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Help[Opinions] Re: Dunja
in reply to a message by Perrine
It's a new favorite of mine. It seems exuberant but, at the same time, sedate, and I like that.
The pronunciation's ambiguous in English with all the spellings (Dounia reminds me of "noun", so I want to pronounce it like "down"). I think Dunja looks nicest, but Dunya looks simplest, so ultimately, I'd probably pick Dunya, if I were using it myself. Doonya would probably be most true to the pronunciation, but I think that looks goofy.
I count the Greek derivation...because I like "to think/imagine/suppose good" or "good to think/imagine/suppose" more than "to be satisfied"; they're similar but not really the same to me. I also like names that mean "life", plus I think the Serbian/Croatian meaning is quirky - unlike most fruit, quinces are bitter, and I like the contrast of that.
The only names I can think of with a "fruit" related meaning actually mean "fruitful", and those aren't common. Or if I think of actual word names in English...they're not unheard of, but they don't have the best reputation. I have an aunt-by-marriage named Kiwi, and her in-laws at least definitely mock her name behind her back. Or, I guess Clementine counts as a fruit name? It's perceived better if it has another meaning and/or is already an established name, but that doesn't apply to most fruits in English.
The pronunciation's ambiguous in English with all the spellings (Dounia reminds me of "noun", so I want to pronounce it like "down"). I think Dunja looks nicest, but Dunya looks simplest, so ultimately, I'd probably pick Dunya, if I were using it myself. Doonya would probably be most true to the pronunciation, but I think that looks goofy.
I count the Greek derivation...because I like "to think/imagine/suppose good" or "good to think/imagine/suppose" more than "to be satisfied"; they're similar but not really the same to me. I also like names that mean "life", plus I think the Serbian/Croatian meaning is quirky - unlike most fruit, quinces are bitter, and I like the contrast of that.
The only names I can think of with a "fruit" related meaning actually mean "fruitful", and those aren't common. Or if I think of actual word names in English...they're not unheard of, but they don't have the best reputation. I have an aunt-by-marriage named Kiwi, and her in-laws at least definitely mock her name behind her back. Or, I guess Clementine counts as a fruit name? It's perceived better if it has another meaning and/or is already an established name, but that doesn't apply to most fruits in English.
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