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Baby names

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Original poster

Mhairi

87 replies

Mamma3456 · 16/12/2024 13:08

I know that Mhairi is supposed to be pronounced Var-ree. But does anyone in Scotland pronounce it as Mah-ree?

DH and I are debating which to use. We like the spelling of Mhairi but the pronunciation of Mairi. DH is Scottish and knows a Mhairi who is known as Mah-ree, though he suspects it's because she couldn't be bothered to correct everyone, so I was wondering how common this pronunciation is used?

I do think it might annoy some of DH's Scottish relatives though who are a bit pedantic but don't speak Gaelic.

On a related note, is Mhairi Black known as Var-ree? I was just wondering if there is some well known precedence?

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SuperfluousHen · 16/12/2024 23:36

Morethantimeandmorethanlove · 16/12/2024 13:56

As already mentioned ,the correct pronunciation is Ma-ree . There is a misconception that the correct pronunciation is Va-ree…. Va -ree should only be used when speaking to Mhairi ….eg How are you today Va-ree.

Irish here.
As Gaeilge I think the vocative would be a Mháire - which would anglicise to Woy-ra) when addressing Máire (Moy-ra)

not sure that helps 🤣 but love seeing Gaelic names being used whether in Éire or Alba 🥰👍

*edited for missing fada 🤦‍♀️🤣

tinydynamine · 16/12/2024 23:18

Càite a bheil Màiri? = Where is Màiri?
Hallo a Mhàiri = Hello Màiri
So Mhàiri is the vocative form, and the correct pronunciation is something like Vah-thee

Evolutionarygoals · 16/12/2024 23:12

I know a Mari who is from Scotland living in England. She pronounces it MA-ree but I've heard other call her Mah-ree (long Southern a) or even Marie. She told me that growing up in Scotland nobody would spell it correctly and down in England nobody really pronounces it correctly (and often misspell it too). She's quite easy going though and it doesn't seem to bother her all that much

SomuchtodoandhereIam · 16/12/2024 23:00

HarpieDuJour · 16/12/2024 13:12

I live in a Garlic speaking area, and the normal pronunciation would be Ma-ree, because Va-ree would be the vocative.
So you would say "Have you seen Ma-ree?", but "Hello, Va-ree".

Does that happen when speaking English or only when speaking Gaelic?

The vocative takes a h in Irish too, but it’s only used when speaking in the Irish language iyswim. Is it different in Scotland?
In Ireland for someone called Máire it’s ‘Dia duit a Mháire’ in Irish, but ‘Hello Máire’ in English.

Radionowhere · 16/12/2024 22:50

I know three people that have the Mh spelling. Two pronounce it Mairi, one is a Vairi.

OverdueForAnEyeTest · 16/12/2024 22:50

I attended school with 3 of them(In Scotland) . All pronounced their name with an M.

FlatStanley50 · 16/12/2024 22:48

Blahdeblah24 · 16/12/2024 13:30

Definitely not a common name in England and woud get a lot of mispronuniciation and spelling. I would have attepted it as Muh'Hairy!

I was at school (in England) with a Mhairi - pronounced Varee- but she did get called ‘mu-hairy’ A LOT (& not just in a mistaken pronunciation way, kids are mean), so I’d be wary if you are not in Scotland.

eastcoasterly · 16/12/2024 20:41

I would go with the V pronunciation as that's the sound the MH combination makes. I only know one Mhairi who pronounced it Mairi. I do also know of someone who spells it Vairi and one who spells her name Varry. I don't like either of those spellings though!

purpleme12 · 16/12/2024 20:41

Mamma3456 · 16/12/2024 20:30

So you would say "Have you seen Ma-ree?", but "Hello, Va-ree".

So for those who pronounce Mhairi as Va-ree, do you only use it when addressing them?

It seems from here like both pronunciations are used in Scotland. I guess I'm trying to assess how annoying it would be for others to insist the name is Ma-ree. 😅 Yes we're in England though not wedded to staying here, and I do get that it will probably be mispronounced. We also have another child with a Gaelic name that we always have to spell and model the pronunciation but I don't mind it and I hope they won't mind either. They have a more conventional middle name if they prefer to use that.

I have a relative called Mhairi pronounced Varee.
I love it.
I would obviously pronounce it that way whenever I say the name!

