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Original poster

Irish names help!

290 replies

nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 03:39

Hiya,
I'm calling out to all Irish speakers please.

I want to call my baby Ayveen In Irish. I've established from other threads that it's not Aoibheann or Aoibhinn or anything beginning with Aoi as this makes an ee sound. However nobody can conclusively say how it should be spelled.

I'd like to know what letters (diphthong/triphthong) make the aye/ay sound I am looking for. Do they exist in Irish?

Alternatives I've seen are

Éabhaoin
Éimhín
Aibhín

I personally favour the Aibhín but does ai in Irish make the sound ay?

Please help it's driving me mad!!

We are living in England and I want to keep a connection to my Irish heritage so I want an Irish name. We have trawled through them all and this is the only one we liked so when we found out it wasn't even said right we were devastated.

Please don't tell me not to bother with an Irish name in England or that I shouldn't give it an Irish name because they will have trouble e.t.c.

Help resolving the spelling is really all I am after.

Thank you x

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Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 14:12

@SeanChailleach was talking about the ending having two forms if you read it @EarringsandLipstick eann or inn

OP posts:
Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 14:09

@EarringsandLipstick
"However, I think, kindly, you are over-thinking it & at the same time, ignoring the practice of Irish that is happening right now in this country. And before you take from that that's it a recent thing, to change pronunciation of this name, nope, I'm 44, and with Munster Irish, have always pronounced it this way, have known many called this name, including academics, news readers & Gaeilgeoirs of all kinds!"

I'm not sure what your on about here? What do you mean "the practice of Irish that is happening right now in this country"

There are loads with this name as I have said but with various pronunciations. I don't particularly, personally like the right one for this spelling.

I don't think you should discourage others from the helpful opinions they were giving me. Just because something has been adopted and is how you've known it all your life, doesn't mean it's right.

Can you give me examples in Irish where the letters aoi make the sound ay? To back up you being 100% sure?

OP posts:
Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 14:04

@EarringsandLipstick
I am Irish, all my family is Irish and I moved here maybe 15years ago. I think if you do a little research you may change your mind. Why don't those letters (aoi) sound like ay in any other Irish word?

OP posts:
Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 14:01

okay @EarringsandLipstick

So I think Sean might be a boy first of all and I don't think they said anywhere in their post that it was pronounced ay... This is their post....

Dia's Muire duit agus Pádraig, a OP.

Is é "Aoibheann" an t-ainm. Mar seo:
Dia duit, a hAoibhinn! ( Gairmeach)
Leabhair Aoibhinn. (Ginideach)

One name, two forms. Often in Ireland the vocative/genitive form is spoken but the nominative written when in English.

The pronunciation of both forms is different in the dialects.

In Munster inn is said with a long nasalised i. In Ulster it's a short i without nasal sound. I do about Conamara.

The aoi is various sounds unspellable in English. Reducing it to ee is a Learner Irish simplification. The i is merely a glide vowel to facilitate the slender consonant. It's sad when we allow the shoes of writing to crush the soft feet of the spoken language.

OP posts:
IsFuzzyBeagMise · 17/03/2021 13:49

Sorry, @EarringsandLipstick, I'm getting my knickers in a twist Grin

I was trying to be helpful to the Op. I'll bow out and let Sean and others advise her.

EarringsandLipstick · 17/03/2021 13:42

This part was quoting Fuzzy & should have been in bold:

I won't comment on this or similar threads again.

EarringsandLipstick · 17/03/2021 13:41

I won't comment on this or similar threads again.

Sorry @IsFuzzyBeagMise I didn't mean you, actually! You didn't say that (re pronunciation & what was 'definitively' correct.). You offered your opinion, of course, fine & I didn't mean to suggest you shouldn't.

I was referring to others but equally, anyone is entitled to comment.

About myself, I speak Irish, in my work I use it somewhat regularly, but I wouldn't claim to be a an expert at all. But I can say definitively that 'Aoibhinn' is pronounced 'Ay-veen', and that's not the Irish themselves displaying ignorance about their own language, as OP had suggested!

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 17/03/2021 13:34

@EarringsandLipstick

I've pretty much established Aoi is an ee sound only

I can't get over this, and the Irish speakers here agreeing with it.

It's entirely incorrect & @SeanChailleach nails it in her post.

I'm an Irish speaker. Live in Dublin, work in Kildare, grew up in Limerick 😀

Aoibhinn is absolutely pronounced 'Ay-veen', and I know plenty. It's the most common version of the name I know of.

As Sean has said, it's linked to dialect. The shuddering replies from some posters - who should know better! - that it should never be heard are just baffling.

I did say that I'm not a fluent Irish speaker and that I'm completely open to correction.

I apologise if I put the op off track with her decision.

I won't comment on this or similar threads again.

Have a good day, for the day that's in it ☘️

KirstenBlest · 17/03/2021 13:26

Given that some use Aoibheann pronounced as Ay-veen, won't she end up having to correct the spelling?

