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Irish posters! How do you pronounce this name?

19 replies

0verNow · 26/12/2015 10:05

Just had a text from a friend announcing the name of her newborn son - Mael.

How is it pronounced?

Mar-el?
Mile?
Male?

Help! I want to call her and get it right!

Thank you.

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originalmavis · 26/12/2015 10:16

Errr a French friend has a nephew called that. I think its maaaah-el.

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Luckystar1 · 26/12/2015 10:22

I think it's more used in France tbh, I've never heard it in Ireland. I'd just ask her how to pronounce it.... But I'd think it's as in male?! God knows!

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edengarden123 · 26/12/2015 10:28

If there is a fada over the á id be incline to say mah-el. Never have come across the name before in ireland so could be wrong.

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MrsLeighHalfpenny · 26/12/2015 10:31

French. Should have a diaeresis over the e (ë).

It's Mah-y-el

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3luckystars · 26/12/2015 10:45

I have never heard that name.

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hollyisalovelyname · 26/12/2015 10:51

Maelíosa is an Irish name
The Mael part is pronounced like male.

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Zhabr · 26/12/2015 11:18

I heard this name. In the french film LOL the cool boy's name is Mael.

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oneowlgirl · 26/12/2015 11:41

I've never heard that name before - is it definitely Irish?

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0verNow · 26/12/2015 12:00

My friend is Irish, so I just sort of assumed.... Found this though, which seems to say Celtic and Breton.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maël

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Annarose2014 · 26/12/2015 12:01

Not an Irish name anyway.

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pleasegotowork · 26/12/2015 12:03

Nope, not an Irish name I've ever heard.

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Bogburglar99 · 26/12/2015 12:08

Ah . Breton link maybe? I know a little girl of Breton descent with the feminine version, which is pronounced (ish) My-ell but with the two syllables not very distinct.

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CastaDiva · 26/12/2015 19:47

Not an Irish name I've ever come across. There's Maoliosa, but the first syllable is more like MWAY-ul.

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Twasthecatthatdidit · 28/12/2015 18:43

Is it not pronounced Mel? I think that's how the Mel I know spells his name. Irish speaking family, all of the rest of the family have Irish names so I presume it's Irish too. Old Irish Google tells me

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hollyisalovelyname · 28/12/2015 18:56

Twasthecat There was a St. Mel.
There's a St. Mel cathedral somewhere in Athlone or Longford I think.
Perhaps it's a different name

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mathanxiety · 29/12/2015 03:52

It's not a version of Mel. Afaik Mel (as In Longford cathedral and boys' school) is Mel in Irish too.

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IoraRua · 30/12/2015 04:42

Mel (as in the cathedral/school in longford) was supposed to have been a nephew of St Patrick iirc. He came with his uncle to convert the heathens Wink . Or so my grandad told me.

Never seen Mael as a name though. Though we do also have Maelruain so it's possible.

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mathanxiety · 30/12/2015 22:05

The prefix Mael is an older version of Maol (meaning monastic tonsure).

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Borninthe60s · 30/12/2015 22:13

Why don't you say congrats and ask how it's pronounced?

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