One of my friends in elementary school was from an Indian family, and she had an Indian name. When she was about 9, she and her parents took a trip to India, and all her relatives there said that she and her parents had been pronouncing her name wrong, so she started using the correct pronunciation. It was a small change, but it took a while for all her friends to remember to use it consistently, and it really must have been weird for her to start introducing herself differently.
You know, my big sister could really beat the crap out of her. I mean, really really.
Dawn ,'Storyteller'
Natter 70: Hookers and Blow
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Hil R. - Jun 04, 2012 1:53:50 pm PDT #8280 of 30001
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l
Typo Boy - Jun 04, 2012 1:56:10 pm PDT #8281 of 30001
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.
On the other had, if I remember 9 year olds, she probably really enjoyed being able to correct everyone, especially adults.
DavidS - Jun 04, 2012 1:58:49 pm PDT #8282 of 30001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
In Rosemary Mahoney's great book about Ireland, Whoredom in Kimmage, she constantly noted how the Irish mocked her pronunciation of her last name.
She pronounced it as we typically do: "Mah-Ho-Nee."
Which made them hoot in derision.
Because apparently it's supposed to be more like: "Moh-(ch)Knee."
§ ita § - Jun 04, 2012 2:03:00 pm PDT #8283 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
My name is pronounced precisely how the fuck I say it is. That's my bright line right there.
(small pass given to the Quebecois accent, for vaguely nostalgic feels)
Polgara - Jun 04, 2012 2:03:10 pm PDT #8284 of 30001
Karma is a cat, sleeping in my lap cuz it loves me. ~TS
Because apparently it's supposed to be more like: "Moh-(ch)Knee."
Whoa. Having grown up around a lot of Mahoneys, my mind has just been blown.
Jesse - Jun 04, 2012 2:05:01 pm PDT #8285 of 30001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
My grandfather pronounced our last name different from either of his children or any of their children, but he was definitely saying it wrong! Or at least, he was making a letter silent for no apparent reason.
Sue - Jun 04, 2012 2:09:14 pm PDT #8286 of 30001
hip deep in pie
I had a friend in drama school named Attila. But he didn't pronounce like we do, to kinda rhyme with flotilla, but "Ah-tee-la." And he wanted everyone to pronounce it that way. Which I did (when I didn't forget and call him Alex), but I always felt douchy doing it.
Consuela - Jun 04, 2012 2:09:23 pm PDT #8287 of 30001
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
Because apparently it's supposed to be more like: "Moh-(ch)Knee
Or MAH-he-nee, I think.
So far as I know, my family name has always been pronounced the way we do now. But it's an unsettling possibility!
Consuela - Jun 04, 2012 2:10:36 pm PDT #8288 of 30001
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
But he didn't pronounce like we do, to kinda rhyme with flotilla, but "Ah-tee-la."
One of the friends at my brother's wedding was an Attila. He pronounced it AT-illa.
Still, better Atilla than Adolph.
NoiseDesign - Jun 04, 2012 2:24:01 pm PDT #8289 of 30001
Our wings are not tired
I don't pronounce my last name the correct way. It should be "dee-EL" but it's already unusual enough that people can't get it right, I can't imagine what would happen if I tried to get them to pronounce correctly.
Even a lot of folks back in Ireland don't bother pronouncing it correctly.