Comments on: Hello, My Name Is http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/ A Jordanian Blog Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:24:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5730 Nas Sun, 04 Jun 2006 23:57:05 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5730 <b>b.</b> 3amer is a tough name...it's the 3ein that's probably causing all the trouble. It's one of those letter only Arabs can pronounce perfectly (except for those calling him Omar whom I guess are probably just teasing). And yeah your husband has to make the mother happy, it's an unwritten rule when it comes to baby naming. Adam is nice, a lot of people now are focusing on names that work in both sides of the world. Adam is one of the few that runs perfectly in both worlds. But some are getting out of hand, they're just pure foreign names. b. 3amer is a tough name…it’s the 3ein that’s probably causing all the trouble. It’s one of those letter only Arabs can pronounce perfectly (except for those calling him Omar whom I guess are probably just teasing). And yeah your husband has to make the mother happy, it’s an unwritten rule when it comes to baby naming.

Adam is nice, a lot of people now are focusing on names that work in both sides of the world. Adam is one of the few that runs perfectly in both worlds. But some are getting out of hand, they’re just pure foreign names.

]]> By: b. http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5725 b. Sun, 04 Jun 2006 22:19:49 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5725 My son has a name that, it seems, no one can quite get right: 'Amr ('aiyn-meen-ra-wow). Americans call him Ah-maar, Eh-meer, or Elmer. Arabs like to call him Omar (which, at four, drives him insane: imagine a wee Jordanian shouting NO-MY-NAME-IS-'AMR!). Who are we kidding? Even I can't pronounce his name correctly, although I'm getting closer. My husband just insisted that we had to name our first son 'Amr because that's what his mom wanted... *sigh* I named the next baby: Adam. See? Easy on everyone. :) My son has a name that, it seems, no one can quite get right: ‘Amr (‘aiyn-meen-ra-wow). Americans call him Ah-maar, Eh-meer, or Elmer. Arabs like to call him Omar (which, at four, drives him insane: imagine a wee Jordanian shouting NO-MY-NAME-IS-’AMR!).

Who are we kidding? Even I can’t pronounce his name correctly, although I’m getting closer. My husband just insisted that we had to name our first son ‘Amr because that’s what his mom wanted… *sigh*

I named the next baby: Adam. See? Easy on everyone. :)

]]> By: Nas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5718 Nas Sun, 04 Jun 2006 17:09:45 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5718 Ismail, Yeah it figures, I knew as soon as I read your name that you'd be renamed Ishmael. And while you and Nasser are a bit understandable I don't know why Ali should have a problem. It's strange because "Ali" has become quite common place, perhaps right after Mohammad and Ahmad. Ismail, Yeah it figures, I knew as soon as I read your name that you’d be renamed Ishmael. And while you and Nasser are a bit understandable I don’t know why Ali should have a problem. It’s strange because “Ali” has become quite common place, perhaps right after Mohammad and Ahmad.

]]> By: Ismail http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5714 Ismail Sun, 04 Jun 2006 16:36:41 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5714 Salaam, Man, I wish I'd have seen this post earlier. What do you think do with mine? Yeap, that's right they make it Jewish, by putting an 'H' in it. And make it two syllables. I guess they can be forgiven for making it two instead of a proper Is-Ma'-eel. My son is Nasser and at the tender age of 6 we have already heard: Nazza' , Nas (did not even bother to finish), Nas-er My son Ali: is Ollie or Alley. Salaam,

Man, I wish I’d have seen this post earlier. What do you think do with mine? Yeap, that’s right they make it Jewish, by putting an ‘H’ in it. And make it two syllables. I guess they can be forgiven for making it two instead of a proper Is-Ma’-eel.

My son is Nasser and at the tender age of 6 we have already heard: Nazza’ , Nas (did not even bother to finish), Nas-er

My son Ali: is Ollie or Alley.

]]> By: Nas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5620 Nas Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:26:28 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5620 <b>Shanequa,</b> lool well im thinking of adding an "@" sign somewhere in mine :-D Shanequa, lool well im thinking of adding an “@” sign somewhere in mine :-D

]]> By: Ù?Ù?Ù?در http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5614 Ù?Ù?Ù?در Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:13:22 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5614 That's it .. I'm officially changing my name to Shanequa! That’s it .. I’m officially changing my name to Shanequa!

