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12-03-2012 at 6:36 AM
Javad
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Caelum-Kaylum

I think we've found the name we're gonna name him (if it's a boy), but the spelling we choose will not only give it a different pronunciation, but also a different originating language. Which of the following spelling/pronunciation options do you prefer?

- Caelum (pronounced: KYE-lum) is Latin for 'sculptor's chisel', and is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky. 

- Caellum (pronouned: KAY-lum) is Celtic for 'brave warrior'

- Kaelum (pronounced: KAY-lum) is an American-English name that somehow or another means 'honest man', though I can't quite figure out the origination of how it came to mean this (but it says so on several different websites)

- Kaylum (also pronounced: KAY-lum) is an American variation that combines the names Caleb (Hebrew= whole-hearted; faith; devotion) and Callum (Latin/Gaelic= dove)

 

 
12-03-2012 at 7:01 AM
Joy2611
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Of the four, I pick Caelum.  It's an actual name for something already (a constellation) and I can find information on it.  I think being named after a constellation is pretty cool.

Kaylum apparently can mean d!ck according to the Urban Dictionary.  So....

Kaelum and Caellum have really no background or previous usage.  I see that they are listed on babycenter, but I can't find any of these names on Behindthename.  

 
12-03-2012 at 7:02 AM
Worcbride
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Kaylum looks feminine

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12-03-2012 at 7:15 AM
MrsTBird
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I like Caelum. The Kay-lum pronunciation the other three have sound feminine to me.


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12-03-2012 at 7:18 AM
Estwd2
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As long as you are 100% prepared to correct people on both spelling and pronunciation, then Caelum. I like the sound and meaning of it better than the others. But yeah, get ready for constant corrections.

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12-03-2012 at 7:33 AM
Javad
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The more I research these names, and think about it, I'm really leaning more and more strongly to Caelum too.

And I'm cool with the constant correction thing. My own name has been mispronounced throughout my whole life by people I don't know, but I've never minded that, in fact its led to quite a few interesting conversations with people I probably otherwise would have had much more limited interaction with. 

 
12-03-2012 at 8:03 AM
beebanjo
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I definitely prefer Caelum. I really don't like the look and sound of Kaylum.
 
12-03-2012 at 8:17 AM
Emerald27
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Caelum.
12-03-2012 at 8:43 AM
plunderb
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I agree that Caelum is the best of these, and as long as you're ok with the pronunciation issues that will arise, I think it's fine. It does sound a bit feminine, but I like a soft name for a boy.

My Latin might be a little rusty, but I'm pretty sure Caelum means "sky" or "heaven," not chisel. The constellation is Caelum Scalptorium, sort of "heaven's chisel" or "chisel of the sky."

Any classicists out there who know for sure?

12-03-2012 at 8:50 AM
westrose
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My vote is for Caelum 

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12-03-2012 at 9:00 AM
TysMomPlus...
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A good friend's son is Calum (pronounced Cay-lum), she does have to correct people a lot though. 

 
12-03-2012 at 9:11 AM
tmsgrl
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I prefer Caelum but I would pronounce it KAY-lum and not KYE-lum.
 
12-03-2012 at 9:51 AM
mimi4347
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plunderb:

I agree that Caelum is the best of these, and as long as you're ok with the pronunciation issues that will arise, I think it's fine. It does sound a bit feminine, but I like a soft name for a boy.

My Latin might be a little rusty, but I'm pretty sure Caelum means "sky" or "heaven," not chisel. The constellation is Caelum Scalptorium, sort of "heaven's chisel" or "chisel of the sky."

Any classicists out there who know for sure?

I was thinking this too - I'm no expert, but I took Latin in college, and sky-related words do start with "cael-". And the word for sky in Latinate languages is similar (i.e. ciel in French). So I looked it up:

My little Latin dictionary has two listings for caelum; one is "sky, heaven, air, climate, weather; (fig) height of success, glory" and the other is "engraver's chisel." Caelo is the verb meaning "to engrave," caelator is an engraver, etc., and caelestis means "of the sky; heavenly; divine; glorious" (I'm assuming this is a root of celestial?). 

