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how would you pronounce this name?

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  • 14-05-2019 12:40pm
    #1
    Edoyle6
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭


    Hi guys and gals, looking for first reactions on how you would make a stab at pronouncing the name Anaïs if you saw it written down? Phonetically I mean.

    Due first baby in 7 weeks, with my french partner (I'm Irish). Baby will most likely grow up in Ireland but would like to have french side acknowledged in their name. Love this name just worried about a life time of mispronounciation in Ireland.


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    #2
    worker bee
    Registered Users Posts: 97 ✭✭worker bee


    annay?


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    #3
    beans
    Registered Users Posts: 1,885 ✭✭✭beans


    'An Ace', although I'm not familiar with how it 'should' be pronounced.

    If you like it, go with it. As a parent of Irish children in the UK, the bad pronunciation isn't much of a thing.


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    #4
    is_that_so
    Registered Users Posts: 32,136 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    Edoyle6 wrote: »
    Hi guys and gals, looking for first reactions on how you would make a stab at pronouncing the name Anaïs if you saw it written down? Phonetically I mean.

    Due first baby in 7 weeks, with my french partner (I'm Irish). Baby will most likely grow up in Ireland but would like to have french side acknowledged in their name. Love this name just worried about a life time of mispronounciation in Ireland.
    Yep Anay. Irish friend had the same issue and they chose names that could not be butchered. Because it's so short not too scope for mangling it but you will have to keep reminding people. Lovely name and best of luck with everything.


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    #5
    Hoboo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,524 ✭✭✭Hoboo


    If you're talking about the French name Anaïs, it's pronounced Ann - eye - eece.

    Have a friend in Lyon called Anaïs. Lived there for 3 years, met a few.

    I grew up thinking it was Anay, and the perfume Anaïs Anaïs being Anay Anay as pronounced by Irish girls. But it's not.


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    #6
    farmchoice
    Registered Users Posts: 1,026 ✭✭✭farmchoice


    i think i understand the accent but why is the last letter a capital?


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    #7
    is_that_so
    Registered Users Posts: 32,136 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    farmchoice wrote: »
    i think i understand the accent but why is the last letter a capital?
    It's AnaÏs I believe.


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    #8
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    farmchoice wrote: »
    i think i understand the accent but why is the last letter a capital?

    It's a formatting issue due to the special character on the "I." it's getting distored for me in the OP, but I can see it in a quote of the OP.

    OP, I'd probably be wondering how the name gets written or typed out. It could be difficult on a range of applications, where she's giving her name, explaining how to spell it, and the person on the other end of the phone can't type it in.


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    #9
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,121 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    I can't see your spelling as the accented character is corrupted on my screen. So I am going off other posters pronunciations.

    It is difficult to get a name that won't attract obvious slagging, but bear in mind that other kids will likely call the child "anus"


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    #10
    irelandrover
    Registered Users Posts: 3,696 ✭✭✭irelandrover


    I wouldn't give a child a name that they were going to have to spend their life spelling. I just don't think it is fair to them.


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    #11
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Donald Trump wrote: »
    I can't see your spelling as the accented character is corrupted on my screen. So I am going off other posters pronunciations.

    It is difficult to get a name that won't attract obvious slagging, but bear in mind that other kids will likely call the child "anus"

    [mod]

    Please don't come here for toilet humor. It ain't the place for it.


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    #12
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,282 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    I know someone who called her daughter Anais last year and pronounces it "Anay". Both parents are Irish but I don't know if they use the special character over the "i".


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    #13
    Kingp35
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 12,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kingp35


    irelandrover wrote: »
    I wouldn't give a child a name that they were going to have to spend their life spelling. I just don't think it is fair to them.

    I agree with this. My wife's name is Debbi (no e) and it drives her mad when people get the spelling wrong, even after she tells them how to spell it.


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    #14
    Att vara en hest
    Registered Users Posts: 110 ✭✭Att vara en hest


    My friend Anaïs pronounces it "Ah-nice" here in Ireland but when she's home in France it's more like how #5 wrote it.


