Re: A question on pronunciation

[James and/or Nancy Gilly <KatieMorag@worldnet.att.net>]

Poster: James and/or Nancy Gilly <KatieMorag@worldnet.att.net>

At 22:49 15-1-97 +0000, Eogan wrote:

>I have learned that just because it is so in modern Gaelic, does not mean
>it was so in medieval Gaelic.  Most people on this side of the Big Blue
>Thing would pronounce Deirdre as DEER-dra.  Over in Ireland (I understand)
>it is pronounced DEER-dree.  Now, from what I know (I don't remember my
>source book), the ancient way of pronouncing the name was DARE-dra, which
>is closer to our American pronunciation than modern Irish.

Again the information that I have is for modern Irish pronunciation, but in
eight years spent between Galway and Dublin, with a lot of friends from all
over the island, both north and south, I never heard Deirdre pronounced
DEER-dree once.  I first heard that pronunciation after I came back to the
US.  DARE-dra is still in use in some of the regional accents.

We also have to remember that there are far more regional accents in Ireland
than there are in a similar sized area of the United States.  An Irish
speaker from Donegal will sound nothing like one from Kerry, or even Galway,
AND THEY MAY NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND EACHOTHER.  This difference in
accents was even more pronounced before the advent of easy travel, radio,
and television.
 
Philippa

-----------------------------
James and/or Nancy Gilly
katiemorag@worldnet.att.net

****  REUNITE GONDWANALAND!!

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