# Euander/ Evander



## quorumangelorum

Hello my helpful friends,

I am naming a very important character in a story I am writing, and I would like to know how this name would be pronounced:

_*Εύανδρος*_ 

It's the origin of the name Evander, and I'm just wondering if what we transcribe into English as "Euander" is pronounced in the original Greek with a long "U" at the beginning, or "ev", or what.  And also where the stress is, please.

Thanks very much.


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## orthophron

Well I think it should be pronounced as euandros with "e" as in "bed" rather,   "u" like "oo"  of "too", "a" sth like "a" of "father" and stress on "u".


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## Christo Tamarin

quorumangelorum said:


> Hello my helpful friends,
> 
> I am naming a very important character in a story I am writing, and I would like to know how this name would be pronounced:
> 
> _*Εύανδρος*_
> 
> It's the origin of the name Evander, and I'm just wondering if what we transcribe into English as "Euander" is pronounced in the original Greek with a long "U" at the beginning, or "ev", or what. And also where the stress is, please.
> 
> Thanks very much.


 
I would prefer *Evander* in English, not Euander. Words like _evangelist_ are precedents for using the letter *v*. 

The stress in *Evander *should be on the first syllable, as in Greek. In English, the initial E can be pronounced as in _evening_.

In Greek, despite the fact that the stress is written onto the letter *ύ*, actually it has always fallen on the vowel *Ε*.


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## balgior

Hello! 


quorumangelorum said:


> _*Εύανδρος*_



In Modern Greek this is pronounced as: ev-an-thros

'e' as in "bed", stressed
'a' as in "that"
"th" as in... "that"
'o' as in "not" (not as in "go")


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## quorumangelorum

Thanks everyone!  

*balgior, *when I say it aloud as you describe, it's a strange sensation... it's an unusual sequence of sounds for an English speaker.

However, I like it very much.  That's definitely the name my character will have.  I love the history of it!


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## balgior

quorumangelorum said:


> *balgior, *when I say it aloud as you describe, it's a strange sensation... it's an unusual sequence of sounds for an English speaker.


It's this "-nthr-" that is strange, right? What about "anthropology"? This looks more familiar, right?  But, of course, here "th" sounds as in "think", not as in "that"...!  Take the first part of the word ("anthro"), sharpen the "th" a little bit, ad the "ev" and 's' and you've got it! 

Yes, strange, but very beautiful name! Meaningful!


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## orthophron

Good evening guys 

1. I think I should have asked "quorumangelorum" what he meant "*in* *the **original greek*". 

2. Greek words starting with *ευ-* when travel to england, make words starting with *eu-*. There are more than 50 (not including derivatives) and only one starts with ev- (the one spotted by "Christo Tamarin"). 
It is obvious that at the time this word crossed the channel, its original pronunciation had already changed or ... nobody asked a linguist. 

Anyway there must be an exception to prove the rule.


All the best


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## quorumangelorum

Well actually *orthophron, *what I was hoping most of all to know was how the name was pronounced in Euander's day, by his people.  With names especially, I think perhaps they have the most meaning to me in their original form.

However, because I am naming a character who is immensely important to me, I am interested in everything about the name, so that I will choose the right one.


*balgior:  *Yes, it's the hard "TH."  I can do it, I'm just not used to doing it!


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## Christo Tamarin

orthophron said:


> Good evening guys
> 1. I think I should have asked "quorumangelorum" what he meant "*in* *the **original greek*".


Yes, you are right. During millenia, several manners of pronouncing Greek can be assumed. Nevertheless, I assume the pronunciation suitable for modern English was meant.



orthophron said:


> 2. Greek words starting with *ευ-* when travel to england, make words starting with *eu-*. There are more than 50 (not including derivatives) and only one starts with ev- (the one spotted by "Christo Tamarin").
> It is obvious that at the time this word crossed the channel, its original pronunciation had already changed or ... nobody asked a linguist.
> 
> Anyway there must be an exception to prove the rule.


*People did not distinguish the Roman letters U and V until late middle ages.* 

In English, the digraph *VV*=*W* *w*as accepted as an additional letter to be used in *v*arious *w*ords. It helps in distinguishing two consonants in modern English. 

All Greek words traveled to England riding Latin. English simply has followed Latin.

Greek words starting with *ευ-* were transliterated *eu- *in Latin. When a wovel followed, as in *Euangelia*, it was pronounced as *Evangelia *in medieval Latin, the same way as in medieval and modern Greek. Another example: *Eva*, the first women, Greek *Εύα.*

Later, when people started to distinguish the Roman letters U and V, the *Evangelia *was written in Latin in this way. Then, people started to distinguish the Roman letters U and V in English, too.

Let's return to *Evander*. For modern English, I would suggest starting with *Evening *keeping the stress on the initial syllable and ending like *Alexander. *The fricative pronunciation of the *δέλτα* in medieval and modern Greek is of no importance for the other languages.


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## orthophron

Well, greek words entered english through latin but this is not the point.

Let us just think of scientific terms. If today a greek term with prefix "*ευ*-" (adverb meaning "well") was to be admitted in english or if a new scientific term was to be invented using greek prefix "*ευ*-" it would be definitely a word starting with "*eu*-" in english.

English seems to be very sensitive. Spanish (which comes from latin), unlike english, is not. Maybe it does well with "eu" but generally simplifies the case e.g. english keeps rh, ph, ch, th, y while spanish drops h, substitutes i for y, f for ph.

The terms "*evangel*", "*evonymous*" (which is another spelling of "*euonymous*") are the exceptions (from the book "Greek words in English" by Aristeides Konstantinides).

The name "*Eve*" is not supposed to be of greek origin.

Cheers


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## Dminor

In ancient Greek, it was pronounced ['ewandros]. The first syllable (which is stressed) is a diphthong consisting of a closed [e] (as in English *e*ight, but short and not gliding off to _) and [w] (as in the last part of the diphthong in do*u*gh)._


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