[identity profile] lustdumpster.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] babynames
how do YOU pronounce Xavier?

the thought of pronouncing it like zavier only dawned on me since being in this community. every xavier i've met (and i worked in a daycare so it's kind of a lot) has been x-zavier.

Date: 2008-12-07 03:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] th3-unicorn.livejournal.com
It's KSAH-v-yay to me, like in french.

I made the same realization about Alexander in English, I had no clue it was Aleg-Zander.

But how do you pronounce X-zavier? Is there an X sound?

Date: 2008-12-07 03:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lilacmermaid.livejournal.com
Are you comparing Alexander to Alexandre? Because I don't see them as super different. The R at the end, yeah, and I guess the second A vowel is different (with a Canadian/American accent, anyway). But I see a much bigger difference between various pronunciations of Xavier.

I'm pronouncing X-zavier as either Ix-zay-vee-er or Ex-zay-vee-er. I say it the way you do if the person is Francophone, but usually I'd probably go with X-zavier.

Date: 2008-12-07 03:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] th3-unicorn.livejournal.com
ok now I'm really confused lol

The x sound in Alexandre (french) is "ks", whereas in english is more like "hard g as in guitar, then z as in zest". Which is fairly odd, to me.

Also, the Xenu guy in Scientology is pronounced as ZEE-noo (I learned this from Nip/Tuck, nevermind hehe), so I thought Xavier was also pronounced as ZAH-vee-air in english, but apparently not.

Date: 2008-12-07 04:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lilacmermaid.livejournal.com
My X in English is actually a lot closer to "ks" than it is to "gz", I think. Maybe that's another British/North American thing, although I've never really thought about it before.

I pronounce Alexander closer to Aleks-ander than Aleg-zander.

Date: 2008-12-07 07:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] searlait.livejournal.com
I say eks, not egz.

Date: 2008-12-07 06:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 0o-faerie.livejournal.com
I pronounce Xavier exactly like you do!

Date: 2008-12-08 04:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chirpygirly.livejournal.com
I'm Canadian, and I say Alexander "Al-ecks-ann-der", or "Al-ex-ann-der". I think "Aleg-Zander" is more European.

Date: 2008-12-08 02:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] th3-unicorn.livejournal.com
no, on the contrary. In Europe it's definitely Al-ex-ahn-der, like in latin.
I heard Aleg-Zander in the movie Into the wild, and then I heard Xander pronounced as Zander in Buffy.

Date: 2008-12-07 03:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] piecesofmoi.livejournal.com
I pronounce it X-zavier

Date: 2008-12-07 03:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] makeitstopjamie.livejournal.com
The only Xavier I've known went by x-zavier. Of course, in X-Men it's zavier.
(deleted comment)

Date: 2008-12-07 04:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] laminy.livejournal.com
I say x-zavier. I've always said it that way, but when my cousin Xavier was born and that's how his parents pronounced it, it just kind of cemented it.

Date: 2008-12-07 04:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sarahrose.livejournal.com
My mom's boyfriend is x-zavier.

Date: 2008-12-07 04:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lind-saay.livejournal.com
I say zavier, but I always WANT to say x-zavier.

Date: 2008-12-07 04:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elemmennope.livejournal.com
I only like it ZAY-vee-er. (No eggs with my Xavier, please.) There are no other X names or even words that I have ever seen where the X is pronounced. Xena is not X-zee-nah. Xanthe is not X-zan-thee. Xanax is zan-ex not X-zan-ex.

It's unfortunate, because I really like the name Xavier, but the majority of people seem to pronounce it "wrong" so I would never ever use it.

Date: 2008-12-07 04:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beccachase.livejournal.com
Xavier University is pronounced x-zavier, so I've always assumed it was only that.

Date: 2008-12-07 04:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] icebyrd67.livejournal.com
ZAY-vee-er in the Arabic pronunciation. Mostly because i don't like the other way of saying it.

Date: 2008-12-07 04:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] giveitfullheart.livejournal.com
There's a school called Xavier pronounced "Zayv-yer" near me.

I personally can't see the name without thinking of the French pronunciation though. In my French class, one of the kids chose that as his name so I always think of that. I mentally pronounce it that way but if I were to see it and say it out loud I'd probably say Zay-yer due to the school and all.

Date: 2008-12-07 05:05 pm (UTC)
fangirlism: (Default)
From: [personal profile] fangirlism
I live in Tucson, so that's pronounced the same as "Javier" to me (Cause of San Xavier Mission)

Date: 2008-12-07 09:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deer-lanterns.livejournal.com
I'm (originally) from Texas, and it's the same deal for me -- I see it as hah-v-AIR. However, I live in the good ol' state of Missouri now and I've only heard it here as ex-AY-v-ur. I do know a toddler by the name who is nicknamed "X-Man" by his two older brothers (4 & 6) which I find adorable.

Date: 2008-12-07 05:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xx-imagination.livejournal.com
I'm not French, but I think za-VYAY sounds the best, though I would normally pronounce it ZAY-vyər.

Date: 2008-12-07 06:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rubytitania.livejournal.com
I'm never sure. Ex-zay-vyer, zay-vyer and za-vyay all sound ok I think. I'd probably go with zay-vyer if I had to pick one to use.

Date: 2008-12-07 07:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] searlait.livejournal.com
Iks-zavy-ere, the y sound being very light.

Date: 2008-12-07 07:57 pm (UTC)

Date: 2008-12-07 09:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] om-shakti.livejournal.com
zavier. It's my boy's favorite name and i'm afraid to even bring it up again because i really don't like x-zavier, & even zavier makes me think of savior so i think that's why i don't like it.

Date: 2008-12-07 11:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kilobites.livejournal.com
Zavier. Ex-Zavier just sounds weird to me. If it were pronounced that way I would expect it to be spelled Exavier. I think it really depends on the individual though.

Date: 2008-12-08 12:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] helena-way-rox.livejournal.com
I have always known it to be pronounced like zayvier

Date: 2008-12-08 01:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cremepuff.livejournal.com
I've only known it as zayvier...ex-zayvier seems a little awkward.

Date: 2008-12-08 01:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] velkoria.livejournal.com
I have always said it X-zavier in english but ZUH-vier in spanish

Date: 2008-12-08 04:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chirpygirly.livejournal.com
I say it more like "eggs-av-yer" and have only considered either "ex-zav-yer" or "ex-zay-vee-er" as other ways to say it.

Date: 2008-12-08 07:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ifancylust.livejournal.com
i pronounce it like egg-zay-vee-err.

Date: 2008-12-11 01:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] redriotroses.livejournal.com
I pronounce it Zay-vier. It's how it's properly pronounced in english, to me its absolute ignorance of the english language to pronounce an 'X' at the beginning of a word as 'ex'.

Besides, just as a question of pure curiosity where on earth are people getting the 'zay' sound from if they're pronouncing it 'ex-zay-vier'? It's the 'x' that gives it the 'z' sound, so it me it's just showing people can't be completely ignorant of it. I'm really confused by this.
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