Jake Lambert @LittleLostLad
The spelling of Irish names is my pet piamh
Caoimh - kweeva
Siobhán - Shivawn
Sinead - Shin-ade
Níamh - Neev
Grainne - Grawn-ya
Sorcha - Surka
Bláthnaid - Blawnid
Clíodnadh - Clee-ona
Órlaith - Oar-la
Ciara - Kee-ra
All these names make sense when one understands Irish grammar and pronunciations, but I can absolutely see how people elsewhere would struggle with these.
I wonder if its an accent thing but I’ve allways heard Niamh as “Nee-uv” and not “Neev” and I know quite a few Niamhs.
Nee-uv is correct. The ‘i’ carries the stress, as indicated by the accent, so the ‘a’ turns into an unstressed vowel /ə/.
To anyone else who has studied Irish, this is purposely a simplification.
Ah Ok. I get ya. I wouldnt say I “studied” Irish despite doing it for 16+ years lol. I can read and write it, and speak it, but the actual intricacies of the phonetics is beyond me.
