Questions about Adah

Girl Names
1

I just finished [name_f]Barbara[/name_f] Kingslover’s The Poisonwood Bible (an incredible book), and one of the main characters was a girl named [name_f]Adah[/name_f]. Apparently it’s pronounced [name_m]AH[/name_m]-da. However, the character appears to pronounce it as you would [name_f]Ada[/name_f]. My question is:

  1. Can [name_f]Adah[/name_f] be pronounced as [name_f]Ada[/name_f]?

  2. Is the traditional pronunciation ([name_m]AH[/name_m]-da) like the A in [name_u]August[/name_u] or the A in addition?

  3. thoughts on the name?
    Thanks!!

2

I pronounce it like [name_f]Ada[/name_f], because that’s how it looks phonetically. However, [name_f]Adah[/name_f] is a Hebrew name meaning ‘ornament’ that is pronounced [name_m]AH[/name_m]-dah, like the A in addition. Nameberry says:

Pronounced AH-dah, this unusual biblical name – the first female name in Genesis after Eve, and given to a number of women in the Old Testament – is a softer Ada equivalent.

There are two Adahs in the bible, including one who was the mother of Jabal and Jubal, the other a wife of Esau.

I find it quite cute but I would be inclined to pronounce it like [name_f]Ada[/name_f].

3

When I saw the name I read it as [name_f]Ada[/name_f]… I also much prefer [name_f]Ada[/name_f] to [name_f]Adah[/name_f]… there will always be spelling and pronunciation issues for her…and I just love the way [name_f]Ada[/name_f] looks and sounds:) jmho.

4

I read it like the A in [name_u]August[/name_u] and prefer that pronunciation with that spelling. If you like [name_f]Ada[/name_f] pronunciation then spelling it like [name_f]Ada[/name_f] would lead to less confusion…if you care about that sort of thing.

5

Oops! I would have said it like [name_f]Ada[/name_f]. Maybe because I read that book too.

If it’s pronounced [name_m]AH[/name_m]-da, it wouldn’t sound exactly like the a in [name_u]August[/name_u] or addition for me. But that’s more of an accent thing. I live somewhere without what is called the “caught / cot” and “don / dawn” merger, so the “ah” and “aw” sounds are distinct for me. If someone came from an accent where “ah” and “aw” are identical, THEN I would expect it to sound more like the A in [name_u]August[/name_u].

I love how [name_f]Adah[/name_f] looks, but now that I know it should be pronounced [name_m]AH[/name_m]-da, if I wanted the AY-da pronunciation I would definitely spell it [name_f]Ada[/name_f]. I think both versions are great.

6

I like [name_f]Adah[/name_f], I think it’s much prettier than [name_f]Ada[/name_f] which always strikes me as a little too plain and old-fashioned still to be revived. I think you can get away with pronouncing it as [name_f]Ada[/name_f], it’s only one letter difference after all. People aren’t probably going to know about the Biblical [name_f]Adah[/name_f] either way. And after all, [name_f]Norah[/name_f] and [name_f]Lilah[/name_f] are also pronounced the same as [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and [name_f]Lila[/name_f], so it wouldn’t be that weird.

7

To me, [name_f]Adah[/name_f] sounds identical to the word ‘‘adder’’ like the snake. It doesn’t really feel like a name to me.

I prefer [name_f]Ada[/name_f] or [name_f]Aida[/name_f].

8

I would say [name_f]Ada[/name_f].