That's aliases - DH says it's a fifth declension, for those of us who follow Latin rules in English. I like alias, alias, like iris, iris.
Happy Birthday Seandor!!
No - we are not spies (like we would tell you!) But we have tended to give children crummy names. So, like sensible people we change our names to suit ourselves. Interestingly, DD#2 has the name I wanted Mikael Kristina - but I had already assigned it, and most people were already calling me Beth (in Canada) so I changed my name legally to Beth Michaela and when I came to the States, had everyone call me by the second name.
DD #2 has called herself Mischa for about 4 or more years.
Anyway, the interesting thing is - they are all variations of Michael. So does anyone have a baby name book? Maybe you can tell us whatn "Michael" means - maybe it will give us a clue as to why we all have variations. Interestingly Mikael has never had any inclination to change her first name - but she hates Kristina!
I like to be called Roxanne.
Michael:
English, German, Dutch, and Jewish: from the personal name Michael, ultimately from Hebrew Micha-el ‘Who is like God?’. This was borne by various minor Biblical characters and by one of the archangels, the protector of Israel (Daniel 10:13, 12:1; Rev. 12:7). In Christian tradition, Michael was regarded as the warrior archangel, conqueror of Satan, and the personal name was correspondingly popular throughout Europe, especially in knightly and military families.
And Roxanne??
Thanks Victor, now I've got that song glued in my head...Roxannnnne
Michaela/Seandor/Mikael/Kristina/Beth has no respect for would-be identity thieves!
In this society women are once again expected to change their names to their husband's, although a generation ago that was starting to change. (Miss Jane Single marries Mr. John Doe and becomes Mrs John Doe; no clue to who she used to be there.) I've been married 3 times and had two different names, and when I was in 1st grade I started being called Carolyn in school.
Funny, I hated Carrie Lamont when I was growing up and always planned to change it, but I just couldn't decide what to change it TO. Partly because it was my father's name and I didn't like the association and I had heard of women's liberation. My mother's maiden name? No, that was still a man's name. Her mother, my grandmother's maiden name, Jones? I think if I had changed my name to anything, it would have been to Jones. Carrie Jones. I should google her.
Maybe in Canada women are expected to change their first name.
David : Beloved
Yes - and David, of course, is the patron saint of poets! (I know this 'cause DH is a "David"
As for women changing their names - I am STUNNED to still see wedding announcement "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith." like the woman's personal identity counts for zilch.
I have been away from the West Coast for 7 years - so maybe things have reverted back. But when we still lived in BC, many women kept their surname and even those that didn't had wedding announcements "John and Susan Smith. "
What I don't understand is when people clearly don't like their name - but they keep them. No point to that unless there is a huge inheritance involved. Get the name you want and be happy. Other people will adjust. For instance, it might take us a while to get used to referring to Roxanne, but if that is what he wants I think that, as good friends, we can make the effort to comply with this small gesture of friendship. ^_^
BTW, how does your garden grow, Roxanne?
Nicely, nicely, thank you.
Me too, Michaela. I have two Mrs. Lamonts in my family as SILs who just renounced who they used to be! It hasn't always been like that, but it was like that before, so I guess it's just cyclical.
DH asked me to marry him maybe 6 years ago. We have our rings and wear them but we've never actually gotten married. Why? Because I refuse to re-name myself after him. Who wants to be named after a ketchup??? I like the one I was born with...that and I'm the last Stark in our line so I am going to keep it going as long as I can!!
You can get married and keep your own name, you know!
I know that!! He won't unless I change it, so we haven't and probably aren't gonna.
What a man.
Edited to say that that is not fair to men. I know many men who aren't like that, my husband for one. That was a stupid thing to say. I apologize to any men who read that.
This message was edited Jul 2, 2009 3:20 PM
I'm a guy with a DW with her own last name. It's not an issue for me. I'm also surprised by how much someof this stuff has reverted over the last 20 years.
Like calling women "girls". I still don't and I hope it is because as women have gained equality the words are less important. However, I see stuff with literal girls that seems to be backwards progress.
I am ok with girls... makes me feel younger
Most women are theese days. Back in the day, even the word lady could get you in trouble. I thought was too picky.
David, are you okay being a boy? Not an old boy, but sitting boy-girl-boy-girl, for instance? My DH thinks we (women) make too much of a fuss about words, yet when he introduces me, half the time he adds "she wouldn't take my last name"... right, it doesn't bother him at all!!
I'm def ok with girl....when did I become a ma'am?
I'm not sure I'm ok with girl, but I do like Miss!
One day when I was 14 or 15 and taking the trolley to school, then-governor Dukakis squeezed into the car at the next stop, passing a group of (what looked to me like) little old ladies. (They were probably younger than I am now...) Anyway, he said "excuse me, girls" as he squeezed past them. (They were older than he was, so maybe they were older than I am now.) The blood boiled in my baby-woman's lib veins. I've always remembered that.
hahahah this is sooo funny! I call my young students "Good Sir" or "Good Lady" I routinely address the women as "Madame" I am sure they think I am cracked! They may call me Michaela or Dr. Simpson.
The generation of women older than me had to fight very hard for any kind of recognition in terms of competency. When I was in grad school, all the graduate students called the profs by their first name - except Dr. Martha Foschi. She had to fight for recognition in the academic world. Any degree of familiarity e.g. calling by first name was probably interpreted as placing her on the same level as the clerical staff, instead of the distinguished scholar that she was.
Being referred to as a "girl" depends on the context. If the intention is to imply that I am young for my age - well, I am okay with that. But if the intention is to imply a lack of competence or demeaning (as when the mortgage loans officer referred to the women responsible for the actually calculations of the mortgage - all of whom were on the far side of 40 as "his girls"), then I am likely to have a very low opinion of the speaker of such a statement.
Well said Michaela.
I enjoy having a boys' night out. I agree that the intention is more important than the word to me. But I don't call women girls.
Some day we may be at a place where intention supercedes being PC but we aren't ready for that yet. Retarded and gay are 2 examples where people don't even realize the insult in using the name for a group of people to insult other people ("What's the big deal! I didn't mean that he was a homosexual.")
I find "Ho" extremely offensive and proof that sexism lives.
All this discussion will be moot when we have a girl president. Hee hee. ^_^
Correct, Roxanne.
She's a Hoe
Roxanne, you mean?
Of course!
I thought he was a "rake"
Now that's funny!
What a beautiful baby! Wish you and your daughter the best. Hopefully she will find what works for her and her baby and be relaxing and enjoying soon! :)
Spelling
This message was edited Jul 4, 2009 10:19 AM
Thanks, Meredith . . . I don't think DD will ever relax - she's a bit obsessive about some things. I mean, she took her puppy to puppy kindergarten! Too funny . . . ^_^
Congrats on the new Grambaby!!!!!
My name is Dahlianut which means 'nut ala dahlias'. O but really I am Marlene Dietrich (with the kick butt cheekbones) who stole Dahlianut's identity while in a fugue state while Dahlianut was singing 'Falling in Love Again' but that is a very looong story so it's best to just call me Dahlianut/Dahlia/Dahls or Dahlin (my southern cousin Grownut says it the last way ^_^).
Oh, dahlin, are you related to Roald Dahl, the British writer?
No relation but I wish I was just for the Chocolate Factory part alone!
LOL good call!
Iam part oompa loompa
Wow ... David, that explains so much about you. I feel I have a deeper understanding of you now.
Oompa loompas are great singers. How bout sharing an oompa loompa tune Dave47?