Cynisca/Kyneska

[Lookingforfocus]

How is it pronounced? I have read it is koo-NISS-ka, is this correct? Is it a Kai or Koo or Sigh as the first syllable?

No idea! Is this a name for a child? I chose a tricky to pronounce name and its really bothersome! I would say siniska at a push.

Is this really a name? I'd assume it was the brand name for a form of contraceptive pill in all honesty!

She was a princess/ athlete in ancent Sparta. Her name meant 'female bloodhound'. I think she's also a present-day wargames character.

Ancient Greek pronuciation is uncertain. But very approximately, the first syllable would be 'Kew' or 'Koo' (where the 'oo' or 'ew' is like the 'u' in French 'mur' or 'pur'.). I think in modern Greek it would be more like 'ki' or 'kee', to rhyme with 'ski'. The 'i' in the second syllable would have approx the same sound as the 'i' in 'pit'. The stress is on the middle syllable.

So 'Kew-NISS-ka' or 'Kee-NISS-ka'

For the modern spelling of Cyniska, I don't know what the wargamers say, but, as I expect you have seen, the IPA spelling of it in Wikipedia is approx: 'Si-NISS-ka', where the 'i' sound is rather like the 'i' in 'is' or the 'es' in 'roses'.

She was the first woman to win an event at the Olympic games (she trained the horses which won).

I think it's Kyew-Nissan-a

Nice name!

How many ancient Greek scholars will the child come across? Everyone else will pronounce it wrong all the time.

I would have guessed at sigh-nis-ka for the 'c' spelling and Kai-ness-ka for the 'k' spelling.

Just don't do it! she will have to live with a name no one can spell or pronounce and everyone will think she has pretentious parents, which if you name her that, well, she has!

Looks too much like cynic to me.

Athough this is a baby names thread it is not a name for a baby. I was just wanting to check the pronounciation.