Native American Heritage Month
Nann asked this question about The World That We Knew:
I was curious that her name is spelled Lea. Wouldn't Leah be more accurate? That's how it is in the Bible.
Amy The Bible was written in Hebrew. The name we have transliterated into English as "Leah" is actually spelled לֵאָה and is correctly pronounced LAY-ah. …moreThe Bible was written in Hebrew. The name we have transliterated into English as "Leah" is actually spelled לֵאָה and is correctly pronounced LAY-ah. The English name Leah, pronounced LEE-ah, is just that - an English name. You cannot say therefore that spelling it without an H is incorrect. I imagine the author was hoping it would help English-speaking readers pronounce it as written in the Bible. (I agree with Mr. Katz below that the H is likely intended to match the hay ה that ends the word in Hebrew. Other languages don't bother with it -- it is Léa in French; Lía in Spanish, etc. No H in sight in any language but English, though the first vowel sound is "ay" in some, "ee" in others.) (less)
flag
More questions about The World That We Knew…
Image for The World That We Knew
The World That We Knew
by Alice Hoffman (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more