Re: My column about the 2015 SSA list
in reply to a message by clevelandkentevans
Your info on Riaan is very interesting! I had no idea it was an Indian name, but there are plenty of Riaan people of all ages in South Africa because it is used as a nn for Adriaan (the Afrikaans version of Adrian), and sometimes as a name in its own right. There are also women and girls named Riana.
The difference in spelling is because Riaan is stressed on the first syllable, so the -a- is doubled to show it has a long sound: REEaahn. Riana is stressed on the middle syllable, riAAHnah, so the length happens naturally.
The difference in spelling is because Riaan is stressed on the first syllable, so the -a- is doubled to show it has a long sound: REEaahn. Riana is stressed on the middle syllable, riAAHnah, so the length happens naturally.