Thoughts on Eloi?

[AmazingBobby]

Thanks very much :)

Um, it's a not common but hardly off the radar French name. But OP as you've seen, for some people in this country any forrin name is a bit suspicious and good for a laugh. Having said that, I know a little Eloi and nobody has any trouble pronouncing it where we live (v international area).

Oops ok Catalan in origin, but in common use in France.

I thought, pathetic descendants of humanity in Wells (kept as sheep, essentially, by the Morlocks) and the biblical quote where it means 'my god'.

Sorry, no.

Nice stereotyping there zoemaguire - you have no idea if people who have commented on the thread are even from this country.... . Having read HG Wells, it is the first thing that popped to many people's minds. It does not equate to a mistrust of the 'forrin'.... I don't have a British name myself, nor did I grow up here. Still doesn't mean I have to be a fan of this one, and nor does anyone else.

OP,

Hope this perspective's useful, if you're wanting to know what initial reaction Eloi gets:

I've never heard it before, so on reading it I automatically assumed it to be pronounced EH-lwah, probably French, male name?

If yes to that pronunciation, I like it a lot. Sounds sophisticated and classy.

If, on the other hand, it's of another origin and pronounced EE-loy, I'm afraid I prefer Eli or Elijah.

It's half a name. Are you saving no the other half for dc2?

I've lived in France, can think of a French Eloi I know of, and it still made me think of HG Wells. (His Eloi have always annoyed me because he seemed to view their vegetarianism as part of their passivity and general sheep-y-ness.)

Half a name?

We are French!

Sorry...

Well, maybe HG Wells novels aren't widely read in France, but if your child is likely to move in Anglophone settings, OP, you should definitely be aware of the Eloi/Morlock reference, because it's fairly widely recognised judging by this thread.

Sounds like a brummie saying Eli (I'm a brummie)

Fenella I was referring to the numerous 'it's half a name' 'did you miss the end off' kind of comments. How else do you explain those except being completely flummoxed by the very concept of a name from another country?!

How else do you explain those except being completely flummoxed by the very concept of a name from another country?

How about people giving their impressions, as they were asked...?

I'm not flummoxed by the idea of a foreign name at all. What a ridiculous thing to say.

People usually ask on MN so they can find out how a name will be perceived in the U.K.

Isn't that garlic mayo?

No, that's aioli.

Im afraid I also thought HG Wells.

It's not an impression though, it's taking the piss. Saying 'I don't like it' is fine. I'm not that keen on Eloi personally. But 'oh teehee that's only half a name'? Not quite the same in my book.

It's a bit like if somebody from Nigeria was asking about naming their DD 'Precious'. Saying 'not sure I like it' is fine. But 'hahaha, ridiculous, why not call them 'Gorgeousbabe' while you're at it?' Bit ignorant, bit insulting.

Sounds like a type of mayonnaise

Oh get over yourself Zoe, the question was thoughts on Eloi, and we gave them. I took the piss a bit - with added smiley and saying in my post I was being facetious, I intended that to come over in a good humoured way. And you know what, I genuinely wondered if the OP had mis-typed. I put it into google to check and the entire first page was HGWells.

You have no idea about posters on here, you don't know our backgrounds, where we live, (whether it is a "v international area" or not), what we do, the people in our lives, our views on anything other than what we actually write. Accusing us of xenophobia based on some lighthearted chat about our initial response to a name is massively judgemental and insulting on your part. Please stop it.

Seriously? Comparing a foreign name to half a name or a type of mayonnaise?!!! Laughing at 'funny-sounding' foreign names - what japes.