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Original poster

How do you pronounce these names?

26 replies

HerHighnessTheWestCoastLotus · 27/04/2011 04:45

Ciaran?

And Melangell?

They're both Welsh names, as far as I know.

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anonymosity · 27/04/2011 06:32

Kieran for Ciaran

no idea for the other one, sorry.

Folicacid · 27/04/2011 08:31

^^ what anony said.

GooseyLoosey · 27/04/2011 08:34

Isn't Melangell just pronounced the way it is written - with a hard "g" (ie for "go" rather than "gel"). The only time I have ever come across the name, it was said in that way.

SpotsMumSally · 27/04/2011 09:01

Ciaran

ShoutyHamster · 27/04/2011 13:49

Mel -AN - gell, emphasis on the AN

Mel as in Melanie.

An as in Ann

gell with a hard g like got, an e like in egg, and the ll - put your tongue up on the roof of your mouth, pull back your lips so your mouth is open a bit and blow gently so the sound comes out of the sides of your mouth/tongue. ellllll. Not quite 'ethl'. If that makes sense!

mathanxiety · 27/04/2011 16:00

Ciaran is Irish. 'KEER-awn'

Original poster
HerHighnessTheWestCoastLotus · 27/04/2011 16:23

Hamster, that does make sense - I never get the Welsh "ll" right. The closest I can come is to half-arsed "th".

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ShoutyHamster · 27/04/2011 19:24

Yes. You blow through your tongue while it's in that position, like a sort of sigh with a hiss. It's not an l or a th at all, it's a totally different sound which doesn't exist in English - it's just that those are the closest English sounds to it.

Tis easy to pronounce really! :)

deemented · 27/04/2011 19:26

Ciaran is Irish.

Original poster
HerHighnessTheWestCoastLotus · 27/04/2011 20:41

:o I don't think my tongue can do that :o

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Original poster
HerHighnessTheWestCoastLotus · 27/04/2011 20:47

Dee, oops - I didn't realize it was Irish, it thought it was a Welsh name. Thanks!

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ShoutyHamster · 27/04/2011 21:17

Grin you never know what your tongue can do until you try.

Cian is Welsh!

SecretNutellaFix · 27/04/2011 21:21

Cian is not Welsh.
It's Irish!

ShoutyHamster · 28/04/2011 11:02

Cian, one of the earliest Welsh poets:

www.literaturewales.org/encyclopaedia/i/130662/

along with Aneurin and Taliesin which are also now becoming more popular as names.

...but, Welsh/Irish/early British - pretty much all of a muchness at this time, so I am sure Cian is just as much a traditional Irish name. I would think of Cian as Welsh and Ciaran as Irish, but they're so similar - just like John in all its European guises I suppose.

Nice name!

ShoutyHamster · 28/04/2011 11:04

However you don't see quite so many Blwchfardds! Grin

emeraldislander · 28/04/2011 13:59

Cian was the son of Brian Boru. Means ancient. They are ten-a-penny where I come from. Never knew there was a Welsh version - how is it pronounced?

ShoutyHamster · 28/04/2011 15:22

KEE-an.

Not massively common but certainly quite a few Welsh ones pottering about

everlong · 28/04/2011 16:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ConstanceFelicity · 28/04/2011 17:16

Melangell is lovely but you have to be able to pronounce the ll properly imo.

I have heard of a few Welsh Ceiron or Ceirions...

Original poster
HerHighnessTheWestCoastLotus · 29/04/2011 00:38

Hamster... Blwchf... whaaaat???
Looks like it'd be a swear word :o

OP posts:
scottishmummy · 29/04/2011 00:41

Ciaran is gaelic irish/scottish - kier-an
not familiar with other name

ShoutyHamster · 29/04/2011 22:35

On that link I posted!

One of the other poets...strangely his name has NOT seen a revival Grin

ShoutyHamster · 29/04/2011 22:40

Or you could go for the equally catchy Henbeddestyr

Which (I kid you not) means 'Old Pedestrian'

Suddenly Melangell looks positively dull Grin

Don't know of any Henbeddestyrs I have to say!!

chrisedw · 17/02/2017 21:10

Melangell is pronounced Melan as in Melanie, and gell as - Hard G followed by e as in Beth, and ll as in Ll-angollen/Llandudno/Llangoed etc