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Original poster

Carwen?

52 replies

Wondersense · 21/01/2024 16:15

A Welsh female name, pronounced Kar-ooehn.

Thoughts?

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DaNiYmaOHyd · 23/01/2024 19:49

My greataunts' and greatuncles' names are trendy now as is mine. Many of my aunts and uncles too.

Sparklypen · 23/01/2024 19:21

Very nice - I had a welsh great aunt called Carwen.

Original poster
Wondersense · 23/01/2024 19:17

@Alessya I value your input. That's why I posted on here.

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Original poster
Wondersense · 23/01/2024 19:15

@Whataretheodds Thank you. That makes you and 1 other person that got it. 😎 Yes I do live in a Welsh speaking area.

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Original poster
Wondersense · 23/01/2024 19:13

Chichimcgee · 23/01/2024 18:45

To me and I accept this is likely only me! It sounds like Karen with a speech impediment and I’m not a fan BUT the important thing is if you like it!

Yes I can see why someone would think that. I'm not super attached to it, just wondering what native English speakers in particular would think of it. Obviously Mumsnet has a broad base, but as an English language site, is mostly going to be populated by people who speak only or mainly English.

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Original poster
Wondersense · 23/01/2024 19:10

@Frizzwald Car-win is actually a really good way of describing the male form 'Carwyn', and actually would like resemble how most native English speakers would say the female form as well, (as they have a tendency to clip or 'swallow' that final vowel) which wouldn't really bother me tbh. I think it would be said more like car-w'n.

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DaNiYmaOHyd · 23/01/2024 19:02

@Chichimcgee , I wasn't named after the Fleetwood Mac song Sara. Smile

Chichimcgee · 23/01/2024 18:56

DaNiYmaOHyd · 23/01/2024 18:52

RHee-ANN-onn. There's no R in it.
Rh is one letter and sounds like R and H said at the same time.
Usually colloquially it's said as two syllables like RHYANN-on

Rhian is RHEE-ann

My mouth can’t make that sound so I’m lucky my family member pronounces it as ree 🙈 she was named after the fleetwood Mac song and that sounds like ree Ann un to me lol

DaNiYmaOHyd · 23/01/2024 18:52

RHee-ANN-onn. There's no R in it.
Rh is one letter and sounds like R and H said at the same time.
Usually colloquially it's said as two syllables like RHYANN-on

Rhian is RHEE-ann

Chichimcgee · 23/01/2024 18:47

PudgeControlsTheWeather · 23/01/2024 18:22

I think it's beautiful. I love Carwyn (obvs for a boy), and Carwen for a girl is gorgeous.

If you're in England, I'd be prepared for people to say 'Car-wun', though. (Signed: a Rhiannon who's long resigned to being Ree-ann-un.)

I have a family member called Rhiannon who pronounced it ree an un, how should it be pronounced?

Chichimcgee · 23/01/2024 18:45

To me and I accept this is likely only me! It sounds like Karen with a speech impediment and I’m not a fan BUT the important thing is if you like it!

DaNiYmaOHyd · 23/01/2024 18:43

Probably your ears, @Frizzwald Smile

@Alessya , not etymologically related to either. Caroline is from the Latin for Charles, and Carina is Latin for the keel of a ship. The Car in Carwen, Carwyn, Carys is from the latin caritas (love/charity)

Whataretheodds · 23/01/2024 18:42

@Wondersense I like it, and I understand what you were trying to do in rendering the pronunciation of the r and w!

Do you live in a Welsh-speaking area?

Alessya · 23/01/2024 18:36

My first thought was it reminds me of one of those ‘We buy any car’ companies like Carwow. But then it kinda grew on me. I wonder if it’s etymologically related to Caroline and Carina.

Anyway if you like it and it fits in in Wales then that’s all that matters.

Frizzwald · 23/01/2024 18:35

As I said it's not exactly the same but it's more like I have heard it than other audio I could find that were like the English words Car and Win, where as the way the guys I've met say it would be more like Car and Ruin.
I was in Berwyn house in primary and that was said in the same way, the Berw like Pentre Berw and in.
I guess it must be regional accent thing or maybe it's my just my ears!

PudgeControlsTheWeather · 23/01/2024 18:22

I think it's beautiful. I love Carwyn (obvs for a boy), and Carwen for a girl is gorgeous.

If you're in England, I'd be prepared for people to say 'Car-wun', though. (Signed: a Rhiannon who's long resigned to being Ree-ann-un.)

DaNiYmaOHyd · 23/01/2024 18:09

There's no o or schwa in that. I don't know any Carwyns but I know a few Arwyns and people with names like Berwyn. No o or schwa.

The clip sounds like the r is slightly overemphasised. Could just be the accent or audio quality.

Frizzwald · 23/01/2024 17:59

The Carwyns I know seem to roll the r slightly which I think gives the o sound.
The best audio I can find that sounds similar is this one it's not exactly right though.

DaNiYmaOHyd · 23/01/2024 17:35

There isn't. It's 2 straightforward syllables. Carr-wen.
No more syllables than Owen, Anwen, Alwyn, Dolwen etc

mathanxiety · 23/01/2024 17:22

Frizzwald · 23/01/2024 06:38

My neighbours son and a couple of DH's colleagues are called Carwyn and I hear the 'o' sound the OP is talking about when they say their name.
I think Carwen is lovely but I feel people would perhaps mistake it for Karen.

Lol at a woman called Gareth, it's like a man being called Elizabeth.

YY to the O sound. You don't go straight from the R to the W - there's a schwa that's close to an oo sound in there.

DaNiYmaOHyd · 23/01/2024 16:19

I wrote 'oo' because to me, that's how I would describe 'w' to English speakers, but I should have just used 'w' I think. Like if I were to explain how to say 'wait', I would write it as 'oo-eh-ee-t'.
Weyt or weight would make more sense.

regenerate · 23/01/2024 15:45

what have you decided OP?

Original poster
Wondersense · 23/01/2024 15:11

KnickerlessParsons · 22/01/2024 22:58

Say what you like. Where I'm from ( also Wales) Carwen isn't pronounced Kar-ooehn.

Kar-ooehn would be a ridiculous name. Carwen is lovely.

Thank you for your permission to say what I like. 😂

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Original poster
Wondersense · 23/01/2024 15:08

@Frizzwald You might be the only one. 😆 I think I've just confused everyone here with my explanation of it!

I wrote 'oo' because to me, that's how I would describe 'w' to English speakers, but I should have just used 'w' I think. Like if I were to explain how to say 'wait', I would write it as 'oo-eh-ee-t'.

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Original poster
Wondersense · 23/01/2024 15:04

@Nolla No that's ok - I realise I didn't explain it very well phonetically (not sure if that's the right term) for English speakers so I think I've confused posters with this.

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