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Original poster

How was my Nan's friend's name likely to be spelt...?

39 replies

typsical · 05/08/2011 22:28

My Nan had a good friend who she talked about a lot, and her name was pronounced 'Marry'. Is this likely to have been a shortened version of something, like, say, Marigold...? Or is it another way of pronouncing Marie (which I would pronounce MaREE)? Thanks, and sorry for the ignorance! :)

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AngryBeaver · 06/08/2011 11:03

My mil is Marie..short for Marietta

RustyBear · 06/08/2011 10:52

I know a little Japanese girl called Mari, pronounced Marry.

tabulahrasa · 06/08/2011 10:48

Mairi is Gaelic, which is very close to Irish and shares a lot of features with welsh as well, so it may well be from all three.

You get the spelling Mhairi because when you're talking directly to someone in Gaelic, an h is added - but as someone's already mentioned it changes it to a v sound.

Technically Mhairi isn't a name, it's just what happens to Mairi's name when you talk to her, but it has been used a lot in it's own right.

lchodge · 06/08/2011 10:40

The girl I know spells it Mhairi.

shrinkingnora · 06/08/2011 08:23

I know an irish Maire pr. marry.

SaffronCake · 06/08/2011 08:17

I've always thought it was just a pronunciation of Marie too. I would say Marry Curie but generally think of any other Marie as a Mah-Ree. It is my experience that old ladies had a vast variety of ways to pronounce Marie, including Mar-ree or Marri, which is my favourite.

HeidiHole · 06/08/2011 08:14

I'd say it was mairi which is a Scottish name pronounced marry

WheelsOnTheBike · 06/08/2011 08:04

Mairi is pronounced marry
Mhairi is pronounced varry

Both very pretty names.

cakeoholic · 06/08/2011 00:36

Mairi is a fairly common Scottish name, pronounced like marry but with a slightly more gentle sound towards the end.

Mhairi is pronounced Var ee as in gaidhlig 'mh' is pronounced as a 'v'

CaptainNancy · 06/08/2011 00:33

The 'Marry' I knew spelt it 'Marie'.

jenniec79 · 06/08/2011 00:26

Mhari? (Scottish version) tends to be pronounced Mar-ree

slartybartfast · 05/08/2011 23:16

or mhari..

slartybartfast · 05/08/2011 23:15

mairi

scottish

BestNameEver · 05/08/2011 23:10

This reply has been deleted

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Maryz · 05/08/2011 23:08

This reply has been deleted

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FunnysInTheGarden · 05/08/2011 23:05

I was going to say the same slarty, the french way of saying Marie is Marri

superjobee · 05/08/2011 23:03

mhairi, i went to school with one!

ilovejondanby · 05/08/2011 23:01

Mari x

Original poster
typsical · 05/08/2011 22:43

cross posts... sorry! Interesting, thank you all!

OP posts:
Original poster
typsical · 05/08/2011 22:40

Dueling and Nicw My Nan was Welsh.. But I don't think her friend was.. Nan actually had two friends who were called this, come to think of it. And I think one of them (maybe both) had Irish connections, if that helps...? Thank you all.

OP posts:
slartybartfast · 05/08/2011 22:40

unless she was french, and that is the pronuncation of marie

slartybartfast · 05/08/2011 22:37

i thought marry stopes was the pronunciation?

DuelingFanjo · 05/08/2011 22:36

Nicwnacw, someone had to say it Grin
I think someone got there before me too!

slartybartfast · 05/08/2011 22:36

marianne
shorted to marry ?

or more likely perhaps Marigold, shortened

FairyArmadillo · 05/08/2011 22:36

Mhairi?