scot47

Mum rages at nursery for shortening daughter's name 'because it's too hard to pronounce' - Daily Record

Not experienced this as a maori byt family have experienced problems in English-speaking environmante with non-English names. What do folk in NZ feel ?

Why do English-speakers have problems with this ? It happens in GB as well.

Bo-Jangles

We have people of all nationalities here with names that are equally difficult to grasp and I think it's a disgrace that staff at an early learning centre struggle to pronounce Maori words. They should be encouraging children in the basics of Te Reo (Maori Language) and be respectful of children's given name. In my world it's the height of rudeness not to bother to learn how to pronounce someone's given or chosen name correctly.

scot47

In Xenophobic Brexitania it is common. I had hoped that NZ had higher standards. My Bulgarian daughters had problems in KG with English-speaking teachers who had a mental bloc on any names that were not familiar to them as tabloid-readers.

Bo-Jangles

For many years use of Maori language was discouraged and repressed but in recent years there has been a resurgence with Maori people claiming back and encouraging the use of correct pronunciation of place names and such like. Certainly we see a little bit more appreciation of the language and some efforts with Maori language week and occasional greetings being used in mainstream media and workplaces but there's still a long way to go.

Justcol

Anyone can pronounce the kids name, it's not difficult. Whether they could be bothered to spit out the whole thing every time they spoke to her is another story. My clientele are almost entirely maori and I use shortened names for almost every one of them that is more than two syllables long. I make an effort on introductions and ask if it's a tricky one, but beyond that it's not practical to spend all day spitting long names out.
The mum's just being being prescious. She needs to get over herself

Charismatic

Like if your name is Abraham you'll be called Abe, Daniel it'll be contracted to Dan, Thomas it'll be Tom etc?

I mean, uhh, completely unprecedented and outrageous, she is right to be offended.

brits1

I work with many people from around the globe who have made the UK home and I try my bestest to pronounce names and with practice/familiarity it does get easier but I still get tongue tied at times and it's very much visa versa with my name lol. Hopefully NZ though will introduce the Maori language as a language on the education curriculum if it has not already done so....

Justcol

I would think the issue is around practicality not pronunciation

scot47

Using a name the way the owner of that name expects ? Basic courtesy.

Bo-Jangles

It's a two way street, I wouldn't shorten anyone's name unless that's the way they, or the parents if it was a child, had indicated or referred to themselves in that way. You generally figure out the lie of the land in regards to what's okay and what's not but in regards to a child it absolutely sits with the parents and they have every right to be precious and insist on use of proper names if that's what they wish.

My own Mum was very opposed to anyone shortening her own name and gave very clear guidance to anyone who tried to shorten ours when we were kids. I have a very good friend called David, we've never had a conversation about his name but I would never refer to him as Dave because never considered that appropriate and he's not a Dave, he doesn't call himself Dave, he is most definitely a David.

Timmy Chch

I agree with BJ!

MrsFychan

when we first arrived in NZ, lots of the NZ'ders couldn't/wouldn't pronounce my dd name correctly, she got so fed up with it she shortened it.

on a side note I'm the only one to call my OH by his full name as that was how he was introduced to me, to shorten it for me just doesn't feel right.

Charismatic

That's Countess BJ of Zealandia to us slovenly oiks!

brits1

I purposely chose names for our son's that could not be.shortened as mine always is even when I introduce myself with my "proper" and used name..it still gets shortened lol

brits1

MY DH introduced me by his full first name (as that is what he prefers) so I use that name as well but his family never used/use his full name...and they just thought I was being posh lol