Showing posts with label alphabet challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alphabet challenge. Show all posts

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Un Otro Reto Alfabético

Names ending in "oh" are trending pretty nicely right now, mostly for boys, but definitely a bit for girls as well. The boys' names mostly tend to actually end with -o, but for girls they're more mixed--some -o, some -ot, some -ow/owe.
For some crazy reason, I felt like setting myself another alphabet challenge--for both genders.
The rules are simple: one name for each letter, and it can't be a name I've mentioned before on this blog.

Boys:
  • Aro (AH-roh, Swedish, Finnish [trilled R in Finnish])--form of Aaron
  • Breno (BREH-noo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--from Latinized Gaelic, prob. "prince" or "raven" [making it a form of either Brendan or Bran]
  • Cisco (SIS-koh, Spanish)--short form of Francisco
  • Darrow (DEHR-oh, DA-row, Scottish [surname])--prob. from darach "oak"
  • Ensio (EN-see-oh, Finnish)--"first"
  • Franco (FRAHN-koh, Italian)--form of Frank or short form of Francesco, both from the Germanic tribe name 'Franks'. 
  • Gaio (GYE-oh, Italian)--from Latin Gaius/Caius, origin uncertain
  • Hanno (HAHN-no, German)--short form of Johannes
  • Ícaro (EE-kah-roo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese; EE-kah-oh, Spanish)--form of Icarus
  • Jesco / Jesko (YES-koh, German; JES-koh, English)--nickname for Slavic jar/yar- names, "spring [the season]" or "power"
  • Kenno (KEN-noh, Danish, Finnish)--nickname for Germanic kun/cun-names, "kin"
  • Laszlo (LAZ-loh, English)--from Hungarian László, itself from Slavic Vladislav, "rule-glory"
  • Miro (MEE-roh, Croatian, Italian, Finnish, Slovene, Swedish)--short form of Slavic mir- names, "peace"
  • Nilo (NEE-loh, Italian, Spanish; NEE-loo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--form of 'Nile' [the river], or short form of Danilo
  • Odino (oh-DEE-noh, Italian)--form of Odin
  • Pelayo (pel-EYE-oh, Spanish)--from Ancient Greek Pelagius, "sea"
  • Quincio (KEEN-see-oh, Spanish) / Quíncio (KEEN-see-oo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--form of Quintius/Quincy
  • Renzo (REN-tsoh, Italian; REN-soh, Spanish; REN-zoo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--short form of Lorenzo
  • Sidlow (SID-loh, English [surname])--origin uncertain, poss. "south hill" or "wide hill"
  • Távio (TAHV-yoo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--short form of Otávio/Octávio
  • Usebio (oo-SEH-bee-oh, Aragonese, Spanish)--from Ancient Greek, "good worship" or "well-respected"
  • Vico (VEE-koh, Italian)--nickname for Ludovico/Louis
  • Wilko / Wilco (VIL-koh, Dutch, German)--diminutive of William and other Wil-names.
  • Xanto (KSAHN-toh, Italian)--from Ancient Greek, "yellow" [a masculine form of name-nerd favorite Xanthe]
  • Y--gah, I've got nothing I haven't mentioned before (although I really thought it'd be Q or X that got me, so yay!)
  • Zaccheo (zak-KEH-oh, Italian)--from Biblical Hebrew Zacchaeus, "pure"

