Family Conflict - Firefly edition by bgetter

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Family Conflict - Firefly edition

POSTED BY: BGETTER
UPDATED: Saturday, August 9, 2008 02:27
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Saturday, December 29, 2007 6:08 AM

My wife and I have been contemplating having a baby for over a year now, and are finally pregnant. A name we have really loved for a long time now, if it is a girl, is Inara. It is a beautiful name, and will only be slightly weird since we are your standard-fare Southern white folk. Oh, and there is that little thing about naming your daughter after a companion. But too bad!

Unfortunately, my outspoken mother-in-law has gone crrraaazzzzyy about the name. She can't pronounce it and no one else will be able to (so she says). And the whole companion thing is not lost on her....

My questions: Is Inara too odd a name for John and Jane doe family? Also....

Is it blasphemy to change the spelling to Anara?

Just curious what everyone thinks! I am really excited about naming here Inara/Anara.

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Saturday, December 29, 2007 6:34 AM

BILLYBIGBALLS

Haha what a dilemma

Dont listen to the Mother-in-law, they are all the same. They always think they know better and want to have influence over you.

Inara is a really cool name, one your daughter( you did say you were having a daughter, if its a son, thats just wrong) will love when she is older. Its maybe good when your a kid to have matching names with other kids, but as you get older its good to be different and having a cool name is awesome.

Name a child something different and cool, with meaning...they will thank you for it

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Saturday, December 29, 2007 6:40 AM

MAL4PREZ

First - congratulations!

I think that in the end it's your baby - name her as you please. The rest of the family will get used to whichever name you pick, as long as you and your daughter are comfortable with it. As to spelling... I like either one. Anara has the plus that it's unique and doesn't obviously tie to a sci-fi show, which may be something your daughter will worry over someday. She'll have the option of going with Ann if she wants something more "normal." Some kids stress over that. Silly kids.

In case you don't know, here's some trivia I came across about the name when writing my fic:

Inara is Arabic for: ‘Ray of light, Heaven sent.’

She's also a rather wacky goddess. From http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/middle-eastern-mythology.php?deity=
INARA

INARA: Protector Goddess of all Wild Animals. Except dragons, which she has a tendency to obliterate.

In particular, she clobbered the dragon ILLUYANKAS, who with his own family was causing much aggravation. INARA, with the aid of her human lover Hupasiyas, laid on a dragon's feast. There was booze by the barrel-load and calories by the cartload.

The dragons came early, ate everything in sight and drank themselves into a stupor. Then Hupasiyas roped them down and they were dispatched.

With the reward money, INARA built Hupasiyas a heavenly penthouse. But she warned him he must never look out of the window. Of course he just couldn't resist and saw his wife and children all alone and pining. So INARA, who had a very hard Hittite heart, just had to eliminate him and put the penthouse on the market.

After consultation with HANNAHANNA, she found herself another lover and also some land to make love to him on. Which sounds like the cue for a happy ending. Only she went missing and not even HANNAHANNA's magic bee probe could find her again.

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

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Saturday, December 29, 2007 8:24 AM

IREMIST

Bgetter, I think Anara is a lovely name.

I think your mo-in-law is probably just miffed you are not naming it after her.

I think either pronunciation Ah-nara or the much more redneck A(long A)nara are both beautiful and I congratulate you and the missus both on the pregnancy, and on having the courage and originality to find a to find a slighlty different name than the huddled masses produce.

I myself am on the receiving end of one of the most popular names of my decade and have always despised it as there were five in my class with the same name and every gorram store I go into there is always someone with my name called on the intercom....

As for naming her after a companion, welll...

My daughter's name is Maven and wikipedia says the origin is Yiddish but we actually named her after Ireland's famed Warrior Queen Maeve
(with alterations for the redneck's incapable of dealing with Gaelic's extra vowels, and also our last name is all Irish and cofusing -poor child)
who was named after the slightly wacky Celtic goddess of Intoxication!!! (gotta love the Irish)
Also, My great grannies name was Mabel and Maven is the Anglicanized version, but we didn't know that at the time. Also the current meaning of the name is "an person of a particular strength or knowledge" which I thought was special. Also I have naver met ANYBODY with the same name and my family loved the name.

Your mo-in-law will get over it within a month or two of seeing the baby, believe me.....

Anyway, Anara is a strong name and I hope you have a strong baby.

Hope that I have helped.....

