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Baby names

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Original poster

Xavier - pronunciation

40 replies

heron20 · 07/05/2020 10:37

Someone has named their baby Xavier.

Lovely name.

However they are pronouncing it Eks-ayv-eer

Surely it should be more French zzhav-ee-ay? Or Spanish hav-ee-air?

Should I keep my mouth shut?

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Elieza · 07/05/2020 17:45

Just say it how they say it. Even if it’s wrong Grin

Grufallosfriends · 07/05/2020 15:45

In German it's Xaver pronounced Gsa ver.

Xavier is French/Spanish and doesn't work in English imo.

toomuchteaandcake · 07/05/2020 15:32

I read hav ee ay but I studied Spanish!

Grufallosfriends · 07/05/2020 15:17

In French it's Gsa vee eh. 3 syllables.

Thighmageddon · 07/05/2020 11:52

Zav-e-a is how the person I know pronounces his name, he's half French.

Shmithecat2 · 07/05/2020 11:45

Ha-bee-air is how I pronounce it. It's a Spanish/Basque name.

Mucklowe · 07/05/2020 11:33

The French pronunciation has a sort of "g" at the front, very subtle. gZavvi-yeh.

Ex-ay-vier is just stupid. You don't pronounce Xander as "Eks-ander" or Xanthe as "Eks-anthee".

peperethecat · 07/05/2020 11:33

Zav-ee-ay, or if you're French, ksav-ee-ay.

Eggs-saviour is just god-awful, but I assume they got it from the X-Men films.

123Dancewithme · 07/05/2020 11:26

I would pronounce it zay-vee-er. I don’t like it with the eks sound at the beginning.

Shodan · 07/05/2020 11:00

I would expect Zav-ee-ay, or Zay-vee-er, but not that one.

It's a bit like saying Em-mum instead of Mum, or something.

But yes, you have to keep your mouth shut I guess, if that's what they've chosen to call him.

Weird though.

Original poster
heron20 · 07/05/2020 10:48

I always thought of it as a French name - so zzhaveay.

I guess Spanish too - so similar but Hhaveeay

Maybe some people have not heard the name in those languages.

OP posts:
starfishmummy · 07/05/2020 10:46

Lol. DS was at school with an eks-ayv- ee- arr and it grated every time I heard it. I wouldnt necessarily go for the full french or spanish versions when the kid is English but imho the more usual english pronunciation is zay-vee-ar

Original poster
heron20 · 07/05/2020 10:46

No - I haven't said anything.

OP posts:
SarahTTCx · 07/05/2020 10:44

People do seem to pronounce this differently! I don't use any of the pronunciations you've stated (i've only ever heard the first one used from your list). I pronounce it Zay-vee-uh, so it sounds like Saviour with a Z.

PurpleDaisies · 07/05/2020 10:39

I think they’re x men fans.

Did you actually tell them they were saying it wrong?