Please give me your gut reaction too… Alima

[Picklemom]

Interested in anyone's first reaction to that name.

[Laska42]

soap.. the sort thats supposed tomake your skin softer.. sorry

[bassingtonffrench]

typing error would be my first thought if i saw it written down

sorry

[ProfondoRosso]

It sounds Arabic to me. I think it's very pretty but then I love Arabic names.

[Loopylu84]

Sounds like a car model....'The new Nissan Alima'
Yeh, don't do it

[Whatsyourpoint]

Sounds made up and a cleaning product.

[bakingtins]

A lemur.
Closely followed by Alimony.

[florascotia]

As HamSandwich says, Alima means 'wise and learned woman' within a specifically Muslim context. It's also the title of what looks to me to be an admirable educational/development newsletter, though I have only given the website a very quick read-over.
see www.ikat.org/alima/

Great if you are a Muslim or a feminist devoted to women's educational opportunities, perhaps not advisable otherwise.

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

I had a good friend at school called Alima, although I think her full name was Alimatu. It's a lovely name, but then again she was a lovely person so I'm biased

[EirikurNoromaour]

It's almost as bad as Daelyn.

[BlueStarsAtNight]

Makes me think of some sort of drug that helps with digestion! Don't like it at all, sorry

[ThatOtherTime]

Alamo car hire

...but it's ok, you would get used to it

[Tea1Sugar]

A-lee-ma or Al-i-ma?

[ChickenMe]

Lacks strength and sounds made up.

[sebsmummy1]

I thought it sounded gynaecological so wasn't keen, however if it is a common name outside of the UK I think it is fine.

[babyfedleaning]

A lemur. Sorry.

[lottiegarbanzo]

A lemur. Lemurs are lovely.

Is it pr. a-LEE-ma or AL-i-ma?

If it's from another culture though, I'd just think 'that's a name from another culture' and immediately accept it as the child's name.

[lottiegarbanzo]

Also Lima bean and Llama - cos Lima is the capital of Peru and Llamas live there.

[ArtFine]

It's Arabic and it means a female scholar or someone knowledgable/expert. Wouldn't personally go for it.

[Mefisto]

The Alima I know (who is very lovely and suits the feminist/scholar definition given up thread uncannily well) pronounces it a-LEE-ma.

[lottiegarbanzo]

Thing is, being introduced to someone with any name creates a totally different impression from looking at a name on a page.

So, in person, I'd think 'nice girl, her name's Alima'. In that context, I'd be more likely to think of other names; Alison, Selina, Amelie, Salima (is that a name? Pops up in my head) as I'd be making sure I'd distinguished it mentally, so might remember it properly.

[squizita]

"Lacks strength and sounds made up."

I see these comments on MN, and they really puzzle me having grown up in zone 2 London. Perhaps it's because since childhood (80s!) I've know Alimas and other Arabic names all the time. So to me it's completely normal.

I wonder if there's a middle-Eastern mumsnet where they say "Sophie/James/Tarquin ... sounds weak and made up."

[isitme1]

Ive heard of a halima if that helps

[BarbaraWoodlouse]

I thought slimming pill too! Probably one that gives you the sharts.

Sorry

[Innogen]

A Lima Bean