]]> By: Nas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5606 Nas Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:56 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5606 <b>Bushra,</b> lool don't you love it when you meet someone and they say "it's so nice to meet you Mushtra" in a way that makes you feel they're correcting your pronounciation of your own name?! Like that's what it should be :-D Bushra, lool don’t you love it when you meet someone and they say “it’s so nice to meet you Mushtra” in a way that makes you feel they’re correcting your pronounciation of your own name?! Like that’s what it should be :-D

]]> By: Bush+ ra http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5605 Bush+ ra Wed, 31 May 2006 23:48:16 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5605 Ok, so my name is Bushra.. you'd think its not so hard right, considering the fact that the president of the US's last name is pretty much 2/3rds of my name... but nooo.. ppl just have a hard time pronouncing it. If they read it off a paper, they dont butcher it as much, but if i introduce myself as "Bushra", i always get: "its so nice to meet you Mushtra" or "Mushktra" never Bushra with a B. Ok, so my name is Bushra.. you’d think its not so hard right, considering the fact that the president of the US’s last name is pretty much 2/3rds of my name… but nooo.. ppl just have a hard time pronouncing it. If they read it off a paper, they dont butcher it as much, but if i introduce myself as “Bushra”, i always get: “its so nice to meet you Mushtra” or “Mushktra” never Bushra with a B.

]]> By: Nas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5604 Nas Wed, 31 May 2006 23:43:55 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5604 <b>RocketRay,</b> hmm me thinks that one's already taken and to be fair people were calling me Nas long before the rapper :-D <b>Ù?Ù?Ù?در,</b> lol I guess that goes to show that even a name change isn't necessarily the answer to one's problem ;-) <b>upyernoz,</b> lol so basically I'm screwed. But thanks for the info, I actually never paid attention to that. <b>Alb Sayed,</b> my father used to say there are letters in the Arabic language that only Arabs were biologically born with the ability to pronounce like "9" and the "7", which is why if a foreigner spoke the language for years and years you could still listen to them and know it's not their native tongue. RocketRay, hmm me thinks that one’s already taken and to be fair people were calling me Nas long before the rapper :-D

Ù?Ù?Ù?در, lol I guess that goes to show that even a name change isn’t necessarily the answer to one’s problem ;-)

upyernoz, lol so basically I’m screwed. But thanks for the info, I actually never paid attention to that.

Alb Sayed, my father used to say there are letters in the Arabic language that only Arabs were biologically born with the ability to pronounce like “9″ and the “7″, which is why if a foreigner spoke the language for years and years you could still listen to them and know it’s not their native tongue.

]]> By: Alb Sayed http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5590 Alb Sayed Wed, 31 May 2006 17:28:46 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5590 What gets me is that when you listen to the BBC or meet any westerner that's spent a significant amount of time in the Middle East, they pronounce names like "Mohamed" correctly. Or as close to the "7a" sound as they can get. So it is possible after all. American (and possibly Canadians) and their lack of exposure to our culture is the issue I think. Maybe Naseem or Faris aren't common names, but Mohamed, Ahmed and Omar aren't that difficult! What gets me is that when you listen to the BBC or meet any westerner that’s spent a significant amount of time in the Middle East, they pronounce names like “Mohamed” correctly. Or as close to the “7a” sound as they can get. So it is possible after all.

American (and possibly Canadians) and their lack of exposure to our culture is the issue I think. Maybe Naseem or Faris aren’t common names, but Mohamed, Ahmed and Omar aren’t that difficult!

