Irish Names

Jake Lambert @LittleLostLad

The spelling of Irish names is my pet piamh

21 comments

Caoimh - kweeva

Siobhán - Shivawn

Sinead - Shin-ade

Níamh - Neev

Grainne - Grawn-ya

Sorcha - Surka

Bláthnaid - Blawnid

Clíodnadh - Clee-ona

Órlaith - Oar-la

Ciara - Kee-ra

All these names make sense when one understands Irish grammar and pronunciations, but I can absolutely see how people elsewhere would struggle with these.
- I wonder if its an accent thing but I've allways heard Niamh as "Nee-uv" and not "Neev" and I know quite a few Niamhs.
  
  Nee-uv is correct. The 'i' carries the stress, as indicated by the accent, so the 'a' turns into an unstressed vowel /ə/.
  
  To anyone else who has studied Irish, this is purposely a simplification.
- Oh... I always though Siobhan was really pretty, but it turns out I was just pronouncing it wrong.
- Thanks for sharing this! Found a few others as I was looking up my family members names:
  
  Kevin - Caoimhín Maeve - Meadhbh
Say it ain't Siobhan
Tell that to Aoife
I'll submit Scáthatch as the one I was most relieved to learn the correct pronunciation of.

21 comments