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Baby names

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Original poster

Sorcha... pronunciations?

392 replies

pinkytheshrinky · 11/09/2011 06:45

I know that for the most part this name is pronounced Sor-kha but I met a nice older lady years ago who was a Sor-sha - I do really like this name and it is top of the list for my new dc. What do you think?

I do also have two other dds with Irish names who's spellings have been Anglicised so I do have form for this....

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SheCutOffTheirTails · 18/09/2011 10:34

Colleen isn't mispronounced.

Maryz · 18/09/2011 10:34

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:33

Ok then it is Scottish - case closed

(thank God and YokOhNo)

I think we all know I will be going with the Sorcha said Sorsha and just correct the Irish detractors (of which I expect there will be extremely few) and tell them it is Scottish Gealic

HURRAH

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SheCutOffTheirTails · 18/09/2011 10:33

There is nothing wrong with Neeve/Neve - that is taking an Irish name and anglicising the spelling.

What you want to do is take an Irish name, use the Irish spelling, and mispronounce it. That is super tacky.

Taking a name from another language and adapting it is fair enough.

Using a name from another language and mispronouncing it is shit.

And that's the same regardless of what language you are making your child look like a fool in.

Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:30

There do seem to be an awful lot of Sorcha pronounced with the sha around and it has been done for a long time. I wish I could find out definitively how this pronunciation came about - will get my research head on.

So do all the Colleen's get laughed at too? I think it is a God awful name but we have two at school and they are not laughed at as far as I know..

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YokoOhNo · 18/09/2011 10:27

Pinky - I'm Scottish and the (two) Scottish Sorchas I have known, both pronounced is that Scots Gaelic way "Sor-Sha" (Oh, and one was a Gaelic speaker). Cutofftheirtails not correct to say that the Sor-sha pronunciation is wrong - it's just not the Irish way, if you want an "Irish" name. And calling it chavy is rather pathetic.

I think you have to expect English people, who are not familiar with either pronunciation of the name, to pronounce it "Sor-sha", as that's the easiest English phonetic way of saying it.

Go with whatever pronunciation you like for your DD. You'll have to correct people (or ruffle their feathers Hmm) whatever you choose.

Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:27

Maryz - I do know it is contentious and not meant to offend anyone personally it is just given the English's sorry history of dominating other cultures (and the Welsh have a massive fucking axe to grind here too) I have no idea why Irish names have to be the exception.

Not sure that people shouting and carrying on and just slagging it off for being chavvy really adds anything as I do think Yoko has a pint with the Scottish thing maybe? It is in a language shared by more than one country.

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flyingcloud · 18/09/2011 10:26

I agree with maryz here:

Interestingly the sentence you used above "Changing Irish names to English pronunciations is contentious because of the way the English have treated the Irish and their language and culture" is very true, and is the reason people do get very upset about this type of thing. For many years Irish names were actively discourage (and banned, not used in schools, that type of thing). So people are more protective of them when mis-used by English people, iyswim.

Yes, I am very proud and protective of my Irish heritage and am somewhat offended by your dismissal of the Irish people's posts.

Maryz · 18/09/2011 10:25

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:22

Strangely enough Neeve/Neve grates on me too Grin

I agree that Orla is not Anglicised, someone told me that years ago and I believed them (they cited the general dumbing down of Irish as a language by the English and this being an example of simplifying a difficult to pronounce names/placenames etc)

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Maryz · 18/09/2011 10:21

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:19

Oh stop trying to be daft and offensive - there isn't any point just name calling.

I am asking why when so many names from different languages are co-opted into English and their pronunciations changed why I could not reasonable do this with this name. Lots of names have had this done and no one bats an eyelid about it.

And funnily enough we have an Anais at school pronounced Annay - so I will be keeping excellent company it appears.

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Maryz · 18/09/2011 10:18

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SheCutOffTheirTails · 18/09/2011 10:14

What the fuck do Russian names have to do with anything?

Only ignorant gobshites call their children Sorcha and pronounce it Sorcha.

It's chavvy like calling a child Anaïs and pronouncing it Annay.

It's nice how much you disdain the Irish though.

I guess the impression you will give with your naff pronunciation is entirely accurate.

I still feel sorry for the child in a school surrounded by people who will know her name is pronounced wrong.

Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:14

And to be clear I am not upset about people thinking it is wrong, I do appreciate people's input but it is a internet forum.... not real life and I don't take offence as such - I just think you are wrong Grin

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:13

But no one has addressed the fact that lots of names are changed - why are Irish names the exception to the rules - and as I have said further up the thread I thought it might be a Scottish pronunciation like Yoko does.

To be clear, I am not choosing it because it is Irish - I am choosing it because I like it. My DH happens to be Irish and between my many children there are some Irish names but also some Latin names too. No English derived names at all in fact.

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:04

Thanks Yoko - that's what my (Irish) DH thinks too

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Maryz · 18/09/2011 10:04

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 10:03

My children do go to a Catholic school and there are lots of Irish parents there - I will just have to face their scorn

trying the chav argument is poor and weak and at best unconvincing - So is Sacha ok or not as that is Russian in origin? Not my cuppa for a name but I know a rather lovely Sacha who is a boy and rather posh and certainly not at all chavvy

But loads of really popular names are from other world languages... are all the parents of Charlottes and Charles French speakers and Catherines, Greek Speakers and Michael's, Hebrew speakers?

Changing Irish names to English pronunciations is contentious because of the way the English have treated the Irish and their language and culture. Bearing in mind as a language we have co-opted most things in and changed pronunciations, why should Irish be the exception to the rule?

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YokoOhNo · 18/09/2011 10:00

It's a Gaelic name. As I understand it, Irish Gaelic is usually pronounced "Sor-Kha", Scottish Gaelic, like a friend of mine, is usually pronounced "Sor-Sha".

SheCutOffTheirTails · 18/09/2011 09:54

Pronounce it Sorsha, that should have said.

SheCutOffTheirTails · 18/09/2011 09:53

Actually all the Sorchas who pronounce it Sorcha are ignorant. It's quite a chavvy spelling/pronunciation combo.

SheCutOffTheirTails · 18/09/2011 09:51

There are a lot of Irish people in the UK. And they will all know your daughter's name is mispronounced. I would never do that to a child - give them a name in a language I didn't speak, that I couldn't say, and then send her out into the world where lots of people would know.

If you don't care about authenticity and just want a made up name, why not just spell it Sorsha. That will be way easier for people to spell and pronounce.

Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 09:43

Apologies - I don't think changing a pronunciation is disrespecting Irish heritage

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 09:41

Can i not ask without taking that advice? I wanted to know how many different pronunciations there were - i found three immediately just from baby books.

And lots of people here have said, yes I know a Sorcha said sorsha..... it has been pretty evenly split.

Changing a pronunciation is disrespecting Irish heritage (of which my children have some).

Is changing Charles to a hard CH sound disrespecting French heritage? or is that ok?

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