]]> By: upyernoz http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5589 upyernoz Wed, 31 May 2006 17:22:15 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5589 <i>And thatâ??s another thing, why do they insist itâ??s a â??Zâ? when thereâ??s no â??Zâ? in my name?! Iâ??m thinking of adding a hyphen between â??Nasâ? and â??eemâ?.</i> in most dialects of english an "s" is pronounced like a "z" if it's next to a vowel (e.g. "easy", "basil". it also explains why a lot of english speakers call the religion "izlam"). it's not a rule you learn in school, most native english speakers are unaware of it. if you want to make it stop, you might try doubling the "s" (which might be a little harder for you to take, as double consonants often changes a word's pronunciation and meaning in arabic (e.g. "darasa" vs. "darrasa"). even though it usually doesn't do either in english. so maybe "nasseem" looks like something completely different to you, but as an american i would probably pronounce it about the same as "naseem." the hyphen might also work, but it runs the risk of having people think "eem" is your surname And thatâ??s another thing, why do they insist itâ??s a â??Zâ? when thereâ??s no â??Zâ? in my name?! Iâ??m thinking of adding a hyphen between â??Nasâ? and â??eemâ?.

in most dialects of english an “s” is pronounced like a “z” if it’s next to a vowel (e.g. “easy”, “basil”. it also explains why a lot of english speakers call the religion “izlam”). it’s not a rule you learn in school, most native english speakers are unaware of it.

if you want to make it stop, you might try doubling the “s” (which might be a little harder for you to take, as double consonants often changes a word’s pronunciation and meaning in arabic (e.g. “darasa” vs. “darrasa”). even though it usually doesn’t do either in english. so maybe “nasseem” looks like something completely different to you, but as an american i would probably pronounce it about the same as “naseem.”

the hyphen might also work, but it runs the risk of having people think “eem” is your surname

]]> By: Ù?Ù?Ù?در http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5586 Ù?Ù?Ù?در Wed, 31 May 2006 16:30:38 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5586 The worst case of challenging names was a friend of mine who had to change his name to Andy, His real name is Anas... Everyone would look at his name, look at him ... and just shut up! Try living with that name ;-) The worst case of challenging names was a friend of mine who had to change his name to Andy, His real name is Anas…
Everyone would look at his name, look at him … and just shut up!
Try living with that name ;-)

]]> By: RocketRay http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5583 RocketRay Wed, 31 May 2006 14:17:09 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5583 Have you considered adopting a nickname, say for example "Slim Shady"? ;) Have you considered adopting a nickname, say for example “Slim Shady”? ;)

]]> By: Nas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5581 Nas Wed, 31 May 2006 13:14:10 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5581 <b>O.A.</b> lol actually I think people got a little confused and voted for the <a href="http://itoot.net/top10.php">Top 10</a> of the month instead of the <a href="http://itoot.net/vote.php">design competition</a>, which explains why so many people voted for my Top 10 ranking in the past day or so. So I probably won't win anything. Sigh. thanks for the vote though :-D <b>Beti,</b> lol what a way to get a grade :-D O.A. lol actually I think people got a little confused and voted for the Top 10 of the month instead of the design competition, which explains why so many people voted for my Top 10 ranking in the past day or so. So I probably won’t win anything. Sigh. thanks for the vote though :-D

Beti, lol what a way to get a grade :-D

]]> By: O.A. http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5580 O.A. Wed, 31 May 2006 13:04:26 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5580 Nas out of the subject it seems that you will be getting a camera instead of the ipod... cause you know these 'pitty' votes your getting... it seems that they are too many people voting for you:P you got mine... Nas out of the subject it seems that you will be getting a camera instead of the ipod… cause you know these ‘pitty’ votes your getting… it seems that they are too many people voting for you:P
you got mine…

