Pronunciation Help Needed! :)

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2003
Pronunciation Help Needed! :)
4
Mon, 10-10-2005 - 2:49pm

I need your help! Here are two old-fashioned boys' names that I have been pondering:
Amyas (also spelled Amias)
Eben (short for Ebenezer)

Have you ever come across boys or men with these names, and if so, how are the names pronounced?

Is Amyas "uh-MY-ess" or "AY-me-ess" or "uh-ME-ess" or?
Is Eben "EBB-ehn" or "EEE-ben"?

Thank you for your help!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2005
Mon, 10-10-2005 - 3:03pm

Amias (or Amyas)- I pronounce it ah-MY-as and prefer the spelling Amias. Even though Spenser used Amyas in "Faerie Queen", Amyas reminds me of Mya and therefore renders Amyas too feminine looking for my tastes.

Eben is short for Ebenezer, so it gets EH-ben from me.

Out of the two, I like Eben as a nickname and prefer Amias as a full name. Amias makes me think of amiable (friendly) even though it means "one from Amiens"

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-28-2003
Mon, 10-10-2005 - 5:09pm

I knew an Amyas when I was younger (he would be about 29 or 30 now) who pronounced it A-me-us, with more of a ME sound than a MY sound. He was a cool kid, so I have good assosications with the name.

Eben I would pronounce Eh-BEN, kind of rhyming with Kevin. Nice name.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-16-2004
Mon, 10-10-2005 - 7:10pm
I can only help yiou with Eben and I pronounce it Eehben

themedswede.jpg

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2003
Mon, 10-10-2005 - 10:28pm

I would also pronounce Ah-my-us. In some name books they have the pronounciation. In my book it says a variant of Amy. Amias is a secondary spelling to Amyas but I think Amias is more visually pleasing..jmo.


First glance I would say Eh-ben, like evan, though it could be E-ben like Eden.

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