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Saturday, December 29, 2007 9:42 AM

BGETTER

Thanks for the replies guys/gals! You confirm what I have been thinking: Do what I want to do, let them get used to it! Hehehe. I will give updates as the baby sex is determined, and if a girl, I will throw up some pics of little Inara/Anara.

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Saturday, December 29, 2007 10:05 AM

GRIZWALD

You could also give her a really "normal" middle name so at some point she can use that if she hates her first name. I did that: We gave our children weird first names and boring middle names.

"Nobody can pronounce it," eh!? That's funny. I have a niece named Moira, pronounced Moy-ra of course. My mother-in-law has always hated the name and calls the baby "More-uh" and never bothers to try to do any better. She says it is an unpronounceable name. Well, not to NORMAL people, it isn't...

___________________________________________________
High Priestess of Pork and Ag-Related Activities of the MYTHICAL LAND OF IOWA

Click on my profile for my Annoyingly Long List of Firefly Links.

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Saturday, December 29, 2007 11:34 AM

BILLYBIGBALLS

Name the baby Jayne if its a boy

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Sunday, December 30, 2007 7:54 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Inara Serra may be derived from a different culture than America-that-was, although intergrated in the vuture verse. Today it may be arabic or Latino, Central American, or South American. You may check what it's roots are in other cultures. Guillermo becomes William in English, and Jorge (Whore-hey) becomes George, I think.

My God-mother was somewhat irritated that her grandson was named Ivan. Until I pointed out that Ivan was merely a version of John (also like Juan, Sean, Johann, and others I forget now but remembered then), which is a biblical name. She was much more accepting then.
If telling her it's a God's name, try that.

Do what you want. She can have more than one middle name, also - signifying royalty.

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Thursday, January 3, 2008 10:20 AM

SAHARA

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your MIL had her chance naming kids. It's your turn. Go for it. They'll get used to whatever you name the baby eventually and they won't love her any less.
For that very reason most of the people in my family are mum on the name until after the baby's born and named.

Have you thought of a boy's name?

Sahara
Blackbird fly into the light of the dark, black night.

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Friday, January 4, 2008 2:28 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Congratulations to you and your wife!

I think that Inara is a beautiful name. It is the name of a fictional character, albeit a beautiful, intelligent, and brave woman. Personally I am not seeing your mother-in-law's issue, but than again I don't get along with my mother-in-law. *shrugs*

In the end it is a decision for you and your wife to make, not your mother-in-law or anyone else. If Inara makes you happy than I say go with it. Your M-I-L will get over it eventually and when she sees that little baby her heart will melt anyway, regardless of what she thinks of the name.

__________________________________________
Holding the line since December '02!

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

http://www.richmondbrowncoats.org

Color Officer / X.O. Echo Company

http://76thbattalion.homestead.com/index.html

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Friday, January 4, 2008 4:33 AM

SCOUSERATHEART

In my opinion, learning how to pronounce ones name correctly is a sign of respect. I do my best when I meet a new person to pronounce their name the way they pronounce it to me. If your MIL decides not to learn the correct pronunciation of her grand-daughters name, that is her choice. A choice like that, again in my opinion, speaks volumes about a person.

JIMZIM

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Friday, January 4, 2008 5:06 AM

WASHNWEAR

My feelings on the name thang are already well represented here - just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS!

It was like that when we got here!

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Friday, January 4, 2008 7:01 AM

CLEMENTINE

Congratulations!

Inara is a beautiful character, poised and cultured. I agree with the comments about Anara being easily adapted as Ana. Or having a more mainstream middle name.

I also agree with the comments about the popular names. I was always one of three Lauries and a Laura in my class: doesn't make you feel very special.

What's MiL going to say when you suggest Derriel as the boy name?

________________________________________________

Holding 'till the Captain gets back.

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Friday, January 4, 2008 8:59 AM

GORRAMGROUPIE

Congrats!
AS long as the name isn't too bizarre(like Clitoris, hand to god, someone named their child that!), then go ahead. Inara to me isn't way off, sounds like it's spelled, and has a nice ring to it. We named my youngest girl Sophia, thinking we made a good choice, uncommon, nice sound, without looking at a babyname book. Seems we picked the number 1 girl's name for 2007, so there will be a lot of Sophia's her age. Oh well.

I have 6 locks on my door and bolt every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they're always locking 3 locks.

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Friday, January 4, 2008 12:12 PM

MUGGI

I think Inara OR Anara are great-sounding.

