Radio 4's Mishal, now Michelle Husain.

[Salty seadog]

Anyone else notice how the pronunciation of her name has changed recently?

 

[Drago]

Its clearly Theresa May's fault.

 

[jefmcg]

Anyone else notice how the pronunciation of her name has changed recently?

Please stop talking.

 

[accountantpete]

Sont des mots qui vont tres bien ensemble

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Its clearly Theresa May's fault.

Isn't everything?

 

[Moodyman]

Isn't Mishal the Arabic equivalent of Michelle, in which case it makes sense to Anglicise it to make it more appealing to the listeners.

 

[snorri]

Isn't Mishal the Arabic equivalent of Michelle, in which case it makes sense to Anglicise it to make it more appealing to the listeners.

Yeah, I soon warm to the Asians who call me at all hours to fix my computer when I realise they have British sounding names.

 

[Salty seadog]

Isn't Mishal the Arabic equivalent of Michelle, in which case it makes sense to Anglicise it to make it more appealing to the listeners.

Her name has only recently become pronounced Michelle. Before it was as it is spelled.

 

[Crackle]

I would imagine she's fed up with people mangling it's pronunciation and that's all there is to it.

 

[Bollo]

Winds the bejezus out of Mr Dr B. She also has an Urdu name that's easily mispronounced/Anglicised and it grips her poo. She'd much rather people asked how it's pronounced rather than just think the Anglo version is close enough.

 

[Moodyman]

Yeah, I soon warm to the Asians who call me at all hours to fix my computer when I realise they have British sounding names.

Roll your eyes all you want. I guess you have not experienced the pain of repeating your name to indigenous British folk who a) just cannot reconcile with its unfamilarity and then b) lazily shorten it without your consent because it's easier.

 

[Globalti]

Isn't it normal for people at the BBC to spell their ordinary names in odd ways so they stand out in the credits?

I'm surprised she hasn't gaelicised it by turning it into Micheáil or summat.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

It's uncertainty caused by brexit.

 

[Moodyman]

No. Mishal is the Urdu equivalent of Mishal.

As for "...Anglicis[ing] it to make it more appealing to the listeners..." this isn't the fecking 1950s.

It's an Arabic name. She may be of Pakistani origin, but she's also of a Muslim background. Mishal (and it's various other spellings: Michelle, Mishel) is the Muslim version of the biblical name Michelle.

Re the Anglicanisation, see my post above. Ethnic minorities feel considerable pressure to fit in and be seen as 'one of us'. They easiest way is to make their first name seem familiar to the mainstream population. Many Indians and Sri Lankans use a shortened version of their name or use the closest English variant.

 

[Moodyman]

And how is that relevant to a radio presenter?

I was answering Snorri's point about Asians calling him up offering IT help with British names.

It's easier introducing oneself as 'Bert' rather than 'BharatinamlalKrishnan'. Real life example.