EarringsandLipstick · 17/03/2021 13:25

it just doesn't sit right with me if hardened Irish speakers say it's wrong and with the aoi in all other names being ee sound, it seems very blatantly incorrect.

This is 100% incorrect & quite infuriating to read! As I understand it you are not Irish yourself, don't live here but have Irish family background? I think it's lovely that you are trying to choose a name to reflect your heritage.

However, I think, kindly, you are over-thinking it & at the same time, ignoring the practice of Irish that is happening right now in this country. And before you take from that that's it a recent thing, to change pronunciation of this name, nope, I'm 44, and with Munster Irish, have always pronounced it this way, have known many called this name, including academics, news readers & Gaeilgeoirs of all kinds!

EarringsandLipstick · 17/03/2021 13:20

I've pretty much established Aoi is an ee sound only

I can't get over this, and the Irish speakers here agreeing with it.

It's entirely incorrect & @SeanChailleach nails it in her post.

I'm an Irish speaker. Live in Dublin, work in Kildare, grew up in Limerick 😀

Aoibhinn is absolutely pronounced 'Ay-veen', and I know plenty. It's the most common version of the name I know of.

As Sean has said, it's linked to dialect. The shuddering replies from some posters - who should know better! - that it should never be heard are just baffling.

Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 12:44

oh this is exciting we might have it! thanks @Crazybirdlady it it a bit easier to spell x

OP posts:
Crazybirdlady · 17/03/2021 12:16

@nothingseasy

Thank you *@IsFuzzyBeagMise*

I think I favour Éibhín too out of those if people think they look right.

It will definitely be easier to spell and I would pronounce that as ay veen
IsFuzzyBeagMise · 17/03/2021 11:19

You're welcome @nothingseasy.

Yes, I think so. Fingers crossed! It looks very sweet, in my opinion!

Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 11:17

Thank you @IsFuzzyBeagMise

I think I favour Éibhín too out of those if people think they look right.

OP posts:
IsFuzzyBeagMise · 17/03/2021 11:07

@Baublebox

Thank you *@nothingseasy and @IsFuzzyBeagMise*. It looks like I may have to ask. I just always like to try to get it right first time. I feel like it's important.
Yes, Baublebox, definitely ask.
IsFuzzyBeagMise · 17/03/2021 11:04

Éabhaoin or Éibhín look right to me. Or Éimhín.
These for 'Aiveen'.

Aoibhinn/Aoibheann/Aoibhín are all 'Eevin' or Eeveen' to me.

I'm not a fluent Irish speaker. School Irish only. Hopefully you will hear back from people who have better Irish than I have.

It's a lovely name. I like the look of Éibhín, personally.

Good luck!

Baublebox · 17/03/2021 10:56

Thank you @nothingseasy and @IsFuzzyBeagMise. It looks like I may have to ask. I just always like to try to get it right first time. I feel like it's important.

Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 10:54

I know @RonSwansonsChair but there just aren't any examples in the Irish language of this being correct. Sorry.
There is an argument that language is dynamic and if everyone agrees then it should be so but it just doesn't sit right with me if hardened Irish speakers say it's wrong and with the aoi in all other names being ee sound, it seems very blatantly incorrect. If it was just a dialect thing, I could get over it but its like saying the sound fort the letter p is the sound of the letter z in English. Unfortunatly.

OP posts:
IsFuzzyBeagMise · 17/03/2021 10:52

[quote nothingseasy]@Baublebox

This one is also variable some say Enya some say Eithne 🤷‍♀️[/quote]
I would say 'Ethna' for Eithne for this name (I'm from Munster).

Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 10:49

thanks @AfterSchoolWorry

This does seem right Éibhín. I was just looking at the word for little birds which seems to have an agreed pronunciation Éiníní (Ay-neenee) so Éi does look like its right for ay sounds.

Are you an Irish speaker?

OP posts:
RonSwansonsChair · 17/03/2021 10:35

I know it's against everything said here, and I'm sure I'll get lambasted- but I've known lots of "Ay-veens" both friends and family. Three different spellings but all start Aoi... none of them pronounce it ee-veen.
Aoibhín
Aoibheann
Aoibhinn

KirstenBlest · 17/03/2021 10:34

How to say Aoibheann

Original poster
nothingseasy · 17/03/2021 10:24

@SeanChailleach

Thanks, I'll be honest I'm not sure what I am looking at through that link dil.ie/33585. I look forward to hearing from you later. You sound like you know your stuff!

OP posts:
SeanChailleach · 17/03/2021 10:07

@nothingseasy interesting.... I'm pulling up all the references I can find for the name and the full answer is going to be long and complex. It's a very old word and a lovely name, and way back they had a hard time agreeing how to spell the root word.
You can look it up at dil.ie/33585
I have to work now but will come back later.

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