Names, Names, Names... Are Looking For a Goodtime

[dotinthesky]

I like the way the English say my name: Oh-lee-vah. The Scottish, in the meantime, say Oh-lah-vah. And the Brazilians say Oh-lee-verre (when they say my name correctly at all.) My grandmother, still to this day, eventhough I am her first-born grandchild, cannot say my name correctly. It's Oh-lee-vee or Oh-lee-veh.

Actually, Brazilians who do not speak English don't know how to say my name. I've been called Oliveira, Olivio, Oscar and so on throughout my years in Brazil.

But, despite this most English of names, people who meet me for the first time always assume I'm from a variety of nationalities. I've been confused with Americans, Canadians, French, Quebecois, Israelis, and even - specifically enough - with Glaswegians! Nobody ever guesses that I'm half-brazilian (probably because of my lily-white ass and my green eyes.)

So, here's a little poll which I'm very curious about:

[Poll #403073]


This may sound like a highly narcissistic post - and I guess it is - but, really, I just want to get a general consensus on this. Thanks for participating.

Comments

you're liking this whole poll thing, aren't you? ;p

[moonlightjoy.livejournal.com]

whee! I think I was closest to right. sorta.

and now I want to hear you speak on the phone.

and i want you to come down to montreal!!! urgh. but speak to you on the phone first cuz the accent might get muddled once you set foot in this here messed up but wonderful city.


and the other thing i wanted to say is that Oh-lee-verre is supahsexy. and i think i'm going to call you that in my head from now on.

Re: you're liking this whole poll thing, aren't you? ;p

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Haha! Sure, let's have a phone date! Maybe you can put the phone to the window so I can hear Montreal's street... I miss that place like crazy.

Re: you're liking this whole poll thing, aren't you? ;p

[moonlightjoy.livejournal.com]

i can do better than that! i can call you from my cell phone and walk down ste-catherine street between, say, Crescent and University? or maybe I'll call you from the Village so you can hear the french gay boys in the background :)

I have your email somewhere.. i'll email you my cell #.

[canudiglett]

Why do you have such an english sounding name when you a Foreign? I keep meaning to ask this?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think it's because of my dad. At the time, my family was living in South Africa and my parents knew I'd have to go to a school with English-speaking kids, so they must have thought that it would be best to give me an English name. They did the same for my brothers - Martin and Nicholas.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

how come you didn't fill out the survey? I'm curious to know what you think I sound like.

[meemeedarling.livejournal.com]

Ollie-Ver!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

How would Americans from the south say my name?

[meemeedarling.livejournal.com]

I would say something like Alavir. But I will ask this good old Southern boy at work on my lunch break.

[meemeedarling.livejournal.com]

OK. I asked him on my lunch and he says that there wouldn't be much drawl on that name. So, its basically, Allyver.

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

I once heard that Portuguese (Brazilian) sounds like a drunk Frenchman trying to speak Spanish.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

That's rubbish!

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

hehehehe...

Polish:

[i-am-scowling.livejournal.com]

Olee-vyer


[accent stressed on first syllable] I dig on that one :)

Re: Polish:

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

That's a bit french too... Olivier.

Re: Polish:

[i-am-scowling.livejournal.com]

but the Polish r is rolled and not all silly like zee French ;)

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know, you just sound kind of ... "continental".
If anything, on occasion you sound vaguely scandinavian, dare I say... (There, it's more about the cadence you sometimes have than any dipthongal concern. To my ear, especially when you're trying to clarify an idea, there's a tonal arc, a very slow rise and fall, ending in a decisive, level tone. This all speeds up when you're teasing someone.)

Sometimes there's something "British" there -- on occasion, I hear "r[iiae]lly" from you, vs. the Canadian "r[ee]lly". Other times your vowels flatten into the Canadian thing that's been noticed, but maybe this is just when you're talking to me or K, or just goofing around...

I couldn't figure out how to use your poll, so those are my two cents.

(I know what you mean, about feeling sort of "fill in the blank". People impute ethnicities to me all the time. Persian, French, Israeli, Italian, Greek, Spanish... It's amusing, kind of neat to have people claim an undeserved familiarity!)

lala

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

You've confused me there! that's the first time someone has compared me to Scandinavia... :)

Maybe this is a common occurence for children of parents who have moved from their home country to a different continent.

[cherrieheart.livejournal.com]

I've never spoken to you, so I'd have no idea. But, I just wanted to add that I get questions about my cultural background all the time, mainly when I speak french...and honestly, i find it kind of annoying. Do you find that annoying? Maybe I'm the only one. I don't know. It's just weird to ask a stranger "what they are."

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I don't know... I think it depends! Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on what reason that person seems to be asking me that. If they want to know so they can exclude me from something, then I would be really pissed off. But if they are only curious and genuinely can't place me, then it's ok.

[dawnkitten.livejournal.com]

Oliver's a cool name ...and I'll be pleased -nay- delighted to find out what your accent sounds like at some point :)
At least you get a decent shortening too ...Olly ...whereas my nickname ends up being longer than my actual name *rolls eyes*
Though I do kinda like the fact my name's translatable ...and the way an American friend says my nickname makes my skin tingle -which is much fun ;)

(Ooooh... green eyes and an accent too *grins*)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I was thinking this morning about that Dead Man's Boots gig... I think we should definetly try to meet up for that. ;)

[divineheadrush.livejournal.com]

hmmm.. i never figured you for lilly white with green eyes since you had mentioned your brazilian-ness. :P although there are plenty that are. now I must see what you actually look like!

oh i'm going back to that thingy to type in my imagined accent of yours! ;)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Here's an icon of me! Althought I'm half-brazilian, my mom's family is descendant from Italians and Portugueses... mixed with my dad's Irish and English roots and perhaps the chances that I would be white and have green eyes were quite high. ;)

[divineheadrush.livejournal.com]

oh.. and it would depend on how you spelt your name. if it is spelt: oliver then i would say ahl-liv-verr. (dont forget to add in my nasally twang!)