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Re: Catalan names
Queralt is growing up in popularity (at this moment is in Top 100). Until 1990, aprox., it was only known in Berga town area, but nowadays it is well-known in all country. Just as other sanctuaries names that don't end in -A, used as feminine names: Farners, e.g.
Until 2004, 768 girls were named Queralt in Catalonia.Here, I can't write the IPA transcriptions, so some figurated pronunciations need an explanation.Donat: doo-NAHT
Enric: uhn-REEK
Higini: ee-ZHEE-nee (ZH as J in French)
Jaume: ZHOW-muh (OW as in pow)
Jaumet: zhuh oo-MET (uh oo in one syllable; the E as È in French: père)
Jordi: ZHOR-dee (O as O in French "robe")
Llora (this name exist in Catalan, but it is not used. It is the old popular evolution of Laura, but nowadays the only live form is Laura): LLO-ruh (LL more or less as GL in Italian or LH in Portuguese; O as O in French "robe")
Llorenç: lloo-RENS (the E as È in French "père")
Lluc: LLOOK
Meritxell: muh-ree-CHEHLL
Roc: ROK (O as in French "robe")
Lumia
http://onomastica.mailcatala.com
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Moltes graciès!Could the reason to why Llora is out of fashion be that it means "she cries" in Spanish (I suppose most Catalans also know Spanish)?Surrealism is the magical surprise of finding a lion in a wardrobe where you were sure of finding shirts - Frida Kahlo
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No (but most Catalans also know Spanish, that's right).The reason is that the reduction of AU>O (or UA>O) is seen as very dialectal / low educated pronunciation and the use of Laura in Catalan is very modern (since '60). This kind of opposition popular form vs. cultured form, where cultured form is prefered by speakers, is not unusual (in words or in names).
Lumia
http://onomastica.mailcatala.com
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