]]> By: Beti http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5579 Beti Wed, 31 May 2006 13:03:28 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5579 Well, even though I'm not Arab, I can definitely relate. People would automatically anglicise my first name to "Elizabeth" instead of Elizabeta, or they italianise it to "Elisabetta" (in spelling). In pronounciation it often became "Elizabeeeeta". The last name... well, that was another adventure. The Slovenian letter "Ž" (which is pronounced like "zh" in Zhivago) became a Z. I never let them get away with it. My brothers on the other hand, had no quams with anglicising their names. I kind of think it makes you lose part of your identity. Well, a funny story about pronouncing last names: When I was in high-school, we had a chemistry teacher who said he would give an "A" to anyone who could pronounce his last name. He wrote it out on the board: "SZCZGYL"... Everyone automatically looked at me, assuming that I'd be able to figure it out.... Now, I didn't know where this guy was from (SZ can be "s" in hungarian, "sh" in other languages...) and he wouldn't tell us, so I just said "SMITH". The response got a lot of laughs, but still had to do work to get the A. Cheers Well, even though I’m not Arab, I can definitely relate. People would automatically anglicise my first name to “Elizabeth” instead of Elizabeta, or they italianise it to “Elisabetta” (in spelling). In pronounciation it often became “Elizabeeeeta”. The last name… well, that was another adventure. The Slovenian letter “Ž” (which is pronounced like “zh” in Zhivago) became a Z. I never let them get away with it. My brothers on the other hand, had no quams with anglicising their names. I kind of think it makes you lose part of your identity.
Well, a funny story about pronouncing last names: When I was in high-school, we had a chemistry teacher who said he would give an “A” to anyone who could pronounce his last name. He wrote it out on the board: “SZCZGYL”…
Everyone automatically looked at me, assuming that I’d be able to figure it out…. Now, I didn’t know where this guy was from (SZ can be “s” in hungarian, “sh” in other languages…) and he wouldn’t tell us, so I just said “SMITH”. The response got a lot of laughs, but still had to do work to get the A.
Cheers

]]> By: Nas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5577 Nas Wed, 31 May 2006 12:34:43 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5577 Roba, loooool...why are last names always worse! Roba, loooool…why are last names always worse!

]]> By: Roba http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5575 Roba Wed, 31 May 2006 12:12:54 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5575 Haha, funny. That was why I decided to change the spelling of my name in the 6th grade to "Roba". I was always surrounded by foreigners, infact, up until 11th grade, we were only 3 Arabs in class, and everyone had a really, really hard time pronouncing "Ruba". They would stress like crazy on the u, and it would sound like "Ruuuuuuuuba", and it would piss me off... So I changed it to "Roba", which they still mispronounced, and with people generally pronounce "Rowba", but it's still better than "Ruuuuuuuuba"! And God.. I will not even <i>start</i> with "Al-Assi". Haha, funny. That was why I decided to change the spelling of my name in the 6th grade to “Roba”. I was always surrounded by foreigners, infact, up until 11th grade, we were only 3 Arabs in class, and everyone had a really, really hard time pronouncing “Ruba”. They would stress like crazy on the u, and it would sound like “Ruuuuuuuuba”, and it would piss me off… So I changed it to “Roba”, which they still mispronounced, and with people generally pronounce “Rowba”, but it’s still better than “Ruuuuuuuuba”!
And God.. I will not even start with “Al-Assi”.

]]> By: Nas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5571 Nas Wed, 31 May 2006 11:35:54 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5571 Fad, will do Shaden..lol..mr.shaden Quwaider, loool you made me relieved about my name...dont wanna be in your shoes ;-) Ola, "linguistically speaking Z and S are the same" oh no..there's a difference trust me! Vas, yeah but why is it such a precious reminder? O.A., yeah that's true. Fad, will do

Shaden..lol..mr.shaden

Quwaider, loool you made me relieved about my name…dont wanna be in your shoes ;-)

Ola, “linguistically speaking Z and S are the same” oh no..there’s a difference trust me!

Vas, yeah but why is it such a precious reminder?

O.A., yeah that’s true.

]]> By: O.A. http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5568 O.A. Wed, 31 May 2006 10:40:50 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5568 I know what you meen, but you see Hamzah's case is worse than yours, you can have a nickname of Nas so close friends can call you Nas where as he has to be called Hamzah (Hamzeh) all the time so its like double your troubles.... but i still see that its hard for you too I know what you meen, but you see Hamzah’s case is worse than yours, you can have a nickname of Nas so close friends can call you Nas where as he has to be called Hamzah (Hamzeh) all the time so its like double your troubles…. but i still see that its hard for you too

]]> By: Vas http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5567 Vas Wed, 31 May 2006 10:01:45 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5567 On the other hand, this recurrent phonetic error is a precious reminder that the name- and probably more- is not yet integrated and digested. I mean it is a precious sign not for the one who commits the error (he/she cannot even listen to it, probably) but for you, who gets misrecognized. On the other hand, this recurrent phonetic error is a precious reminder that the name- and probably more- is not yet integrated and digested. I mean it is a precious sign not for the one who commits the error (he/she cannot even listen to it, probably) but for you, who gets misrecognized.

