My name is ‘Ray’ not ‘Rye’… by Rai

So the other day, i was taking a leak in a public toilet at a well-reputed hotel at which we were playing an event. A chap walks in and proceeded to empty his own tank just 2 urinals away. Seemingly Indian by descent, like me, and more than likely, from India as well, we proceeded to have a little conversation that went like this…

Man: So why are u ‘Ray’ and not ‘Rye’?

Me: Because in the context of my full Indian name, it is pronounced as ‘ray’.

Man: But R-A-I is pronounced as ‘rye’ not ‘ray’.

Me: Yup! But i’m not ’something rai’, within the context of my name, it is ‘ray’.

Man: Oooo, yes i know, you are trying to be more Singaporean but it’s ok.

And walked off…

So at this point, being the generally more irritable one between Jack and I, two options did cross my mind… do i leap on him, sock him and ask him to say my name (which was quite a fun picture)… or just leave it be.

So in between choosing Option A or B, I did think… once and for all, i should lay this issue to rest and make the effort to answer the confounding question… ‘Am i Ray or Rye?’

Well simply put, I am East Indian by descent, and i have a name which is not atypical of any other Tamil name. My full name is ‘Sivadorai Sellakannu.’
‘Sivadorai’ is my first name and ‘Sellakannu’ is my last name. My last name is inconsequential in this matter, so I shall not address that right now…

Why I am called ‘ray’

My first name is ‘Sivadorai’, (pronounced si-ver-du-ray). As you can see, within the proper Tamil pronunciation of my name… ‘Rai’ is pronounced as ‘Ray’. If one wishes to break down my name… the first part ‘Siva’, which is what a number of my friends know me as, is adapted from a prominent Hindu god. ‘Dorai’, means something like a boss, or a noble… or a title given to those of that kind of stature. Hence, in proper Tamil pronunciation, as a derivative from ‘dorai’… ‘Rai’ is pronounced ‘Ray’.

Why I am not ‘rye’

The name ‘Rai’, pronounced ‘rye’, is generally for those who use the word as something like a last name or family name. For instance, ‘Aishwarya Rai’ or ‘Dileep Rai’ are names where the ‘rai’ is used as a last name… and is independent of the other words in the name. In this context, it is pronounced as ‘rye’ and not ‘ray’, as it is a word on its own.

So the next time, someone asks you why i am ‘ray’ and not ‘rye’ please refer them to this blogpost… I hope, on my part, I’m doing my little bit to educate the world on Indian ethnicity. And save me the trouble of meeting another fellow Indian in the bathroom who decides to engage me by insinuating that i’m trying hard to be someone else. Cos, it’s all in a name after all?

O by the way, in the end i chose Option B, and had few more beers on the company’s account.