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Original poster

how would you pronounce 'Amina'

29 replies

FatFikAndFugly · 07/02/2007 11:09

dd (4) insists the girl in her class is called ohm-e-nar. I asked her if she was sure it wasn't a-meen-a or am-i-nar. Anybody know how it should be pronounced? Don't really want to have to ask anyone in RL, hopfully dd is right and I'm wrong but poor Amina if dd has mutated her name into a completely different one.

OP posts:
LIZS · 07/02/2007 11:12

A-me-nah ?

aDad · 07/02/2007 11:12

i knew an amina when growing up

and she was a-meen-a.

MrsBadger · 07/02/2007 11:15

I'd say a-MEEN-a, but my Arabic isn't good enough to know how it should really be pronounced.

MrsBadger · 07/02/2007 11:18

have found a sugegstion (on a French page admittedly) that it actually rhymes with 'cinema', so it could be AH-mee-na, which is close to what your dd suggested...

Original poster
FatFikAndFugly · 07/02/2007 11:19

that's what I though MrsBadger 'a-meen-a'

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Original poster
FatFikAndFugly · 07/02/2007 11:19

posts x'd

OP posts:
Pamina · 07/02/2007 11:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

saadia · 07/02/2007 11:33

There are actually two similar Arabic names

Ameena - pronounced A-meen (as in "mean")- a

and there's Amina - pronounced A- (as in "far") min (to rhyme with "tin") - a.

HTH, I know explanation is not that clear .

MrsBadger · 07/02/2007 11:35

with the second one where does the stress lie?

is it ARM-inna or ar-MINN-a?

saadia · 07/02/2007 11:37

Mrs Badger, the stress would lie on the A, so ARM-ina.

snowleopard · 07/02/2007 11:41

I know an Amina pronounced a-meen-a, but with any name I would go with what the owner of the name says - presumably DD has been told by her what it is? Unless there is a pushy teacher who's getting it wrong?

Original poster
FatFikAndFugly · 07/02/2007 11:45

oh Saadia I think it must be your second explanation

and there's Amina - pronounced A- (as in "far") min (to rhyme with "tin") - a.

Because that would be similar to dd's pronounciation om-i-nar, yes?

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Original poster
FatFikAndFugly · 07/02/2007 11:47

snowleopard, not sure. Would expect dd has heard other children, teacher prounouncing the name and heard it as ohm-i-nar, accents provide variations etc though don't they. Just wanted to be clear. Don't do school run much and never get much chance to talk to teacher or other parents.

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cremolafoam · 07/02/2007 11:49

Ah mee nah with the emphasis on the mee. that's how I would read it

funkimummy · 07/02/2007 11:50

Ah-Meen-Ah

I grew up in an arabic country, and that's how we pronounced it there?!?!?

funkimummy · 07/02/2007 11:50

Ah-Meen-Ah

I grew up in an arabic country, and that's how we pronounced it there?!?!?

funkimummy · 07/02/2007 11:50

Ah-Meen-Ah

I grew up in an arabic country, and that's how we pronounced it there?!?!?

saadia · 07/02/2007 11:50

If you're sure of the spelling then that is most likely. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you asking.

I spent my whole school and work-life to date hearing my name pronounced wrongly. Luckily my Arabic tutors knew how to pronounce it.

The funniest thing was at work once when of my colleagues asked, "do you pronouce it like this or like this?", with two different versions, both of which were wrong.

funkimummy · 07/02/2007 11:51

Soz about that - computer doing something odd and managed to post 3 times!

Original poster
FatFikAndFugly · 07/02/2007 11:53

I would ask Saadia but I don't see them.

There is a Saad to, is it pronounced 'Sard', sorry I am being presumptious that you might know? not sure if it's a feminine or masculine name? barely seen half the kids in her class have no idea who is who

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Original poster
FatFikAndFugly · 07/02/2007 11:54

I assumed masculine.

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saadia · 07/02/2007 12:00

Yes, Saad would be pronounced Sard and is masculine. Actually Arabic has some letters with no English equivalent so most people would not be able to prounounce it like an Arabic speaker as the "aa" comes from the back of the throat.

Original poster
FatFikAndFugly · 07/02/2007 12:08

thanks. dd makes me laugh she keeps correcting my pronounciation of her classmates! It would seem I even put the emphasis in the wrong place when I say Abdulaziz as well I normally get "Mummy, it's not x, it's y" in a very patronising tone.

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saadia · 07/02/2007 12:10

she sounds really sweet .

stitch · 07/02/2007 12:12

sometimes kids mispronounce nmes themselves.
kid in my ds's class ws clled young san, when it should hve been ju sung. not exactly difficutl is it, but every one called him young san.. ?