A couple of years ago I had a startling insight into the American psyche. There are no long, multisyllable first names. If someone is called Elizabeth (4 syllables), her name is immediately shortened to Liz or Beth. Even two-syllable names are shortened, if possible - Michael becomes Mike, Daniel is Dan, David is Dave. The only three-syllable name I could think of is Natalie.
As my friends you know that I have a four-syllable first name. I don't need to spell it out. If you don't know it by now, you're not likely to get it. But help is on the way.
As I'm about to begin a new chapter in my life in a town where nobody knows me except a handful of people, I'm thinking about starting with a new name. A two-syllable one - Hannah. Can be read backward or forward. I like that. This is not a legal name change - I've gotten too attached to my real, four-syllable name over the years - but a nickname which accommodates the American preferences. Which is fitting, since I became an American citizen recently.
So, you may call me "Hannah," if you like. Just don't try to shorten it further.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
When I moved back to this area from North Iowa (where it seemed every person I bumped into had a different way to pronounce my last name) I decided to pronounce my name Tevet. I always have to spell Tvedt whenever I give my name, at least this way I didn't have to explain the whole Norweigen story behind the correct pronounciation.
ReplyDeleteI too, figured I am in a new town and I am starting a new chapter in my life so, not just because of the location, but because of the revitalization of Jesus I had experienced.
Hannah, that is a nice name and will be easier for people to say. But remember, they will say it with a Southern drawl.
ReplyDelete