Pronunciation of 'Chanan'

[michbucha]

Hello! I have all the information about the etymology and the meaning of the name 'Chanan', but the only thing I don't have is the correct pronunciation. I would very much like to give the name to my Godson, but I can't unless I know how to pronounce it! Can anyone please help?

I think its a hard name to pronounce if you're not used to Hebrew pronouncation (which given the term godson I am assuming you aren't).

the "CH" should be hard and pronounced like you're clearing your throat. But if you're not used to that just use a "Ha" sound. So i'd probably pronounce the name Ha-nan (for similar prounouncation look up how Jewish people would say Chanukah v the Americanised pronouncation of Hanukkah).

No idea and I suspect most people will be in the same position which does allow you to determine your own pronunciation. OTOH this child will have a lifetime of correcting pronunciation and spelling.

PS why are you naming your godson?

Ha-naan.

Why are you naming your godson?

How can you name your godson?

It reminds me of that poor American woman Shanan who was murdered by her psychopathic husband.

Oh it's Hebrew! Sorry.

I knew that Chutzpah is pronounced hutzpa so maybe this is common knowledge and people will know how to pronounce it if they know it's Hebrew.

If you don’t know how to pronounce it then no one else will either (I certainly don’t). Pick a name that people can pronounce, it’s a burden on him otherwise.

Yes, as a Yiddish speaker, I would personally give the CH a bit of a mild guttural sound. But Ha-naan is a perfectly decent pronunciation.
The Chanukkah vs. Hanukkah comparison above is a good one.
Both ways of saying Hanukkah is correct, it just depends on where the child is growing up: In Tel Aviv, I'd be working on my guttural CH. In Los Angeles or London, you're fine with H (Ha-naan).

I think if you know the etymology etc it might be handy for your reader to have some context?
There'll not be many who would know that it's Hebrew or why you would be naming your godson for starters.

I give 'CH'utzpah a very mild, gentle guttural sound.
It's hard to describe. It's something you learn with the language, to be honest. It's a sort of intuitive sound.
But yes, 'h'utzpah is totally fine!

Thanks everyone for your contributions. Well, to start off with, I studied Classical Hebrew, and I therefore know how to pronounce the word 'chanan' in Hebrew. However, as a proper name, I was hoping there is an Anglicised version. Very often the vowel sounds change, such as 'Nathan', which in Hebrew is pronounced as 'Na (as in nut) and 'than' (as in ton).

On another note, where I live, it is traditional for the Godparents to give names to their Godchildren. These names are actually never used, but only appear on the Christening certificate. As such, I won't be tormenting him with a lifetime of having to explain how to pronounce his name :)

However, I give a great importance to the significance of a name!

Thanks again to all!

Thanks, I'm actually thinking of using that type of pronunciation :)

I meant this pronunciation: (Ha-naan)

@AnFiadhRua

How can you name your godson?

It reminds me of that poor American woman Shanan who was murdered by her psychopathic husband.

This is exactly how I said it in my head! Couldn't remember where it came from but it was indeed that case.

As someone who has never seen it, or had any idea it was Hebrew, or indeed, how to pronounce Chanukah (as opposed to Hanukkah) I would have assumed it was a girl's name, and an alternative spelling of Shannon. I don't know if that's helpful to you though!

But I am curious, if the name is never used and is only on the christening certificate - why does it matter how randoms would pronounce it? Surely anyone who would know he has the name would also know how to pronounce it because you'd have told them during the christening?

Thanks for the new replies.

It seems that I got some of you curious with my query. As such I'd like to give you the basic context. I'm fascinated by names and their meanings, and I carry out extensive research in etymology. My nephew already has 2 official names registered with the State. Upon his Christening, he will get another 4 or 5 names. As his Godmother, I am very excited that I have been given the opportunity of choosing names as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. And therefore all the fuss!

I can't really go into detail about my wish to give him 'Chanan' as a name, because that would require a whole essay. As I said earlier, I know the pronunciation of the Hebrew word, but not of the personal name derived from it. As such, I need to be sure that at least I know how to pronounce it myself!

I know it's very complicated and I'm sorry if I got some of you confused. To give a simple example, this is the type of research I do and consult regarding the derivation of names and words: thestarman.pcministry.com/bible/qa/theos-theon.html

Well, well, thank you all for your comments and interest.

That's all from me.

Best wishes to all!

And it's me again with a final note. I have confirmed the English pronunciation of the name 'Chanan'. It occurred to me that hearing an English speaker read the biblical texts where the name is mentioned would be the best way to learn the proper pronunciation in English. I have listened to a variety of recordings, and the pronunciation is always constant. For example, you can hear it here at 33.57 and 35.15, for example:

So, that's it!

Love this, what a wonderful privilege to name your Godson, thanks for explaining, and I've learnt something new about Hanukkah. (Ch)

When I saw the header of this thread, I thought "I'd pronounce this phonetically as Chan-ann, unless I was told it's Hebrew in which case Han-ann, with an H like Chava in Fiddler on the Roof".

In Ha-naan are you pronouncing naan like Nan or like Narn?

I'm pronouncing it as in 'nan', according to how English speakers render it from the biblical texts. (See my earlier post with a link to 1 Chronicles.)

Thanks everyone. Please note that I will not be checking this thread anymore. While it has been very helpful for me, I hope it will be helpful to someone else who is as fussy about names as I am! :)