Tell MIL she can pick a nickname.

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Friday, January 4, 2008 2:52 PM

BGETTER

Well, in a couple of months, hopefully I will know if it is a boy or girl, and then a few more months, I'll have pics!

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Friday, January 4, 2008 3:21 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

Don't forget that even Jayne mispronounced Inara in "Out of Gas." Not that I'm suggesting you don't name your child Inara if it is a girl, but changing the spelling might not be a bad idea. Take if from me, since neither of my grandmothers could ever spell my name correctly and many people mispronounce it, although I would think it would be easy. It's Galen, btw.

But no matter what you name her or him, congratulations and best of luck, may your wife have the shiniest of pregnancies.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Friday, January 4, 2008 3:33 PM

ASARIAN

YOU: What did I tell you about butting into my life?
MOTHER-IN-LAW: That is was manly and impulsive?
YOU: Yes. Only the exact phrase I used was "Don't!"

Seriously, though, your boat, your rules. :) And if she can't pronounce the name, then I'm thinkin' she weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling. Or simply can't muster the courtesy of spending say, oh, five minutes to learn how to do it properly. You think that's a commentary or her?

I think "Inara" is a beautiful name; I wouldn't compromize on it -- but then again, what I think don't matter much either. Just don't let her send you on a guilt-trip, is all.

From a psychological point of view, mothers-in-law are notoriously problematic. :) You are either never really good enough for their daughter, or too good -- in which case you'll have to contend with her (covert) jealousy issues.

Either way, this above all, to thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. :)

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

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Saturday, January 5, 2008 3:17 AM

GROTZ

Congratulation.
I have a daugther named Embla, when I told my own mother said "What it sounds like a bandaid", apparently some bandaid brand is called "emla". My own mother!

I love the name. It is eqvivalent to Eve in nordic mythology. Odin, vile and ve, the gods who created the world, was walking on a beach, found two washed up trees, an ash and an elm, they blew life in them, and they had created the two first human beings, and the were named Ask and Embla.

My mother is scandinavian, so nordic mythology is not a complete strangeness.

Now to the good thing, now the name is fully accepted and loved. I know this because we have discussed it afterward. The child becomes the name, and the baby will be loved, that is certain.

As for blasphemy, no way, at all. It is perfectly normal to make variation of a name. Jonsvein to Jonatan i.e.

As said above by others, do what you want, what makes you and your wife happy.
The middlename is a possibility.
Many blessings from the north

Vote for BDM/FF at http://stargate-news.com/

Never kiss'em on the mouth.

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Thursday, August 7, 2008 11:17 AM

BGETTER

Quick update - she's here! Anara Lynn was born this past Monday...and I must say...she is just a smidge better looking than the 'other anara' Inara.

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Thursday, August 7, 2008 11:26 AM

FOLLOWMAL

Congrats Bgetter!!

May you and your wife and new daughter be happy, well and have loads of fun in this special time of life!

For the record, although I'd never commented in this thread...Inara or Anara is lovely and I'd be proud to be called that. I think you'll find your daughter happy with the name when she's old enough as well. It's melodic and lovely. Sounds like from your description that she already fits it.

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Thursday, August 7, 2008 11:28 AM

DEADLOCKVICTIM

ah yes... the crazy mother-in-law.... i don't think you should change a thing - in fact, have you considered the middle name?

how about Serra.....?

best of luck....

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Friday, August 8, 2008 4:05 PM

BGETTER

The best part: I get to 'spread the signal' about 25 times a day as I explain where the name came from.

You see, there was this show back in 2001.....

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Friday, August 8, 2008 8:12 PM

DESERTGIRL

congrats - I wish you and your wife much energy and a good night sleep here shortly. What a wonderful name.

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Friday, August 8, 2008 9:29 PM

BORIS

Hey! Congrats on the news of a new baby. Many Golden moments to you all.
As someone who: a) has an ethnic name (Rosaria) and b) is often seen as ignoring what's acceptable in an annoyingly "don't break the mold" small town that seems alot like the place you live, I say Go for it. Inara is a beautiful name, and not one the other kids can pick on in school...though they will probably shorten it to Nara...which is cool coz so does Kaylee. But please don't mess with the spelling.

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Saturday, August 9, 2008 2:27 AM

GROTZ

Congratulation. Many blessings. Anara Lynn is a beautiful name.

Vote for BDM/FF at http://stargate-news.com/

Never kiss'em on the mouth.

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