Wednesday, April 8, 2009

What's in a Name?

One must admit my name is a little unusual, especially
for anglophones. I clould of course have anglisised it by
dropping the 'j' , but then, I would no longer be me.
I have endured many interesting but erroneous
pronunciations at school in Europe and Australia, at work
and socially...no, it does not rhyme with Kalija the wooden
Indian or 'a rear' which, like everyone else, I have,

Arija is the Latvian spelling of a word from he ancient Sanskrit
meaning 'air, musical' and its proper pronunciation is very
close to an 'aria' from an opera although in Latvian it is
pronounced in three syllables with the accent on the fist A.
So there you have it, I am happy both in my skin and with
my name and the happier for knowing that my friends can
pronounce it too.

45 comments:

  1. Thank you, Arija, I've been wondering if I was pronouncing it properly because I love your name!

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  2. Good for you. It's a nice name.

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  3. Thank you for sharing that. Now I love your name even more, and will pronounce it correctly. Music and air, how beautiful.

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  4. I think it's a beautiful name!

    Thanks so much for the sweet Happy Birthday wish you left for me! I had a lovely day. It snowed, which was a delightful surprise and made Edward quite happy!!

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  5. Hello Arija,
    Very beautiful name!
    see you soon.
    Carole

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  6. Such a cute post. :)
    And I didn't know the Sanskrit meaning.

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  7. I wonder if you have been reading my mind, I was wondering exactly how to pronounce it, because I was very aware I have probably been saying it wrong. It is a lovely name, and I love its uniqueness.

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  8. You know how we hear our own voice in our head when we read something, so I'm glad you explained. I have been saying your name incorrectly and i think I have it right now. It is a lovely name!

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  9. Interesting, learn something new everyday.

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  10. Arija is a very common name in Holland. I also a woman called Arijanne and Marijo. I like these names. So for me your name is familiar.

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  11. I think Arija fits you like a glove. You are an aria! xox Isabel

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  12. I think your name is beautiful! We named our daughter Jesea (pronounced Jessie), but my husband loves the sea, so he wanted to spell it this way. Even something so simple, nobody seems to know how to pronounce it. She absolutely loves her name though, because as you say, it is "her".

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  13. Oh..lovely meaning of your name, so nice to know about it! Thanks for sharing!

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  14. Thank you - it's a beautiful name in print, and now I'm glad to know who it sounds out loud "in the air"!

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  15. I am glad you have cleared up that point Arija - I have been wondering where the name came from and how it was pronounced. I think it is lovely to have a really unusual name.

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  16. I'm so glad you told us! I admit I have been pronouncing your name incorrectly inside my head. I will correct that.

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  17. Your name is like a melody; it’s just beautiful!

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  18. There is a saying name the child and give it the character of that name.
    From your blog I would say your family did well were very much in tune.

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  19. Thank you, Arija. I'm glad to know the proper way to pronounce your name. It's beautiful.

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  20. Oh that's so different from how I was pronouncing it. I'm so glad I now know the correct way.
    XX

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  21. Thanks for that - it's a lovely name.

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  22. It is fun having an unusual name, although yours is definitely more unusual than mine. Does suck though when people can't pronounce it, or in my case, try and shorten it!!!

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  23. So glad to know how to pronounce your name! It's beautiful and very unusual.

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  24. I can say I am happy to know how to say your name Arija. It is a pretty name and should be pronounced correctly.

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  25. That's a wonderful translation of your name. Now I can pronounce your name.

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  26. i think it is a beautiful name and i like it a lot.so there.

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  27. It is a beautiful name and a wonderful meaning.

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  28. I had it right, and think the meaning is lovely. Our names are a very important part of our identity. We all need to be comfortable with ourselves.

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  29. I like the name Arija.
    It's a beautiful name. I'm from the U.S. so to me it is unique.
    And it looks very pretty spelled out : )

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  30. I was wondering how to pronounce it so thank you for explaining it. I hope you are feeling OK and have a good weekend....Michelle

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  31. Oh that is a lovely name even lovelier that you explained it. So I have been pronouncing it incorrectly all this time. I am glad to be able to say it according to your specifications now.

    That's wonderful that you picked up your colors. I too had a twenty year hiatus when nursing and the kids kept my hands tied. Enjoy and may your todays be always blessed.

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  32. Oh may I please have a request? It would delight me so much and I would find it an honor if you please read my post Illustration Friday - Fleeting. When I wrote it, I was thinking that I was telling it to you.

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  33. Now I know how to pronounce your name correctly, thanks.:)

    The word "Himalaya" in Sanskrit means 'abode of snow' because the tall peaks of the Himalayan mountains are capped with snow throughout the year. (Ref. my last post). Have a lovely day.

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  34. It's a most beautiful name, and based on its meaning, it is YOU! :)

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  35. Such a beautiful name with a lovely meaning.
    I am totally in love with names and their meanings.

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  36. I happen to love your name! You and I have discussed this before, but it is nice for you to enlighten everyone else. I would never drop the "j". It is special and unigue, as are you!

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  37. A beautiful name and a blog full of sensational photographs. Thanks for visiting Skoog Farm.

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  38. Your name is lovely and I'm happy to say, I've been pronouncing it correctly...in my head, that is!

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  39. Beautiful meaning of a name, Arija :).

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  40. Its true, a name for everyone is important, without knowing it one cannot say that the other is her friend. You have a beautiful name :)

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  41. Thank you!

    You have a beautiful name and by instinct (or/and the Italian training), I pronounced it right.

    I hope you had an enjoyable Easter weekend.

    I enjoyed your Herbstzeitlosen post!

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  42. You're the only person I know with your name - and it's beautiful. I'm so glad you explained about its origin and how to pronounce it because now I think it's even more beautiful!

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