So it looks like it has both meanings, which would be an added bonus for me!  

12-03-2012 at 9:55 AM
plunderb
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mimi4347:
plunderb:

I agree that Caelum is the best of these, and as long as you're ok with the pronunciation issues that will arise, I think it's fine. It does sound a bit feminine, but I like a soft name for a boy.

My Latin might be a little rusty, but I'm pretty sure Caelum means "sky" or "heaven," not chisel. The constellation is Caelum Scalptorium, sort of "heaven's chisel" or "chisel of the sky."

Any classicists out there who know for sure?

I was thinking this too - I'm no expert, but I took Latin in college, and sky-related words do start with "cael-". And the word for sky in Latinate languages is similar (i.e. ciel in French). So I looked it up:

My little Latin dictionary has two listings for caelum; one is "sky, heaven, air, climate, weather; (fig) height of success, glory" and the other is "engraver's chisel." Caelo is the verb meaning "to engrave," caelator is an engraver, etc., and caelestis means "of the sky; heavenly; divine; glorious" (I'm assuming this is a root of celestial?). 

So it looks like it has both meanings, which would be an added bonus for me!  

Thanks for this!

12-03-2012 at 10:36 AM
Javad
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Thanks a lot for doing that research. For the bit of research I've been doing, it does look like caelum is the original root of celestial, and 'cae' seems to be where the word sky originates from. In Latin it seems to most often refer to the sky or to heaven, but also has a second meaning that refers to a sculptor's chisel, which is supposedly the main inspiration for naming the constellation this, I guess it looks like a chisel.

Some cool quotes I found with caelum in them:
"fiat justitia ruat caelum translates to “may justice be done though the heavens fall.”
caelum certe patet means "the sky at least stands open"

Awesome depth of meaning.


Think I'm gonna pronounce it KYE-lum too, cuz for one, that's actually the way it's pronounced in the original Latin (though there does seem to be some debate about this). Could add an L (Caellum) and it actually would become a Celtic name meaning 'brave warrior' that would originally be pronounced KAY-lum, but I think I'll just keep that as a loosely connected kinda meaning.

And for another, he'll be a 1/2 Chinese kid, and we can easily use the KYE sound when coming up with a good Chinese name, but there aren't any KAY sounds in Chinese (we'd really like both his names to have a similar pronunciation, and have an equally awesome Chinese meaning (we live in China, and he'll probably be raised here)--- his Chinese name will probably be Kai-Long-- don't know for sure yet though, that'll require us a bit more research--- but in any event KYE-lum will be much easier to get close-ish to in Chinese than KAY-lum would).

And thirdly, I really like the nickname Kai (Cae). Has meanings in tons of languages itself. A good stand-alone name even on it's own.

And yeah, I feel like KYE-lum sounds a bit more masculine (like Kyle or Rylan) than KAY-lum does.

And even if it is mispronounced sometimes, even the mispronunciations will usually sound nice--- probably would usually be mispronounced as either KAY-lum or Callum.

I'm just liking this name more and more the more I learn about it and think about it. 

 
12-03-2012 at 10:52 AM
kerribear1...
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I've never seen or heard any of your choices.  I'd want to say it Cal-um, like in the name Callum (which I've seen/heard of).  So even seeing your spelling I'd probably want to say it Cal-um.  I guess I don't really like the Kye or Kay sound on this name.  Just seems way too "out there" for me.

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12-03-2012 at 1:08 PM
kari5186
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Caelum, definitely.  I thought it was horrible when I first read it, but the more I say it out loud and think about it, the more I like it!

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12-03-2012 at 2:57 PM
nadchael
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I prefer Callum.
 
12-04-2012 at 12:12 AM
groovygirl...
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Of your choices, I like Kaelum. I prefer Kay-lum to Kye-lum and like this spelling the best.

 
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