Girls:
  • Argyro (ahr-gee-ROH, Greek)--"silver"
  • Bio (bee-OH, [ancient] Greek; BEE-oh, Anglicized)--prob. "life" or "force"
  • Caro (KEHR-oh, KA-roh, KAH-roh, English; KAH-roh, Dutch, German, Spanish)--nickname for Caroline/Carolina and other Car-names
  • Damaro (dah-mah-ROH, [ancient] Greek; dah-MAH-roh, Anglicized)--prob. "taming" or "wife"
  • Emmelot (em-meh-LOH, [medieval] French)--diminutive of Emma-names
  • Fairlow / Fairlowe (FEHR-loh, FAYR-loh, English [surname])--poss. "pleasant hill" or "fern hill". 
  • Gwenno (GWEN-noh, Welsh)--diminutive of Gwen-names
  • Haido (HYE-doh, Greek)--prob. "caress" [likely source of the literary name Haidee/Haydée]
  • Ivalo (EE-vah-loh, Danish, Greenlandic)--from Greenlandic, "sinew, thread"
  • Jurietto (joo-ree-et-toh, Japanese [pop culture])--gairaigo ["Japanization"] of Juliet
  • Kallo (kah-LOH, [ancient] Greek; KAL-loh, Anglicized)--prob. "beautiful"
  • Laino (lahn-yoh, Basque)--"cloud, mist"
  • Margalo (MAR-gah-loh, English)--contraction of Margaret Lorraine
  • Nikeso (nik-ay-SOH, [ancient] Greek; nik-EE-soh, Anglicized)--prob. "victory" or "victor"
  • Orvo (OR-voh, Finnish)--short form of Orvokki "violet flower" [unisex]
  • Phaio (fye-OH, Greek [mythology]) / Phaeo (FEE-oh, Anglicized)--"shining"
  • Q--nada. Lost twice over. :/
  • Runo (ROO-noh, Finnish)--"poem" [unisex]
  • Siro (SEE-roh, Finnish)--"graceful"
  • Tayloe / Taylo (TAY-loh, English [surname])--poss. form of Taylor, or from 'teal' [a type of duck]
  • Ushio (oo-shee-oh, Japanese)--"tide" [unisex]
  • Vireo (VEER-ee-oh, English [word, quite rare as a name])--a type of bird, from Latin "green"
  • Wealthow / Wealtheow (WEL-thoh / WEL-theh-oh, [literary] English)--origin uncertain, poss. "foreign servant"
  • Xenno (ksen-NOH, [ancient] Greek; ZEN-noh, Anglicized)--prob. "guest, hospitality"
  • Ysabeau (ee-zah-BOH, [medieval] French)--form of Isabel/Elizabeth
  • Zafiro (sah-FEE-roh, Spanish)--"sapphire"

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

-Lines from A to Z

Latin has had a lot of impact on our naming. There are certain constructions that we can instantly say "that's a girls' name": -etta, -ella, -ia, etc. The latter two are definitely trending right now, and I think the -lines are next, led by Madeline, Adeline, Caroline, and Emmeline. So of course I have to find more. :)
The vast majority are French in origin, traditionally pronounced "leen" and Anglicized to "lyn", but modern "line" pronunciations are arguably the most popular for today's trending -lines (although for a few, like Caroline, "line" has already predominant for centuries in English).
I set myself the goal of finding new fun -line names, but rather than a massive list, I'm limiting myself to one for each letter, and it has to be a name I've never mentioned on my blog before.
*cracks knuckles*
Here we go.
  • Azéline (ah-zay-LEEN, French)--from Germanic Adel-, "noble"
  • Berteline (behr-teh-LEEN-eh, Danish)--from Germanic -bert-, "bright"
  • Céline (say-LEEN, French)--form of Latin Caelina, "heaven", or of Marcelline, prob. "of Mars"
  • Deline (deh-LEEN, Swedish)--short form of Adeline
  • Esseline (es-seh-LEEN-eh, Dutch)--poss. from Germanic Ans-, "god" or Heida-, "health"
  • Filine (fee-LEE-neh, Danish)--from Greek "love"
  • Gemeline (zheh-meh-LEEN, French)--prob. from Latin "twin" [also a surname]
  • Héline (ay-LEEN, French) / Heline (heh-LEEN, heh-LEE-neh, Scandinavian)--form of Helen
  • Iseline (ee-seh-LEEN, ee-seh-LEE-neh, Scandinavian; ee-zeh-LEEN, French)--from Germanic Isen-, "iron". 
  • Joceline (zhahs-LEEN, zhah-seh-LEEN, French)--feminine of Jocelyn [Jocelyn is masculine in French]
  • Kateline (KAT-eh-lin, [archaic] English; kah-teh-LEEN, French)--form of Katherine
  • Laureline (loh-reh-LEEN, French)--form of Laura [invented for a comic book heroine in the 60s, but caught on in real life]
  • Marcelline (mar-sel-LEEN, French)--feminine of Marcel [really, I haven't mentioned Marcelline on here yet? How is that possible?!]
  • Noéline (noh-ay-LEEN, French)--form of Noëlle
  • Ombeline (ohm-beh-LEEN, French)--prob. from Germanic Humbert, "bright warrior"
  • Péroline (pay-roh-LEEN, French) / Peroline (peh-roh-LEEN-eh, peh-roh-LEEN, Scandinavian)--prob. from Latin Petronilla, poss. "rock" or "rustic person"
  • Q. I should have known Q would sink me. Gah!
  • Roeline (roo-LEEN-eh, Dutch)--feminine of Roeland (Germanic, "famous land") or Roelof (Germanic, "famous wolf"). 
  • Sanceline (san-seh-LEEN, [archaic] French)--from Latin "saint"
  • Theoline (teh-oh-LEEN, French; teh-oh-LEEN-eh, Norwegian)--from Greek Theo-, "god", or Germanic Theud-, "people"
  • Ursuline (oor-soo-LEEN, French)--from Latin "little bear"
  • Veline (veh-LEEN-eh, Norwegian)--nickname for Vel-names, like Velaug (Old Norse, "promised sanctuary"), Velgjerd (Old Norse, "protector of the slain"), or Vellumine (archaic Norwegian, form of Wilhelmina)
  • Wendeline (ven-deh-LEEN-eh, Dutch, Swedish)--feminine of Wendel, "a Wend" ['Wend' was a term applied to various Slavic tribes over the centuries, origin uncertain]
  • X, Yeah, no X either. :(
  • Yveline (eev-eh-LEEN, eev-LEEN, French)--from Germanic Ivo-, "yew"
  • Zerline (tzehr-LEEN-eh, German; zur-LEEN, English; sehr-LEEN-eh, Scandinavian; zehr-LEEN, French)--form of Zerlina, a name invented by Mozart, poss. based on an old Yiddish form of Sarah