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    #15
    Dial Hard
    Registered Users Posts: 13,413 ✭✭✭✭Dial Hard


    irelandrover wrote:
    I wouldn't give a child a name that they were going to have to spend their life spelling. I just don't think it is fair to them.

    Life would be terribly boring if everyone adhered to such a low bar, though. I have a very standard Irish name and it still gets misspelled all the time. I'd rather deal with that than witness the continued dumbing down of the world.

    OP, for what it's worth, I believe the pronunciation of that name is subject to regional differences even in France. Most Irish people would probably go with An-nay, though.


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    #16
    Infernal Racket
    Registered Users Posts: 1,418 ✭✭✭Infernal Racket


    Irish people will never get that name right. Don't do it


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    #17
    Hoboo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,524 ✭✭✭Hoboo


    Kingp35 wrote: »
    I agree with this. My wife's name is Debbi (no e) and it drives her mad when people get the spelling wrong, even after she tells them how to spell it.

    Deb - bye?


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    #18
    mordeith
    Registered Users Posts: 5,278 ✭✭✭mordeith


    The little sister in The Amazing World of Gumball is called Anais. My only exposure to the name.


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    #19
    shesty
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,894 Mod ✭✭✭✭shesty


    "Meditation of Thais"....thai-eece
    Ana-ay-eece.
    I'd give it a stab at that, but would be happy to be corrected.


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    #20
    irelandrover
    Registered Users Posts: 3,696 ✭✭✭irelandrover


    Dial Hard wrote: »
    Life would be terribly boring if everyone adhered to such a low bar, though. I have a very standard Irish name and it still gets misspelled all the time. I'd rather deal with that than witness the continued dumbing down of the world.

    OP, for what it's worth, I believe the pronunciation of that name is subject to regional differences even in France. Most Irish people would probably go with An-nay, though.

    That's fair enough. I wouldn't give my child an Irish name since i live abroad. A few of my friends have Irish names and they way they are butchered is unrecognizable.

    I think there is a difference between a name being unpronounceable and unspellable. I should have been clearer in my original message


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    #21
    i71jskz5xu42pb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,806 ✭✭✭i71jskz5xu42pb


    Edoyle6 wrote: »
    Love this name just worried about a life time of mispronounciation in Ireland.

    I doubt people will get it right from the spelling, I certainly would not have only for I've heard of the author (Anaïs Nin) before.

    I wouldn't let that stop you though, it'd be a boring world where we limit ourselves to names that are spelled phonetically.


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    #22
    Edoyle6
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭Edoyle6


    Hi guys thanks for all replies. Im not sure why my original post is distorted, I think its the accent on the name that skewed it.

    So the name I was trying to post was Anais with an accent over the I. Doesnt bother me too much if people leave out the accent at times, much the same as those with a fada.

    As one commenter rightly pointed out it is pronounced Anna-ees / or An-eye-ees depending on the french person. To be honest said quickly they sound much the same as that middle syllable is said quite quickly. The two I know go by Anna-ees. It is definately not meant to be pronounced Anay anyway, but maybe that is gonna become the anglicised version as can happen with name. To me, would make more sense to spell the name Anay in that case... but each to their own!

    But previously, I would have thought Anay was the correct pronounciation too, and growing up called the perfume Anais Anais "anay anay." This is my worry in Ireland, that nobody will actually call her by her name. But i suppose thats what happens with a non Irish name in Ireland, and worst case scenario we just correct people. I imagine we will call her Ana / Anna a lot as a shortened affectionate version of her name so that might make life easier.

    Does anyone else think this name reminds them of Anus though? I had never even thought of that. It starts with the same pronounciation as Anna so that wouldnt occur to me at all as they dont sound alike!


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    #23
    km991148
    Registered Users Posts: 4,275 ✭✭✭km991148


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    [mod]

    Please don't come here for toilet humor. It ain't the place for it.
    Donald Trump wrote: »
    I can't see your spelling as the accented character is corrupted on my screen. So I am going off other posters pronunciations.

