and versions in other languages you could use.
I remember that a few years back there was a cheesy Saturday morning cartoon called Captain Planet. There was an African boy on it called Kwame (KWAH-mee), and as I believe this show was widely aired for several years, I think Kwame might be a little more well-known than most African names. (I can't say for sure, I don't get out in public much.)
Other possibilities (your mileage may vary):
Abena (f)
Abeni (f)
Ama (f)
Amadi (m/f) - Probably a good idea to use this for a girl, because the feminine Igbo meaning is much nicer than the masculine Yoruba meaning!
I would personally use an Aramaic fn and an Amharic mn if you're that concerned about pronunciation. Aramaic names, or their derivatives, are familiar amongst English speakers: Bartholomew, Barnabas, Mahalia, Martha, possibly Rebecca, Salome, possibly Samantha, Tabitha, Talitha, Thaddeus, and Thomas all have Aramaic roots listed on this site. And of course most of these names have variants and versions in other languages you could use.
I remember that a few years back there was a cheesy Saturday morning cartoon called Captain Planet. There was an African boy on it called Kwame (KWAH-mee), and as I believe this show was widely aired for several years, I think Kwame might be a little more well-known than most African names. (I can't say for sure, I don't get out in public much.)
Other possibilities (your mileage may vary):
Abena (f)
Abeni (f)
Ama (f)
Amadi (m/f) - Probably a good idea to use this for a girl, because the feminine Igbo meaning is much nicer than the masculine Yoruba meaning!
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LOL. I've had trouble with misinterpreting people this weekend- I meant that my own post implied that the people here could be closed-minded. At least that is what I got from it when I reread it. I was worried- I don't want to insult anyone and I didn't want it to be taken that way. I guess it's just me then. :-D Sorry for the confusion.
Anyway... thanks for the names. I have considered Neo and Kobe before. The trouble is with girls' names...
I agree on the switch. I think it'd be easier to go with a biblical first name and an Amharic middle one.
-Erica
Anyway... thanks for the names. I have considered Neo and Kobe before. The trouble is with girls' names...
I agree on the switch. I think it'd be easier to go with a biblical first name and an Amharic middle one.
-Erica
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