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Flowers A-Z

Happy Spring! I'm going to celebrate with a flower post! But, since I do have a tendency to go a bit overboard with the long lists, I'm imposing two rules on myself: one flower/name per letter, and only names I've not mentioned before on here.
*cracks knuckles*
Here we go.

  • Aubretia (aw-BREE-shah)--also called Aubrieta (aw-bree-ET-tah) [does this count as breaking a rule already?]
  • Bergenia (ber-GEEN-ee-ah, ber-JEN-ee-ah)
  • Clematis (klem-AT-is, KLEM-ah-tis)
  • Diascia (dye-AY-shah)
  • Eglantine (EG-lan-tine, eg-lan-TEEN) [I tried to find something else, I really did. How are there so few flowers starting with E?]
  • Freesia (FREE-zhah)
  • Gaura (GOHR-ah, GAWR-ah)
  • Heliantha (hee-lee-AN-thah) or Helianthe (hee-lee-AN-thee) [from Helianthus, a sunflower genus. Cheating?]
  • 'Ilima (ee-LEE-mah)
  • Justicia (jus-TIS-ee-ah, jus-TISH-ah)
  • Kerria (KEHR-ee-ah)
  • Lupin (LOO-pin)--also spelled Lupine (American English)
  • Malva (MAHL-vah)
  • Nigella (nye-JEL-lah)
  • Orris (OR-ris)
  • Plumeria (ploo-MEHR-ee-ah)
  • Quince (KWINS)
  • Ruellia (roo-EL-lee-ah)
  • Scilla (SIL-lah)
  • Tamarisk (TAM-ah-risk)--also called Tamarix (TAM-ah-riks)
  • Ursinia (oor-SIN-ee-ah)
  • Vinca (VEEN-kah)
  • Wulfenia (wool-FEEN-ee-ah)
  • Xeranthe (zehr-AN-thee) or Xerantha (zehr-AN-thah) [from Xeranthemum, another sunflower genus]
  • Yarrow (YEHR-oh)--I failed. I've used Yarrow before, but I can't come up with any other flowering plants for Y. :(
  • Zephyranthe (zef-er-AN-thee) [from Zephyranthes, an amaryllis genus]