Feige vs. Faige? | Imamother

writer.at.heart415

Fri, May 28 2010, 4:17 pm

I'm naming girl #1 after my bobbe and great-bobbe, Feige and Ita, in English Faye Elizabeth. I don't know how to spell Feige, though. We're Hungarian so my bobbe pronounced it FY-guh, not FAI-guh, and I don't know which way I prefer. Which should I use? How should I spell it? So far, the spellings of FY-guh I've thought of are:

Feige
Feiga
Feyge
Feyga
Fyge
Fyga

and FAI-guh are:

Faige
Faiga
Fayge
Fayga

Which pronunciation and spelling do you guys like better?

Isramom8

Sat, May 29 2010, 10:47 am

I like the spelling Fayge. But if you want it pronounced like your grandmother, use the spelling Fyga.

Tamiri

Sat, May 29 2010, 10:51 am

I was named Fagie for my grandmother who was of Polish extraction and we pronounce it Fay-gee. If you want the "eye" and "eh" sounds I would spell it Fygeh. I don't think anyone can get it wrong with that spelling.

amother

Sat, May 29 2010, 12:13 pm

My grandmother is Hungarian and she spells her name Faiga.

amother

Sat, May 29 2010, 12:17 pm

I like Fayge because that's the way I spell my name.

fam.marks

Sat, May 29 2010, 1:00 pm

My daughter is Fayga Hava. We spelled it phonetically so nonone would make fun or have trouble with it. I have seen it spelled Faigie, Fagie etc. Just do what you want. The prononuciation is where you put the accent. Breslev pronounce different than otherrs. Its up to you.

life'sgreat

Sat, May 29 2010, 7:25 pm

The reason why your grandmother was called Fygeh was because she was probably from chasidish background and we say the double yud as /ei/. But those who don't use that havarah usually call their kids with an /ai/. It doesn't change the name, so choose whichever you think your child will feel most comfortable with.

Ruchel

Sun, May 30 2010, 8:27 am

Feiga and Faiga can both be prononced in two ways, bay or by. It's not about chassidish, it's about accent.
Feige/Faige is another ending (eh instead of ah) and Feigi/Faigi yet another one (I/ee).

Fyga is not a clear spelling imho, I would totally read it as figa.

yo'ma

Sun, May 30 2010, 8:30 am

I've written my name, Fayga, but I'm not from hungarian descents. Fayga is one of my few names and not my legal name, so I hardly ever write it.

Oh, and don't call me Fayga because I would not respond!!

amother

Sun, May 30 2010, 9:55 am

I'm a Fayge. That's what my parents thought was the best phonetic spelling (though of course, since it's my legal name, a lot of people think I'm a bacteria).

amother

Sun, May 30 2010, 2:24 pm

I don't know that it makes a difference how you spell it. We are also chassidish. My sil is Raizy (pronounced Rye-zee) & she spells it the same way as all the people who pronounce it Ray-zee.