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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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LCRLCR · 19/09/2011 15:26

I'm Irish and live in the UK. DD is Sadhbh which we love but here in England, people are really not confident about how to pronounce it when they first see it written down....however once they get it (rhymes with five) they are really complimentary and genuinely interested in what it means and the wonderful stories of Irish mythology that accompany it. There is a lot of cultural resonance in old Irish names which I am very proud of and some really lovely myths and legends attached too, makes for a great talking point and makes DD unique, proud of her heritage.

In this instance, if we were to take a vote, I would also say sur-i-ka and not the soft sha, that simply would never occur to me.

mamsnet · 19/09/2011 15:19

Disclaimer: I have read only the first and the last two pages.

BUT

Isn't Sóirse (pronounces more or less as you want to pronounce Sorcha) George???? Confused

mathanxiety · 19/09/2011 15:11

I'm also from Dublin. It sounds the epitomy of west Brit. You have the right to be wrong, Pinky...

Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 19/09/2011 13:55

Looks like my dd will be taking her chances no matter how we spell it and no matter where we live - how strange sqweegie?

Just going to prove that one should do as one pleases when it comes to naming children (unless hyphenated, perfume names etc)

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sqweegiebeckenheim · 19/09/2011 13:52

my 'regional variation' argument blown out of the water then!

love the name Stoirin ! My Donegal Nan used to call me that!

Stoirin · 19/09/2011 13:48

I'm from Dublin and its not done here. Her parents must not have a word of Irish!

sqweegiebeckenheim · 19/09/2011 13:46

I, who have never met a Sorcha-pronounced-Sorsha in my life just met one today. In my office. From Dublin. I laughed out loud, and then directed her to this thread.

She said she has spent half her life (at home, not here in the UK) telling other Irish people that it is a real name. I wonder if it is a Dublin/regional variation thing.

CointreauVersial · 19/09/2011 13:14

Ha Maryz - Not only do I have a Sorcha, but I also have a Conor! I'll tell him that, forthwith, he must change his spelling to....(what was it?)....Chonchubhair. I'm not sure he will go for it, though.

Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 19/09/2011 09:45

Species8472, maybe it is not that important to her

ithaka - yes it makes sense to me too - I do really think this could be the Scottish variation as this seems to be where the majority of sh Sorchas are living!

Personally I would not give a child a name that differs hugely from how it is spelt, just a lifetime of people not feeling confident to say it - I so think that the sh pronunciation makes the most sense for the UK

It also seems that in our family anyway that the use of trad spelt and said names is not at all common - as has been said they are the anglicised version (we all know historically the reason for this) but i wonder why our family are not embracing it now and calling their children Irish names.

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ithaka · 19/09/2011 08:41

I am Scottish and for me, Sorcha is pronounced Sorsha - any Sorchas I have known have pronounced it that way.

I had never even heard of this Sorka, Surika pronunciation, so to cast another light on it - if I met Sorcha and I was told to pronounc it Surika I would be more likely to inwardly giggle at what would seem a silly pronounciation to me.

Species8472 · 19/09/2011 08:27

My DH's SIL is a native Irish speaker, teaches in an Irish language school and has never so much as mentioned the supposed atrocity of our DD called Sorcha, which we pronounced Sorsha. But she is a really nice person. Maybe she laughs at us behind our backs?

mathanxiety · 19/09/2011 01:22

Eileen and Kathleen are anglicisations of Eibhlín and Caitlín, which are diminutives of Eve and Katherine in Irish.

Eileen with the leg might be Eibhlín na coise (like Éamon an Chnoic from the song) if you wanted to be poetic, or 'Eibhlín leis an gcos' if more literal.

kaumana · 18/09/2011 23:36

PS my mum was born in the Isle of Lewis and Gaelic was her first language.

kaumana · 18/09/2011 23:34

Hmm, don't get me started on my first name I could answer to about three/four different ones at any given time esp when in the North of Scotland.! Actually kind of like it so I wouldn't about it too much Grin Gaelic is a bugger.

Stoirin · 18/09/2011 23:17

Why do people say Gaelic and then scots gaelic and Irish gaelic? They are two entirely different languages, FFS!

Also, you can't compare stealing and changing Irish names to French ones, unless I missed the 8 centuries of occupation of France? Leave out names alone, yiz wrecked the language enough!

Maryz · 18/09/2011 22:34

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 22:03

I had a listen and see what you mean.

I think in reality these are genuinely hard to pronounce really well unless you are an Irish speaker actually, so almost anyone outside of Ireland gets it a little but wrong anyway

We have briefly trawled through Dh's Mums family in Ireland and there is not one trad Irish name and the lot in USA have a lot of Eileens and Kathleens but no trad names either - what a bunch of philistines!

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Maryz · 18/09/2011 21:49

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 21:37

sor-ra, sor-ka, sorika am I warm yet?

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Maryz · 18/09/2011 21:19

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 21:12

What is Irish for 'with the leg' and if it has a nice ring to it i might give it a whirl!

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lettinggo · 18/09/2011 21:11

Well if you're going with Eileen, I hope you'll be spelling it Eibhlín and not that anglicised version Wink

Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 21:07

No Dh's dad is a deaf as a post and doesn't give a monkeys to be honest. He couldn't care less what we call our children, he loves them. He is not that fond of Ireland, he doesn't have an Irish name nor do any of his children and after leaving he has never returned as he was treated very badly there as an orphan. The rest of the family actually hardly have a trad name between them - nor do the ones in the USA (as I am sure we cannot class Kathleen etc as trad)

I have had the Orla is Anglicised conversation too - apparently it is just more 'modern' and ok.... according to the people who know on here.

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Original poster
pinkytheshrinky · 18/09/2011 21:02

Perhaps I should stick with Eileen with the leg.... it is growing on me and certainly an 'genuinely authentic' Irish name (in dh's family anyway)

And honestly I am not in the business of making anyone like or accept it - I was interested to know what pronunciations people knew and it has turned into a bun fight really.

I like it, it is short and elegant and will grow from a child to a woman (which to me is very important as not a fan of little girl names). I am far too old to get into all that old cock about making people agree with me - waste of time as far as I am concerned as there will always be detractors.

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Maryz · 18/09/2011 20:57

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