Dragaera

Pronouncing names... was Re: duh!

Tue Feb 22 07:43:55 PST 2005

On Fri, Feb 18, 2005 at 10:57:37PM -0600, Bryan Newell wrote:
> > > But my mother Mary Dawn  
> > > objects when she hears someone call her Mary Don. 
> > Eh? "Dawn" versus "Don" is a different distinction.
> > (Pointing.) "AH. AW. AH. AW."
> > "Are you saying those sounds are different?!"
> My name is spelled with a Y (Bryan), which is the less popular spelling, and
> I can usually tell the difference between the spoken names Bryan and Brian.

I am of the opinion that people who have odd names tend to be more
careful in their pronunciation.  I think it is a result of being
sensitized to it because of the mangling of your own.

It is my experience that the only people who get my name right when I
am introduced/introduce myself are people who also have odd names.
All others say some variation of "Hi John/Josh/Jock" although I
enunciate quite clearly. [1]

I also listen carefully (and normally immediately forget) when other
people say their name.  If I'm not sure I heard it right, I say something
like:  "I'm sorry.  Was that X?"  People with odd names appreciate you
taking the time to get it right....but they then also know that you
have an odd name because of paragraph 2.  :) [2]

Oh, and just to keep it on topic, care to guess how often any of these
people actually had their names pronounced correctly the first time
when introduced:

1) Aliera
2) Corwin
3) Reen

-Jot

[1] My Mom tells the story of me, at age 3 or so, introducing myself as
"Jot J-O-T Jot" all said as one word.  :)
[2] If they have figured this out.  Just because you have an odd named
doesn't mean you're very smart.
-- 
Jot Powers 	<books at bofh.com> 		http://www.bofh.com/books/
"I'm upping my standards, so up yours!" 
	-Pat Paulsen (1927-1997), Presidential Campaign Slogan