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I appreciate all the help pronouncing the Italian female name Chiara. I was in a library today though and looked it up to verify the meaning (which is given on this site and in a name book I have as "light"). Several different Italian dictionaries listed "chiaro" (ending in an "o") as meaning "light" or "pale", and one listed "chiara" as meaning "egg white"! Does anyone speak Italian and know for sure that "chiara" can mean "light", or know what it does mean? And if it means "light", is that "light" as in sunlight or illumination, or "light" as in a light, pale color? Thanks.
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Thanks again to Profe Esteban and Lumia for making everything "clear"!
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You're welcome!
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to clarify
Thanks for all the info Profe Esteban, it helps a lot. Just to clarify, then "chiara" is both the female adjective for "light", and can mean the white of an egg. But are you also saying that Chiara is not actually used as a name? You mentioned Spanish, but do you (or does anyone else) know whether Chiara is actually used as a female name in Italy (or anywhere?) Thanks again!
Thanks for all the info Profe Esteban, it helps a lot. Just to clarify, then "chiara" is both the female adjective for "light", and can mean the white of an egg. But are you also saying that Chiara is not actually used as a name? You mentioned Spanish, but do you (or does anyone else) know whether Chiara is actually used as a female name in Italy (or anywhere?) Thanks again!
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I see you've understand perfectly the first part, but may be I wasn't clear enough in the rest. Of course, Chiara is still used as a name in many languages: Clara (Spanish), Clare (English), Claire (French), Klara (German).. and Chiara (Italian). Curiosly, there is no male form to this name (never heard of a boy named "Claro or Chiaro").
The origin of the name is the latin "clarus", applied originally to voice and sounds (compare "de-clare, de-clara-tion"). Then, the name had the mean of "brilliant, illustrious". Thanks for writing.
The origin of the name is the latin "clarus", applied originally to voice and sounds (compare "de-clare, de-clara-tion"). Then, the name had the mean of "brilliant, illustrious". Thanks for writing.
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Only a thing:
Claro (Spanish), Chiaro (Italian), Clar (Catalan), Clair (French)... has been used as masculine first names. Perhaps nowadays the masculine form is very unusual (not in French), but it exists.
Lumia
http://onomastica.mailcatala.com
Claro (Spanish), Chiaro (Italian), Clar (Catalan), Clair (French)... has been used as masculine first names. Perhaps nowadays the masculine form is very unusual (not in French), but it exists.
Lumia
http://onomastica.mailcatala.com
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Hi, Cat... I'll tray to be "clear". In latin languages, we have adjectives and nouns that have both genders (male/female). In English, you don't have that complication: when we say "EL gato(male), LA gata (female)", you just say THE CAT for both. This is the case: "chiara/chiaro" as adjective, mean "light" (as opposite to "dark"). But "chiara" is also a noun that means "the white part of the egg" (here we have no male). Finally, in spanish we use "Clara" for the girl name (Claire, in English), "clara/o" as an adjective and "clara" the opposite to "yema:yolk". Regards.
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