I think it's not the name of a city, but rather the name of some people... just in case that makes some difference in whether you think Happy is a stupid name for anything, other than a dwarf. And technically Los Feliz isn't a city; it's more of a borrough or a neighborhood. N E Wayzzzzzz
You may know, but if it were happy things, they would be "Los Felices," so that the article and noun agree in number. Or it could also be "El Feliz" or "La Feliz" I suppose. When referring to people with the same family name, you would use "Los" as a generic plural article and then say the name as a singular noun, so Los Jaimes, Los Gushard, Los JJ, etc. So maybe Happy's offspring owned the land or something.
Personally, I'm not stickler for strict Spanish pronunciation of the place names around here. I mean, they have evolved into whatever they are. But Los Feliz is one that always gets me. I don't make a big deal out of it, and I think I even say it with an American accent, but I *do* say something like "Loase FELL-eese." It was particularly strange when I worked at Los Feliz Elementary School. I would always catch my pronunciation after I said it and hoped that people didn't think I was being a pedant. But I simply can't do "Lahs FEElis." In fact, I have to consciously think and remember that this is what people say.
I know better than to call Los Feliz a city, but I've always thought it was a silly name.
Thank you for the lesson though (that's not meant to be snarky) I always just assumed it was a name concocted by some Land Prospector in the 20's.
I'm not super strict when it comes to Spanish place names, hence the gringofied way i say Los Gatos and HHHHHHHHHHHHHermosa Beach, but like the correct version of Los Angeles better than Loss Sanjelis.
I always assumed Los Feliz meant something like 'those that are happy', 'the happy ones', or simply 'the happy', which I think is a wonderful name for a borough. I also like the idea of having a Happy clan: the House of Happy, and a Lord and Lady Happy. I wonder what their crest would look like.
Perhaps I only like it because I associate it with the type of people who live in Los Feliz, and I think they're swell people - so somehow I positively associate.
I am not against gringo-fying a word either, but they shouldn't change vowel sounds or stresses!!!
You may know, but if it were happy things, they would be "Los Felices," so that the article and noun agree in number. Or it could also be "El Feliz" or "La Feliz" I suppose. When referring to people with the same family name, you would use "Los" as a generic plural article and then say the name as a singular noun, so Los Jaimes, Los Gushard, Los JJ, etc. So maybe Happy's offspring owned the land or something.
Personally, I'm not stickler for strict Spanish pronunciation of the place names around here. I mean, they have evolved into whatever they are. But Los Feliz is one that always gets me. I don't make a big deal out of it, and I think I even say it with an American accent, but I *do* say something like "Loase FELL-eese." It was particularly strange when I worked at Los Feliz Elementary School. I would always catch my pronunciation after I said it and hoped that people didn't think I was being a pedant. But I simply can't do "Lahs FEElis." In fact, I have to consciously think and remember that this is what people say.
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Thank you for the lesson though (that's not meant to be snarky) I always just assumed it was a name concocted by some Land Prospector in the 20's.
I'm not super strict when it comes to Spanish place names, hence the gringofied way i say Los Gatos and HHHHHHHHHHHHHermosa Beach, but like the correct version of Los Angeles better than Loss Sanjelis.
Reply
Perhaps I only like it because I associate it with the type of people who live in Los Feliz, and I think they're swell people - so somehow I positively associate.
I am not against gringo-fying a word either, but they shouldn't change vowel sounds or stresses!!!
Reply
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