I just read a review of the new movie, Inside Llewyn [name_m]Davis[/name_m], starring [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_m]Isaac[/name_m], and while it doesn’t look like a worthwhile watch, naturally the name grabbed my attention.
Does anyone know whether Llewyn is a legitimate short form, or a nickname, of [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m], which is what I immediately assumed? It isn’t listed among the [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m] variations here on NB.
Hmm… I don’t think it’s a variant of Llewellyn. The Welsh word for lion is “llew,” plus the -wyn makes me think it could be something like “fair lion” or “white lion.” I also found the Welsh name Llawen meaning “merry.” It could be a variant of that.
[name_m]How[/name_m] do you pronounce it?
Thanks for the responses. I was guessing [name_m]LEW[/name_m]-in, and that’s what this link affirms: HAIM, Llewyn Davis, and Chiwetel Ejiofor: Your Fall 2013 Pronunciation Guide
(I didn’t watch the trailer to listen to the pronunciation, and from reading the review I can’t recommend watching the trailer. Sounds like there’s a lot of cussing in the movie.)
It has the Welsh double-L, so [name_m]LEW[/name_m]-in is obviously Anglicized; in Welsh it’s not going to sound that smooth. This thread made the first Google page for the search “[name_m]How[/name_m] do you pronounce the Welsh name Llewyn”!
It just looks like a short version of [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m] (which I really love!), like a nickname. It’s nice sounding though. And as a previous poster mentioned, it looks like it would mean something like “white lion” which is really cool, actually.
I like [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m] too…and I like the potential meaning “white lion” for Llewyn, and also “merry,” if it’s related to Llawen. Now I’m wondering whether the movie will give Llewyn and [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m] a boost, though from the little research I did it sounds like the movie’s protagonist has to spend a lot of time telling people how to pronounce his name.
I think I need to marry a Welsh man so I can use all the Welsh names I love! As far as I know, I don’t have a drop of Welsh blood 
‘HCLOO-in’ is the best way I have of writing down the Welsh double L sound but that’s not even right. Bit of a nightmare unless you can get your tongue to do it. 
I use the Welsh names I love in books. In Kith nor Kin, one of the kings is named Eirwyn.
I’ve also got quite a few Welsh names in my novel, including [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m]. 
They have such pretty sounds, which you can get your mouth to make them 
I saw this movie and the character actually references the name. I also thought it was a short form of [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m] and made a comment that the [name_m]Coen[/name_m] brothers must like that name prior to watching the film, as another one of their movies (No Country for Old Men) has a character by that name. However, in the movie he mentions that it a Welsh family name. I rather like it, although the character is not the best namesake. I did enjoy the film… if you like [name_m]Coen[/name_m] brother movies (which I do), it’s definately worthwhile.
Thanks. Yes, I listened to an audio recording of [name_f]Susan[/name_f] [name_m]Cooper[/name_m]'s The [name_u]Grey[/name_u] [name_m]King[/name_m] once, and your phonetic spelling is probably just what I’d choose. There’s a dog named Cafall…I tried and tried to say his name the way the reader did, and it wasn’t working very well for me.
Ha! That’s the way to go!
I like [name_u]True[/name_u] Grit, which is the only [name_m]Coen[/name_m] brothers movie I’ve seen. Very well-made. It sounds as though Inside Llewyn [name_m]Davis[/name_m] is well-made, too, just dark and gritty, without much hope. Interesting that No Country for Old Men has a character named [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m]!
[name_m]How[/name_m] can Cafall be pronounced that makes it hard?! It looks like ca-fahl maybe.
The F is pronounced as a V (which is a point stressed in the book in one scene), and the double-L is the Welsh double-L, the sort of HCL-sound renrose was trying to describe. I’m assuming the reader had it right–it sounded like he knew how to do the double-L.
Indeed! In Welsh you have…
f = v
ff = f
dd = th (like the start of them, not thirty)
c = k
w = oo
y = ih (sometimes)
And lots of other surprises that 
That’s why a place name like Gwynedd sounds more like ‘goo-IN-eth’ than ‘gwin-eth’ in a Welsh accent.
Thanks! So it has to be spelled with a double-F if it has an F sound. I didn’t know that.
Welsh is one of the languages I’d love to learn, just because it looks and sounds so lovely and I’m fascinated by the Celtic languages. I need to put it on the life-list…right now I’m trying to learn Russian, which is more practical where I am. But at least Welsh uses the English alphabet!