2 Chapter Two: Pronunciation

From Ireland’s Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth by MARK WILLIAMS, Princeton University Press. Stable  URL:  https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvc775gk.6

 S O UN D S

During the Old Irish period there was a gradual change in how vowels were pronounced in unstressed, i.e. non-initial, syllables. Early on they all sounded distinctly different, but later they all (with the exception of ‘u’) became a nondescript ‘uh’ sound, like the ‘a’ at the end of English sofa, technically called a schwa and written as ə in phonetic notation. This was particularly obvious at the ends of words: by about 875 the names Lóegaire and Banba―note the different final vowels—ended when spoken with identical ‘uh’ sounds of this sort.

The key uses the following five symbols:

i.                     ə      the ‘uh’ sound at the end of sofa

ii.                   ɣ      a throaty gh sound, similar to the –ch in Scots loch but further back and down in the gullet. Not to be confused with the letter ‘y’

iii.                kh    the ch in Scots loch, spelled with a k– to avoid confusion with the ch in English child, a sound which did not occur in Old Irish

iv.                 ð      the th– sound at the start of those, that, and than, which is different from the th– sound at the beginning of thick, thin, or think

v.                   ʸ       indicates that the preceding consonant is ‘palatal’, that is, accompanied by a y-glide like the m in mew or the c in cute (contrast moo and coot). This often occurs at the end of a word: in a form like the place-name Crúachain, given in the key as KROO-əkh-ənʸ, the ʸ is there simply to indicate that the final consonant is pronounced like the first -n- in ‘onion’: it does not add a syllable.

Acallam na Senórach         AG-əll-əv nə SHEN-or-əkh

Áeb                                 aiv (to rhyme with English ‘hive’)

Áed                                 aið (to rhyme with English ‘lithe’)

Aengus                             AIN-ɣəss (a Middle Irish form: ‘AIN’ probably to rhyme with ‘fine’, but in Anglo-Irish writings this name tends to be pronounced ENG-guss. See also Óengus

áes dána                           ice DAHN-ə (ice as in English)

áes síde                            ice SHEATHE-ə (ice and SHEATHE as in English)

áes trebtha                      ice TREV-thə (ice as in English)

Aí                                    approximately the same as English ‘eye’

Áine                                AHN-yə (later AWN-yə)

Aillenn                             AL-yən

Aillén                              AL-yane (yane to rhyme with ‘mane’)

Airmed                             AR-vəð

Aisling(e)                          ASH-ling, ASH-ling-ə

Aldui, Allae                      AL-wee, AL-ə

Alloid                              AL-əð

Amairgen                         AV-ar-ɣənʸ

Ana, Anu                         ANə, ANoo

Aobh                               see Áeb

Aoife                               EE-fʸə (or modern EE-fə)

Auraicept na n-Éces  OW-rə-kept nə NAY-gəss

Badb                               BAð-v

Balor                               BAL-ər

Banba                              BAN-vəh (in later Irish, BAN-ə-vəh)

Beira                                BAY-rə (an anglicization)

Bé Binn                            BAY VIN

Bé Dreccain                      BAY ðRECK-ənʸ (not unlike English ‘bathe reckon’, said quickly)

Bé Néit                             BAY NʸADE (rhymes with ‘made’)

Bóadag                             BOW–əð-əɣ (BOW rhyming with English ‘crow’)

Bóand                              BOW-ən (BOW rhyming with English ‘crow’)

Bodb Derg                        BOðv DʸERg

Bran mac Febail                BRAN mack FEV-əlʸ

Bregon                             BRE-ɣən

Bres                                 BRESS (to rhyme with ‘press’)

Brian                               BREE-ən (not like the English pronunciation of the name)

Bride                               BREE-jə (Scottish Gaelic; not like English ‘bride’)

Bríg                                 BREEɣ

Brigit                               BRI-ɣid (anglicized Bridget is often substituted, especially when referring to the saint)

Bruig na Bóinne                BROO(ɣ) nə BOW-nʸə (BOW rhyming with English ‘crow’)

Bua                                  BOO-ə

Buí                                  BWEE

Cáel                                 Kail (like the modern name ‘Kyle’); in later Irish this came to be pronounced a bit like the English word ‘quail’

Cáer Iborméith                  KAYR IV-ər-vayth (KAYR rhymes with English ‘fire’; vayth rhymes with ‘faith’)

Cailleach Bheur          KAL-yəkh VUR (VUR to rhyme with ‘fur’)

Caillech Bérri             KAL-yəkh VAY-rə (VAY to rhyme with ‘day’)

Caílte                         KYLE-tʸə (KYLE like the modern name ‘Kyle’) or, later, KWEEL-tʸə

Caíntigern                         KAIN-tʸiɣ-ern (KAIN to rhyme with ‘pine’)

Cairbre                             see Coirpre

Cas Corach                       KASS KOR-əkh

Cath Maige Tuired              KATH MAɣə TOO-rəð

Cé                                   KʸAY (to rhyme with ‘day’)

Cermait Milbél                 KʸER-məd MʸIL-vʸayl (vʸayl to rhyme with ‘pale’)

Cessair                             KʸESS-ər

Cessán (Ceasan)                KʸESS-ahn

Cían                                 KEE-ən

Coirpre                             KOR-brə

Conchobor mac Nessa        KON-khəv-ər mack NESS-ə

Conn                                KON

Connlae                            KON-leh

Cormac                            KOR-mək

Créde                               KRAYð-ə (KRAYð to rhyme with English ‘lathe’)

