Message: "Mara" - Behind the Name

[Opinions] Mara

by Jacks (Schuyler)

3/17/2006, 10:35 PM

Have you ever heard of Mara being pronounced the same as Maura? This question is more directed at the North Americans on the board. According to BTN, Maura is either pronounced MOW-rah or MOR-a whereas Mara is pronounced MAHR-ra, but I swear that I've heard them pronounced the same way ala the actress Maura West, but is that simply a mistake? Something about Mara looks kind of incomplete & I worry about people saying MERR-ah (rhyming with Sarah)

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon

#Mara

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- Julia (guest)

3/18/2006, 3:08 PM

I've only heard Mara as MAHR-ah and MARE-ah, and I've never acutally heard or seen Maura. I'd say Maura pretty much like Mara, but it really changes the style of the name. Mara is delicate and pretty, while Maura is more rugged and strong.

- Julia (guest) +1

3/18/2006, 3:07 PM

- Julia (guest)

3/18/2006, 3:08 PM

Ack! Sorry for the double post!

- siri (guest)

3/18/2006, 12:04 PM

I pronunce them the same.

mahr-A.

It's a favorite.

- ErinM27

3/18/2006, 10:30 AM

I've only heard Mara pronounced Mahr-a. I suppose some people have pronounced it Mor-a, but I think most people when they see Mara would pronounce it Mahr-a. Most people tend to mispronounce Maura instead of Mara.

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- Laurie (guest) +1

3/18/2006, 7:49 AM

I've only heard of Mara being pronounced Mah-ra. Maura I've only heard pronounced as Mor-a. I've never heard it pronounced Mow-ra.
I've known a few Mauras but only one Mara.

- Jacks (Schuyler)

3/18/2006, 9:49 AM

Interesting, for some reason I can't wrap my mind around Mah-ra, but MAHR-ah works for me :D

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon(not yet)

- Lillian (LillianAMS) +3

3/18/2006, 7:04 AM

Mara/Maura

I've heard both: Mara rhymed with Sarah and Maura pronounced MAW-ruh. Probably because so many people around where I am (southeast Texas) say MAWve for the color mauve. I didn't hear the proper pronunciation MOHve until my senior year of high school.

- Elinor (Elly747) +2

3/18/2006, 7:43 AM

Really? I've never heard 'mauve' prounounced 'MOHve', only 'MAWve'. That must be a regional thing :-)

_____________________________________________________________________

♥Elinor♥

- Lillian (LillianAMS) +1

3/18/2006, 8:21 AM

mauve

Nope, not a regional thing. Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary gives the pronunciation of mauve as long O, like home or note. I know, it's weird. But there you have it. :)

- Jacks (Schuyler)

3/18/2006, 9:48 AM

Mauve is definitely with a long O, but there is always someone who says it wrong where ever you live.

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon(not yet)

- Elinor (Elly747) +1

3/18/2006, 4:02 AM

Mara has a short 'a' to me, but that isn't very helpful as I'm not North American :-) Incidentally, there is no long 'ahh' sound in my accent, so it's a non-dilemma for me. A bit of a shame though, since the long 'ahh' is prettier I think. If I could, I'd pronounce it MAHR-ah.

_____________________________________________________________________

♥Elinor♥

- Jacks (Schuyler)

3/18/2006, 9:47 AM

MAHR-ah just seems prettier to me too, I just love hearing about people's accents. I'd be interested in learning whether popularity of certain names in areas was based simply on how they were pronounced in the region. For some reason I don't think Poppy will become popular in North America because it just sounds really fluffy when we say it, but when Brits say Poppy it just sounds so artistic & vintage.

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon(not yet)

- chazda +1

3/18/2006, 12:18 AM

Nope, never heard of that. I guess in some regional accents they might sound the same, though - I know some people who are originally Midwestern who say Laurie almost as LAH-ree.

I'm from (urban) California and Texas and it's definitely always been MAH-rah for Mara, MOHR-a for Maura. I can't imagine it being MEHR-ah for anyone, though, not even in Texas where there are Taras, Karas, and Daras that rhyme Sara. That'd sound really rural to me.

- chazda

- Jacks (Schuyler)

3/18/2006, 9:44 AM

Thats good, I just really don't like sound of Sarah and would hate to have to spend a lot of time correcting people.

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon(not yet)

- Isla +1

3/17/2006, 11:31 PM

I've heard Mara pronounced mostly as MAR-ah (or MAHR-ah), but occasionally as MARE-ah, rhyming with Sarah. Maura, which I've only heard a few times (and on actresses at that), has been said as MORE-ah, rhyming with Laura. So the sounds are very different to me. BUT, I can definitely see pronouncing Maura as MAHR-ah. Phonetically it makes sense. *shrugs*

~Heather~

- Jacks (Schuyler)

3/18/2006, 9:43 AM

Thanks, my main concern with Mara is its relative closeness to Sarah, Lara, etc. and the fact that it does not sound like the same.

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon(not yet)

- Elemmennope +2

3/17/2006, 10:56 PM

I assume it's similar to how some say Lara and Laura the same. I say them differently though. And would say Mara and Maura differently too. (I'm on the west coast of the U.S.)

This message was edited 3/17/2006, 11:07 PM

- Jacks (Schuyler) +1

3/18/2006, 9:42 AM

Thanks, upon seeing Mara how would you say it? I don't want it rhyming with Lara.

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon(not yet)

- Elemmennope

3/18/2006, 1:45 PM

I'm afraid they do rhyme the way I say them. The first syllable of both sounds like the word car.

- LadyBug18 +1

3/17/2006, 10:46 PM

Well I would pronounce them the same unless I was told differently. I didn't know there was a difference in the pronounciation. I'd say MAHR-ra for both because to me (a North American) the -aur in Maura says -awr.

But I deffinately wouldn't say it like Sarah, I'd be more likely to say Sarah like Mara! lol! :D

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- Jacks (Schuyler)

3/18/2006, 9:41 AM

Thanks, it definitely seems to be different everywhere.

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon(not yet)

- Ciarda +1

3/17/2006, 10:38 PM

I've never heard Mara pronounced any other way other than MAHR-a and Maura only as MOR-a. I do however know a woman named Moira that pronounces her name as MOR-a rather than MOY-ra

I do like both Mara & Maura and think that both are very pretty. The only thing I dislike about Mara is that it means "Bitter".

I didn't know that you were TTC, congratulations Jacks! : )

- Jacks (Schuyler)

3/18/2006, 9:39 AM

Thanks, not quite trying yet but soon.

Jacks, Future Mama to Attached Babies
TTC ... soon

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