# How do you pronounce the name Sanasaryan? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 9, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730 "2012-07-09T19:56:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/1 "2012-07-09T19:56:21Z")
It is an Indian name, I believe. I think “sah-NAH-sah-rye-an.” Sound right? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/2 "2012-07-09T19:59:13Z")
As a boring, white American who has no clue, I’d guess stress on the third syllable. But that is just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/3 "2012-07-09T20:02:17Z")
Hmm. After looking at your response I’m changing my guess to sah-nah-suh-RYE-an. Need by tomorrow. Hopefully someone who knows more than we do will weigh in. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/4 "2012-07-09T20:03:45Z")
I would assume it was Armenian, and pronounce it “sah-na-SARE-ian” ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/5 "2012-07-09T20:35:24Z")
I’d go sah-nah-SAH-ree-an. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/6 "2012-07-09T21:44:07Z")
AFAIK, “Aryans” is either Hindi or Sanskrit for “noble ones”. I’d go with “sah-NAHSS-air-ee-yuns” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/7 "2012-07-09T23:08:32Z")
It’s definitely [Armenian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakob_Sanasaryan), spelled Սանասարյան. The [pronunciation rules](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_language#Phonology) indicate that the last syllable would be stressed, as it doesn’t contain a schwa. Further reading also indicates that the a is an ah sound, and the y is a consonant. So sahn-nah-sahr-YAHN, or [sɑnɑsɑrˈjɑn]. (I used r when technically it’s a flipped r, but I don’t expect people to use those in English. And I follow the general English guide of using [r] instead of [ɹ]) ---
**Author:** ![the\_apples\_fell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@the\_apples\_fell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_apples_fell)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/8 "2012-07-09T23:20:15Z")
Names ending in -ian or -yan are generally Armenian, just a helpful hint when seeing these names and attempting to identify them. ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-name-sanasaryan/627730/9 "2012-07-10T01:54:27Z")
Thank you!