Name Awards

Phonetically interesting name of the President

There were many firsts in US history and politics today, and even a first in the naming of a US president. Instead of traditional common first and last names, the new president has a very unusual and strange name. At least it used to be. Suddenly, a very different and foreign sounding name has become mainstream. Amazing what a little PR coverage and a few good speeches can do for one. Let this be a lesson to all who still think that their company or product cannot have a coined or foreign name. It may even be a major advantage to cut through the noise.

But for us linguists, there are other very interesting angles. The name Barack and Obama are both pronounced with soft ‘a’s, something much more common in European languages (and British English) than in American English, where the ‘a’ is more likely to rhyme with ‘brand’. Secondly, while Barack is a little sharper name, ending in a one of the sticky consonants (k), Obama is oh so soft and melodious.  So the two names never run together when you say them fast, but they do fit together well. I am sure his mother never planned all this, but we offer her up a name award anyway.

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