nicknames

[tsukikage]

While I don't actually blame them, I get rather annoyed when people ask if I have a nickname. I mean, I honestly don't think it's that difficult to say if you open your ears, esp. if I get someone who doesn't have a speech impairment to say my name for me, or if I spell it phonetically for you (to people who know how to say my name, does Nah-stah-syah make sense as a phonetic spelling?). For about two years in elementary school I let people call me Katie, and I still use that at places like Jamba Juice where it doesn't really matter, but if we have any sort of personal relationship, well... Katie's not who I am. As for the nicknames that are me, they all feel very personal, and intimate on one level or another. I guess what I mean is, I don't at all mind people asking if I already have a nickname, but don't expect me to have one for your convenience. And then when you say "well, we'll have to make one for you"... Again, I guess I feel offended when people make up a nickname because they don't want to learn my real one; nicknames are supposed to be organic - signs of some level of a shared history or understanding; a term of endearment.
So yeah, if we're going to have an ongoing relationship, I want you to call me by my name. And if we grow close and another name for me emerges, that's fine, but until then, I'm Nastassja. Deal.

Comments

[ellie-desu.livejournal.com]

I agree. Your name is not difficult when broken down, like you did earlier. Although your name, like Parthiban's, is a little threatening when just spelled out in front of you. The sounds are uncommon, but not too foreign to say.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally agree that it's "threatening" when written down. Although I have the advantage over Parthiban that all the sounds are present in English, even if the "sy" combination isn't found in English, at least not in any words that I can think of.

[carve037.livejournal.com]

Is it the "th" that's the issue there? What is that, an aspirated [t]? Is that a Lao name or am I just SE-ASIA MIND right now?

And what the fuck were they calling you Katie for?

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

I believe his name's Tamil? And the a in "ban" isn't in English? It might also be an aspirated t, as it's def. not θ or đ.
I picked Katie myself, out of my second middle name, Katharina. Coulda gone with Käthe. :-P

[carve037.livejournal.com]

That last would be cool but it might make people think you're some kind of a metalhead or something.

I know aspiration's big in South Asia, so that's my bet for the "th". As for Tamil vowels, that's a little out of my area of experience. Could be farther forward or back, or maybe a more central (slightly higher) vowel.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Käthe was my great-grandmother, Katharina's, nickname. I actually met her; she died when I was about 10, the morning after my mom's wedding to Roger.

[carve037.livejournal.com]

That's a pretty damn cool name, the more I think about it.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Käthe or Katharina? And how so? It just sounds cool?

[ellie-desu.livejournal.com]

My best version of it is : par thi (stressed) bn. The 'a' is some vowel that doesn't exist in english, but I can kind of make it by trying to eliminate it existing.

[conuly]

ASK if you have a nickname? If you had a nickname that you expected to be called, you'd introduce yourself by that name.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

You know, you make a good point. I guess it's not entirely irrational for me to be annoyed that they'd ask the question.