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Help[Opinions] Endymion
I'm not sure if this belongs here or rather on the name facts message boards, it's a bit of both I guess.
So... We've chosen the name Endymion for one of our twin boys born in December. We've noticed that people pronounce Endymion in different ways, and my SO and I had a discussion last night about the "original" Greek pronunciation and the way people we know pronounce it (we're not in an English speaking country and there are seven different languages in our families).
So is there anyone who can shed light on this and help us out? What is the correct Greek pronunciation of Endymion?
Also, how do you pronounce it, and have you ever heard any other pronunciation?
**Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much**
So... We've chosen the name Endymion for one of our twin boys born in December. We've noticed that people pronounce Endymion in different ways, and my SO and I had a discussion last night about the "original" Greek pronunciation and the way people we know pronounce it (we're not in an English speaking country and there are seven different languages in our families).
So is there anyone who can shed light on this and help us out? What is the correct Greek pronunciation of Endymion?
Also, how do you pronounce it, and have you ever heard any other pronunciation?
**Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much**
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Replies
I’d assume it was en-DY-mi-on. Same “melody” as Penelope, Antigone, Hippocrates etc.
The Y would be pronounced as the French U and the German ü. It’s how I, as a Dane, pronounce the letter Y, anyway.
The Y would be pronounced as the French U and the German ü. It’s how I, as a Dane, pronounce the letter Y, anyway.
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I am Dutch and I pronounce the name as: ehn-DEE-mee-awn.
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It makes me think of Dan Simmons. I say it like ehn-DEE-mee-awn but I don't know what the Greek is.
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I majored in Greek in college and endorse saphirdufeu's explanation! I love this name and am thrilled that you've chosen it for one of your babies! What are you considering for the other boy?
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Thank you. Our twin boys actually surprised us by being born early at 32 weeks + 2 days, so they're already here and named ;-) We'd wondered about how people would pronounce Endymion and I always thought most of them would go with our pronunciation spontaneously, but I'm correcting people more often than I'd imagined.
Anyway, their names are Leonid Pythagoras and Endymion Zakynthos.
Anyway, their names are Leonid Pythagoras and Endymion Zakynthos.
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Congratulations! Beautiful names.
I don't know the greek pronunciation but i would pronounce it end-de-me-awn with the first sound short and fast to account for the roll-out of syllables (I think that's the word I want) that seem to come out in quick succession when i try to say the name out loud.
I don't know the greek pronunciation but i would pronounce it end-de-me-awn with the first sound short and fast to account for the roll-out of syllables (I think that's the word I want) that seem to come out in quick succession when i try to say the name out loud.
This message was edited 1/13/2021, 5:23 PM
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Congratulations! Those names are gorgeous.
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I love it!
I usually pronounce it "en-DIM-ee-in". Never heard it pronounced any other way.
I usually pronounce it "en-DIM-ee-in". Never heard it pronounced any other way.
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I'd check the name facts board. They're usually pretty good with issues like this.
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If by "original" Greek pronunciation, you mean Classical Greek, it would probably be something along the lines of /en.dy.'mi.ɔːn/ if you can read IPA; if not, something like "ehn-dy-MEE-on" where the "y" is like in French "tu" or German "über". Personally, in English I'd pronounce it /ɛn.ˈdɪm.i.ən/ or en-DIM-ee-ən like on the BtN page for the name.
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I meant Classical Greek, yes. Thank you! The pronunciation we use is very close to the Classical Greek one. At least my SO thought it was, but we weren't sure, so I wanted to check. In any case it's the one that makes most sense to us and in the languages we speak. But we've noticed that people tend to use the English pronunciation as well. I wanted some background before "correcting" them ;-)
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I have no idea what the proper pronunciation is, but whenever I see this name I say it "en-DEE-mee-on" in my head. I don't think I've ever spoken it aloud....
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Same
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I don’t know what the Greek pronunciation would be, but I pronounce it en-DIM-ee-ən.
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Same.
The few times I've ever heard it said aloud (academic setting), it was pronounced en-DIM-ee-ən, likely a Latinized pronunciation.
The few times I've ever heard it said aloud (academic setting), it was pronounced en-DIM-ee-ən, likely a Latinized pronunciation.
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The only context I've ever heard it used in, and that was academic all right, was the Keats poem. And I'd bet my non-existent farm that Keats would have said en-DIM-ee-ən, because nobody in his time had the ability or inclination to research the (probable) original pronunciation, so their best guess would have been based on English intuition.
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