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Help[Opinions] Jonathas
I recently discovered that this is the form of Jonathan used in older translations of the Bible. By "older", I mean translations from at least the 18th century. It originates from Ιωνάθας (Ionathas), which is the form used in the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament, namely the Septuagint.
What do you think of it? To me, it feels like an interesting spin on a well-known and established name. I like Jonathan a bit better because it sounds a bit softer. But at the same time, I have a soft spot for masculine names that end in -as and I also appreciate that Jonathas can't really be confused with Nathan, which I've never been able to like. I guess that is partly because one of my classmates in primary school was called Nathan and the Dutch pronunciation of the name turns out to be really ugly (in my opinion): NAH-tahn.
Anyway, feel free to share what comes to mind when you see Jonathas. For example: does the name generate any associations for you? Or would you like it better in a different spelling, such as: Jonatas, Yonatas and Yonathas?
"It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society." ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986)
What do you think of it? To me, it feels like an interesting spin on a well-known and established name. I like Jonathan a bit better because it sounds a bit softer. But at the same time, I have a soft spot for masculine names that end in -as and I also appreciate that Jonathas can't really be confused with Nathan, which I've never been able to like. I guess that is partly because one of my classmates in primary school was called Nathan and the Dutch pronunciation of the name turns out to be really ugly (in my opinion): NAH-tahn.
Anyway, feel free to share what comes to mind when you see Jonathas. For example: does the name generate any associations for you? Or would you like it better in a different spelling, such as: Jonatas, Yonatas and Yonathas?
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Replies
I like it. Nice alternative to Jonathan.
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I don't like it more or less than Jonathan. It makes me think of other biblical names like Barnabas and Matthias. I'd spell it Ionathas or Jonatas.
Ionathas appeals because people where I live would always pronounce Jonathan with a J sound, and so I'd want to distance it from that assumption.
I wouldn't use Yonatas, because a y spelling for Jon, even if it's pronounced with a y, brings to mind 'yawn' in a way that an I or J wouldn't, at least to me.
Ionathas appeals because people where I live would always pronounce Jonathan with a J sound, and so I'd want to distance it from that assumption.
I wouldn't use Yonatas, because a y spelling for Jon, even if it's pronounced with a y, brings to mind 'yawn' in a way that an I or J wouldn't, at least to me.
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YONATAS looks the most natural to me to have the AS ending
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Jonatas looks best to be, but the name sounds strange because Jonathan is a common enough name and I have never heard it before. It is definitely interesting and the Nathan thing stuck out to me too. Still, if I heard of a little boy called Jonathas that wouldn't nearly be as strange as some of the names being given to little boys today.
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