Kamala Harris' first name means "lotus flower," an important symbol in Indian culture. But how do you pronounce it correctly?
The U.S. Vice President has provided clarification.
Kamala Harris could become a presidential candidate, placing her name at the center of debates at least until the U.S. Democratic Party convention in mid-August. So, how do you pronounce her name?
Kamala Harris is used to people not pronouncing her first name correctly. That's why she recorded the correct pronunciation in her 2019 biography, The Truths We Hold.
She explained that Kamala is pronounced "comma-la," with the first part sounding like the punctuation mark "comma."
Kamala means "'lotus flower,' which is a significant symbol in Indian culture," Harris continued. "A lotus grows underwater, its flower rising above the surface while its roots are firmly anchored in the river bottom."
The pronunciation of Kamala's name became a topic of public discussion as early as 2016 when she was campaigning for the Senate in California.
To educate voters, she enlisted the help of children in a video.
The kids humorously corrected common mispronunciations, emphasizing that it’s not "Cam-el-uh," "Kuh-Mahl-uh," or "Karmel-uh," but simply "comma-la."
You can watch the video here.
