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Re: Pronunciation of -iva (derived from Old English gifu) names
Thanks for your helpful answer! I guess that also explains the occasional "so-FYE-ah" (Sophia) and "va-RYE-a-bul" (variable).
What about the emphasized syllable? Particularly with Sunniva I have been reading mixed pronunciations varying between the first and the second syllable.
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The emphasis is on the "EE". the first syllable is short and less emphasised, resulting in the reduction of the original disyllabic sunna- to sunn-.
The second element gif- (the ending originally varied by declension) loses the /g/ as this was palatalized to /j/ and merged with the following /i/ (and further contributing to the loss of the /a/ of Sunna-). The modern hard /g/ in give and gift were reintroduced from the continent in Middle English.
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Sophia & SunnivaYes, Sophia was often pronounced "so-FYE-uh" before the 19th century. As for the emphasis on Sunniva: since in modern times this really is a Scandinavian name, I think we'd have to consult an expert on Scandinavian languages to know what the custom about that is there. Perhaps it's different in the different Scandinavian countries?
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So IN the 19th century, Sophia was pronounced "so fee ya", like today? I am reading a novel set in 1878 where the hero's daughter is named Sophia and I wanted to know how it would be pronounced. I was happy to find this discussion - thank you.
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