]]> By: Ola http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5566 Ola Wed, 31 May 2006 09:56:54 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5566 lol you know linguistic differences could get more serious, why go too far? Last year when my grandma's maid arrived from Sirilanka, we had hard time memorizing her name, which was Tsumina (if I get it right)... so for a while we called her: Tsunami... till we finally got the hang of Tsumina. My grandmother still calls her "salima or salamo" :D So you have to be grateful for NaZeem :D Well, if it makes you feel any better, linguistically speaking Z and S are the same, alveolar frecative sounds, only differring in voicing! :D lol you know linguistic differences could get more serious, why go too far? Last year when my grandma’s maid arrived from Sirilanka, we had hard time memorizing her name, which was Tsumina (if I get it right)… so for a while we called her: Tsunami… till we finally got the hang of Tsumina. My grandmother still calls her “salima or salamo” :D

So you have to be grateful for NaZeem :D Well, if it makes you feel any better, linguistically speaking Z and S are the same, alveolar frecative sounds, only differring in voicing! :D

]]> By: Ù?Ù?Ù?در http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5565 Ù?Ù?Ù?در Wed, 31 May 2006 09:43:48 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5565 Probably the only Arabic name that is being pronounced correctly these days is Osama! All the rest, well ... kinda hit and miss thing, Moohaameed is close and Akhhmeed has nothing to do with Ahmad! What surprises me the most is that the letters are ALL THERE! My friend Samar would always have someone call her Zaymar Zaimer or Sameer! I have no idea where Sameer (or Samir) came from (Turns out, many Indians are called Samir, and therefore it's getting more exposure) Seattle is pretty much a cosmopolitan city, but who knows what the Midwest would make of our names! Imagine Quwaider!! HUH!!! good luck! Probably the only Arabic name that is being pronounced correctly these days is Osama!
All the rest, well … kinda hit and miss thing, Moohaameed is close and Akhhmeed has nothing to do with Ahmad!
What surprises me the most is that the letters are ALL THERE! My friend Samar would always have someone call her Zaymar Zaimer or Sameer! I have no idea where Sameer (or Samir) came from (Turns out, many Indians are called Samir, and therefore it’s getting more exposure)
Seattle is pretty much a cosmopolitan city, but who knows what the Midwest would make of our names! Imagine Quwaider!! HUH!!! good luck!

]]> By: Faris Darwazeh http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5564 Faris Darwazeh Wed, 31 May 2006 09:40:29 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5564 also the north american pronunciation changes the meaning, here are a few from FARIS to FERRIS (from Knight to wheel) or BASIL TO BASIL ( from Brave to Herb) but its true what Naseem said whatâ??s a person without his name? I am sure with some practice they can get it right cheers FARIS (FERRIS) also the north american pronunciation changes the meaning, here are a few

from FARIS to FERRIS (from Knight to wheel)

or

BASIL TO BASIL ( from Brave to Herb)

but its true what Naseem said whatâ??s a person without his name? I am sure with some practice they can get it right

cheers

FARIS (FERRIS)

]]> By: Shaden http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5563 Shaden Wed, 31 May 2006 09:32:04 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5563 Well, I'm an Arab living in the Arab world carrying an ancient Arabic name but I feel you! I have to spell my name to people at least 5 times a day, and then I have to swear that I'm not a Mr. Well, I’m an Arab living in the Arab world carrying an ancient Arabic name but I feel you!

I have to spell my name to people at least 5 times a day, and then I have to swear that I’m not a Mr.

]]> By: fad http://www.black-iris.com/2006/05/31/hello-my-name-is/#comment-5562 fad Wed, 31 May 2006 09:24:05 +0000 http://www.black-iris.com/?p=800#comment-5562 lol! I feel ya nas, try looking quizzically at them and innocently saying, sorry i didnâ??t understand what you just said lol!

I feel ya
nas, try looking quizzically at them and innocently saying, sorry i didnâ??t understand what you just said

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