MerryChristmasToYou · 16/12/2024 20:40

@Nineandtwenty , Mari (Welsh form of Mary) is Marry, but people say Marie or Mar-ee.

Slinkyminky22 · 16/12/2024 20:39

I'd go with Mairi to be sure of pronunciation.

MerryChristmasToYou · 16/12/2024 20:37

@Mamma3456 , I think that in Gaelic it's Mairi (Maree) but if you are addressing her you use Mhairi.
The Mhairi spelling is Varee.

Nineandtwenty · 16/12/2024 20:37

Knew one in Scotland pronounced with an M. Never seemed to be an issue. Lovely name but one I chose not to use in England myself as really don't like the name with a long a, which is the usual pronunciation even in the very north of England.

Crunched · 16/12/2024 20:33

My friend, Mhairi, is always Var-ie, and that is in England.

Original poster
Mamma3456 · 16/12/2024 20:30

So you would say "Have you seen Ma-ree?", but "Hello, Va-ree".

So for those who pronounce Mhairi as Va-ree, do you only use it when addressing them?

It seems from here like both pronunciations are used in Scotland. I guess I'm trying to assess how annoying it would be for others to insist the name is Ma-ree. 😅 Yes we're in England though not wedded to staying here, and I do get that it will probably be mispronounced. We also have another child with a Gaelic name that we always have to spell and model the pronunciation but I don't mind it and I hope they won't mind either. They have a more conventional middle name if they prefer to use that.

OP posts:
Aliceinneverland · 16/12/2024 15:00

HarpieDuJour · 16/12/2024 13:12

I live in a Garlic speaking area, and the normal pronunciation would be Ma-ree, because Va-ree would be the vocative.
So you would say "Have you seen Ma-ree?", but "Hello, Va-ree".

And I wouldn’t even be saying Varee it would be more like Vau (think Vaughan) ree for my dialect in the vocative.

But it is like Hamish I guess which is A Sheamus in the vocative here but became Scottishised into Hamish.

FranklyMyDears · 16/12/2024 14:55

HarpieDuJour · 16/12/2024 13:12

I live in a Garlic speaking area, and the normal pronunciation would be Ma-ree, because Va-ree would be the vocative.
So you would say "Have you seen Ma-ree?", but "Hello, Va-ree".

Yes, but the actual name is the vocative form, which is always what strikes me as deeply odd (as an Irish speaker) . The Irish version of the name is Máire (MOY-ruh), and if you were addressing Máire in Irish, you would say 'a Mháire' (A VOY-ruh). It fascinates me why it's the vocative form that has become formalised in Gaelic. Same with Hamish. In Irish, the name is Séamas and you would address him as 'a Shéamais' (pronounced, roughly, Hamish).

ArabellaFishwife · 16/12/2024 14:49

I've known both. If I were you, I'd spell it Mairi.

MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira · 16/12/2024 14:17

I know a Mhairi, living in England. It's Vah-ree but she's given up correcting people so most of the time gets called Mah-ree

Blueuggboots · 16/12/2024 14:13

I know a Mhairi who lives in Scotland and pronounces it Mhairi - I knew another one whose parents were Scottish but didn't live in Scotland and they pronounced it Var-eee.

FloofPaws · 16/12/2024 14:00

My NE Scotland MIL says Varee

Morethantimeandmorethanlove · 16/12/2024 13:56

As already mentioned ,the correct pronunciation is Ma-ree . There is a misconception that the correct pronunciation is Va-ree…. Va -ree should only be used when speaking to Mhairi ….eg How are you today Va-ree.

Musicaltheatremum · 16/12/2024 13:51

HarpieDuJour · 16/12/2024 13:13

Gaelic, not garlic!

Love a great autocorrect 🤣

weebarra · 16/12/2024 13:50

I went to school in Scotland with a girl who was Mhairi and pronounced it Maree. The teachers all pronounced it the 'proper' way which annoyed her.
I also have a friend called Vhairi.
Had you thought about Mairi? Although in England she'd maybe get called Mary not Marry!

Cottagecheeseisnotcheese · 16/12/2024 13:48

Mairi is the gaelic version of Mary. In Gaelic the mh sound is pronounced like a v, also the spelling and pronunciation of words can change depending on the grammatical case, Gaelic grammar is not like English dog, for example in English we say Mary's dog, but gaelic would be more like the dog of Mary. So while now they are seen as separate names actually Mhairi is the vocative case of Mairi