Kamala Harris – it’s easier read than spoken. It’s neither Kämäla, nor Kamalla, and certainly not Kaahmalah. But how then?
The fact that we Germans fail at the Ti-Äjtsche is something that the Anglo-Saxon world has always made fun of. It is not for nothing that we say “drive in” here and not “drive through” as in the original (in the USA this would be difficult for insurance reasons). They simply take our tongues, which are used to hard sounds, into consideration.
In the case of the designated Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, however, it is not only the ignorant and/or overwhelmed Europeans who are embarrassed. Many Americans also do not really know how to pronounce the name of their possible next head of state.
And because most people have less to do with phonetic symbols than Donald Trump has with facts, here are some instructions.
Kamala Harris’ name explained in a nutshell
Harris has of course known for some time that she is asking too much of many US voters with any first name other than Jill, Hillary or – God forbid – Karen. When she ran for the Senate in 2016, when she was still Attorney General of California (a hybrid of Attorney General and Attorney General), she made a verbal serving suggestion. In a campaign ad that is still pretty cute today, entitled “It’s Kamala!”, children explain how the slow-witted adults pronounce Harris’ name correctly – and how not. Not “Kämäla”, “Kuhmalah” or “Kamella”.
But “Commala”. The prefix is pronounced like “comma”. Alternatively, the name can be easily divided into a longer “kama” and a short “la”.
If this is still too difficult for you, we recommend the following mnemonic: Harris combs her hair – she is Kammala Harris. Not perfect, but closer than most versions floating around the internet.
Kamala Harris – the lotus flower
The name Kamala comes from ancient Indian Sanskrit, as she herself explains in her 2019 biography “The Truths We Hold”. The Flippers already knew what it means in 1989: “I called you the lotus flower,” says the German Beatles’ breaker track. The delicate pink aquatic plant is considered sacred on the predominantly Hindu subcontinent, stands for creativity, loyalty, and even purity of heart. So no pressure. Harris’ mother is from India, her father from Jamaica. The two emigrants met in the USA in 1960.
So that would be settled once and for all: at least until Donald Trump thinks of a poisonous but catchy nickname for his new opponent. “Sleepy Joe” was actually very catchy.
Just for the sake of our tongues, let’s hope Harris doesn’t make Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg her running mate. “Buuhttedschedsch”…
