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Baby names

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Original poster

unusual name pronunciation

34 replies

ButterRose · 28/03/2022 08:51

How of curiosity as I'm not pregnant but we are trying and hence the names topic came up... If we like a particular name that we heard pronounced a certain way ie rhyming with: sebastian, tristan or christian, but it is another more popular as a name in another country and almost unheard of here and when it is the 'tian' ending is pronounced shn instead of ti-an... Would we be incorrect to correct people to our preferred pronunciation would the name cause to much grief to others, ourselves and our future son/daughter? I'm happy to share the name but wanted honest opinions first...

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DogsAndGin · 30/03/2022 21:06

@ButterRose

The name I'm thinking is Gentian for any who are interested, we would pronounce it gen-ti-an as that is how we first heard and loved it and I personally love the nature meaning as well and the cute nickname Genti. What are your first impressions of the name on seeing it?
@ButterRose sorry OP it sounds like, and looks very like ‘Genital’ to me
Original poster
ButterRose · 29/03/2022 03:38

@scottishnames I agree adding Tristan in the first post was a mistake on my part I've seen it recently with the variation Tristian like a cross between Christian and Tristan and I liked it but it is just a variation. Like yourself I've never heard anyone use the 'sh' sound on those names before until I researched online then I started hearing it but I still love Gentian just don't want to have to constantly correct people so it on the middle name pile now.

OP posts:
Blimecory · 28/03/2022 19:07

It is pronounced like djen-sh’n.

scottishnames · 28/03/2022 18:36

I'd say GEN-tyunn or GEN-tyann (Scottish; had field gentians growing nearby - so pretty).
I hope you'd only be thinking of it for a girl.

I have Dutch friends who say 'Sebastee-AAANN'; English friends who say 'Christ-tyUNN'.
No-one I know uses the 'sh' sound in Gentian or Christian or Sebastian.

There's quite a difference between 'ee-an' endings and 'y-unn' endings. Even bigger difference between 'ee-an' endings and 'shun' endings.

Tristan is completely different - it does not end in 'ian', just 'an'. So 'TRIS-TAN/TRIST-TUNN', depending on local accent.

Lilaclavenders · 28/03/2022 18:10

Yes, I get that. But somehow my brain wants to pronounce Gentian as Gen-tee-an with the emphasis on the first syllable. I'm obviously in the minority!

cunningplan101 · 28/03/2022 16:44

@Lilaclavenders Think of how you pronounce Croatian, libation, motion, etc

They are not pronounced Crow-ate-ee-an, lib-at-ee-un, mo-tee-on ... They are pronounced Crow-ay-shun, li-bey-shun, mo-shun.

But if a word has an 'st' in it, then you keep the 't' sound - as in Christian, Sebastian - following the pattern for words like 'bastion'.

AndAsIfByMagic · 28/03/2022 16:16

@HomeHomeInTheRange

Gentian is pronounced Jenshun, in the same way that Venetian is pronounced Venishun.

What you want to do is like calling a child Christine and wanting it pronounced Ch (as in cheap) ris-Tyne

Jenshun is the correct pronunciation as explained here.
HomeHomeInTheRange · 28/03/2022 16:14

Gentian is pronounced Jenshun, in the same way that Venetian is pronounced Venishun.

What you want to do is like calling a child Christine and wanting it pronounced Ch (as in cheap) ris-Tyne

Original poster
ButterRose · 28/03/2022 15:52

Thanks for the help everyone I'm thinking it might be more of a middle name option now less trouble that way

OP posts:
PierresPotato · 28/03/2022 15:50

Oh dear, or even Fuchsia.Blush

PierresPotato · 28/03/2022 15:49

It's a little like insisting Fuschia be pronounced the German way, possibly an uphill battle.

GrendelsGrandma · 28/03/2022 15:48

I'd pronounce it jen-shun but lots of people might not know whether to go for a hard g sound gent-ee-yun or gent-shun

It looks a bit like the word genitals too, tho I guess kids can find something to make fun of in any name.

PierresPotato · 28/03/2022 15:48

I pronounce it JEN shn. As I know the flower

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 28/03/2022 15:46

English is weird, isn't it?! I would say Chris-tee-ann, but would pronounce Gentian as Jen-shun.

MurderAtTheBeautyPageant · 28/03/2022 15:42

I think the name might be a bit of a pain for a kid being brought up in the UK. A lot of people won't have heard of it and the ones that are familiar with it won't pronounce it in your preferred way.

MurderAtTheBeautyPageant · 28/03/2022 15:39

I'd pronounce is Jen-shun.

Lilaclavenders · 28/03/2022 15:35

I'd say it Djenshn

You get that from Gentian - Gen tee an?!

KirstenBlest · 28/03/2022 15:31

I'd say it Djenshn, and would expect a female person

Christian I say as Krisd-yun, Sebastian as Seb-asdi-un

Lilaclavenders · 28/03/2022 15:24

I don't think people will need any help pronouncing Gentian

They can say Gentle, Genteel, Gentility etc so why not Gentian?

Nosetickle · 28/03/2022 15:13

I’d pronounce it gent-ee-an as I’ve never heard of the flower. It’s a lovely name but yes people will probably need help pronouncing it.

Baileysoncereal · 28/03/2022 15:03

I would’ve pronounced it how you are op

Lilaclavenders · 28/03/2022 11:11

I would pronounce Gentian as Gent-ee-an
with the emphasis on the first syllable.

SpaghettiNotCourgetti · 28/03/2022 10:49

I think most people who know the word would go for JENshun, rather than JENteeann, so I suppose it's whether it's well known enough for you to end up constantly correcting people.

(I think it might be - it's still a very pretty name, though, even as JENshun!)

Original poster
ButterRose · 28/03/2022 10:43

When I first heard it I didn't know what it meant and had never seen nor heard it before but after looking it up I found the flower connection which is a plus to me as I've always had a preference for nature names I'm just fussy on the pronunciation I guess we will have to decide if it's worth the constant correction or just leave it off the list. Thankyou everyone for the help 🙂

OP posts:
Limer · 28/03/2022 10:05

It's a flower. Gentian Violet.

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