    It is difficult to get a name that won't attract obvious slagging, but bear in mind that other kids will likely call the child "anus"

    I was going to post similar - the potential for bullying if you are in a different part of the world.
    This seems like an obvious thing that may happen. May I suggest this isn't toilet humour, but a serious point?


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    #24
    km991148
    Registered Users Posts: 4,275 ✭✭✭km991148


    Edoyle6 wrote: »

    Does anyone else think this name reminds them of Anus though? I had never even thought of that. It starts with the same pronounciation as Anna so that wouldnt occur to me at all as they dont sound alike!

    Depends on where you live, what sort of school and a whole bunch of factors.

    Probably not really - but who knows - kids can be messers!

    it sounds a nice name and as you said - it will probably be shortened to Ana a lot anyway.


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    #25
    Bandana boy
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭Bandana boy


    My first thought was this was the Female version of the African Spider god Anansi
    But I realise now its a provincial version of Anne.

    I would pronounce it Annish if I saw it in an Irish context and Anneye if I saw it in a continental context


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    #26
    El Tarangu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭El Tarangu


    'A Naas' (like the town in Kildare)

    Does your partner have a special attachment to this particular name? There are many other French names that are a lot easier to spell/pronounce.

    (look how much trouble you had typing this name into Boards - now, imagine this happening every time you need to book a flight or pay a gas bill for the next 80-odd years)


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    #27
    Bob Harris
    Registered Users Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭Bob Harris


    Edoyle6 wrote: »
    Hi guys and gals, looking for first reactions on how you would make a stab at pronouncing the name Anaïs if you saw it written down? Phonetically I mean.

    Due first baby in 7 weeks, with my french partner (I'm Irish). Baby will most likely grow up in Ireland but would like to have french side acknowledged in their name. Love this name just worried about a life time of mispronounciation in Ireland.

    Could you acknowledge the French side with a name that is easier to pronounce?


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    #28
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,121 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    km991148 wrote: »
    I was going to post similar - the potential for bullying if you are in a different part of the world.
    This seems like an obvious thing that may happen. May I suggest this isn't toilet humour, but a serious point?




    It was a genuine point. It probably wouldn't occur to a French person because they *know* how to pronounce it and they don't consider people mispronouncing it because in France, it is probably just a name everyone knows.


    Nothing wrong with the name. I'd just say that there is a good chance that other kids could take the piss with it. But they can do that for lots of names.



    Or maybe a name makes no difference


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    #29
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    km991148 wrote: »
    I was going to post similar - the potential for bullying if you are in a different part of the world.
    This seems like an obvious thing that may happen. May I suggest this isn't toilet humour, but a serious point?

    No,

    Otherwise kids wouldn't be called Michael, William or Richard. And I'm supposed to support dick jokes in such a thread referencing them based on that loose association? There is no difference here between that and the previous comment by Donald Trump taking an opportunity to make a crude joke.


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    #30
    miamee
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Regional East Moderators, Regional North West Moderators Posts: 12,022 Mod ✭✭✭✭miamee


    A friend is married to a French man, they have three children and also live in Ireland but went with French names that would be very familiar to Irish people also so that there was no confusion on either side.


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    #31
    baby and crumble
    Registered Users Posts: 8,512 ✭✭✭baby and crumble


    El Tarangu wrote: »

    (look how much trouble you had typing this name into Boards - now, imagine this happening every time you need to book a flight or pay a gas bill for the next 80-odd years)

    I have a name that is technically French, and has an umlaut over one letter. Now, it doesn't make a huge difference but be aware that most places can't handle it in bookings etc. So 9/10 your daughter won't have the umlaut/accent over the i. I just looked at all my cards in my wallet and zero have managed to have the umlaut.

    I will say I have been the subject of at least 5 different types of spellings of my name, so be prepared that even when you specify, people will spell it whatever way they think it is.


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