Credne                             KREð-nʸə

Crom Crúach                    KROM KROO-əkh

Crom Dub                        KROM DUV (DUV like English ‘dove’, the bird)

Crúachain, Crúachu           KROO-əkh-ənʸ, KROO-əkh-oo

Cú Chulainn                     KOO KHULL-ənn (KHULL rhymes with ‘skull’)

Curcóg                             KURK-ogue (rhymes with ‘vogue’)

Cú Roí                             KOO ro-EE (later KOO RWEE)

Dagda                              DAɣ-ðə

Dáire Donn                       DAH-rʸə DON

Dairenn                           DARʸən

Dál Cais                           DAHL GASH

Dalua                               də-LOO-ə

Danann                            see Túatha Dé Danann

Delbaeth                           DʸEL-əv-ayth (ay in the last syllable is like English ‘eye’)

Dían Cécht                       DʸEE-ən KAYkht Díarmait (later Diarmaid) DʸEE-ər-mədʸ dindshenchas DIN-HEN-khəss

Donand                            DON-ən

Donn                               DON

Éber                                 AY-vər

Echtrae Chonnlai                EKH-trə KHONN-lee

Esrus                               ESS-rəss

Etan                                 ED-ən

Étar                                 AID-ər (quite close to English ‘aider’, provided the final ‘r’ is sounded)

Elatha                              EL-ath-ə

Elcmar                             ELK-vər (going by Modern Irish Ealcmhar)

Eochaid Airem                  YOKH-əð AR-əv Eochaid Ollathair     YOKH-əð oll-ATH-ər Eochaidh       YOKH-ee

Étaín                                The Old Irish pronunciation was probably AY-dine, to rhyme with English ‘fine’, but the name is conventionally pronounced by most scholars in the Modern Irish way, as AY-deen (modern Éadaoin)

Ethliu                               ETH-lʸoo

Eithne (Ethne)                  ETH-nʸə

Éremón                            AY-rə-vone (AY rhymes with ‘day’; –vone rhymes with ‘phone’)

Ériu                                 AYR-yoo

Falias                               FAL-ee-əss

Fand                                FANN

Ferdoman                         FʸER-DOVən

Fer Maisse                        FʸER MASH-ə

Fíachna                            FEE-əkh-nə

fían, fíana                         FEE-ən, FEE-ən-ə

fíanaigecht                        FEE-ən-a-ɣekht

Fidbadach                         FIð-vəð-əkh

Fidchell                            FIð-khel

Fid Rúscach                      FIð ROOS-gəkh

fili, pl. filid                        FIL-ee (later FIL-ə), pl. FIL-ið

Findias                             FINN-ee-əss

Finnbarr                           FIN-var

Finn mac Cumaill              FIN mack KU-vəl (KU-vəl rhymes with ‘shovel’; later it became KOO-wəl, close to English ‘cool’)

Fintan mac Bóchra            FIN-tən mack BOW-khrə (BOW rhymes with ‘crow’)

Fionnghuala                      FʸONN-ɣoo-ələ (= Fionnuala, Finnula)

Fir Bolg                            FEER VOLg (FEER like English ‘fear’); later FEER VOL-əg

Fir Dé                              like English ‘fear they’

Flann mac Lonáin        FLAN mack LON-ahnʸ

Flann Mainistrech       FLAN MANʸish-trəkh

Fomoiri                            FOV-o-rə (roughly rhymes with English ‘hoverer’)

Fódla                               FOWð-lə (FOW like English ‘foe’); laterFOH–lə, to rhyme with ‘Coca Cola’

Fúamnach                         FOO-əv-nəkh

Gilla Coemáin                   GʸILLə KOI-vahn

Goibnenn                         GOV-nʸənn

Goibniu                            GOV-nʸoo

Goirias                             GOR-ee-əss

Ilbrecc                              IL-vrek

Immacallam in dá Thuarad IM-əg-əll-əv ən DAH THOO-ər-əð

Immram Brain            IM-rəv Branʸ

Indech                              INN-yekh

Íth                                   EEth (rhymes with ‘teeth’)

Iuchar                              YUKH-ər

Iucharba                           YUKH-ər-və

Kail                                 uncertain, because invented by William Sharp: probably rhymes with ‘fail’

Keithoir                            KʸETH-or (a Middle Irish name, Ceth(e)or, adapted in modernity by William Sharp: this is a guess at how Sharp might have pronounced it)

Lebor Gabála                   LʸEVər GAVAL-ə; alternatively LʸOWER (to rhyme with ‘flower’) gəWAUL-ə (WAUL like British English ‘wall’)

Lebor na hUidhre                LʸOWER (to rhyme with ‘flower’) nə HIR-ə (the Modern Irish pronunciation is usually used for this manuscript)

Lí Ban                             LEE VAN (sometimes given as Lí Bán, in which case LEE VAHN)

Lochlann                          LOKH-lən

Lóegaire                           LOI-ɣər-ə

Luchta                              LUKH-tə

Lug Lámfhota                   LUɣ LAH-vodə (the vowel in Lug is similar to that in English ‘look’; later this name came to be pronounced LOO)

Lugaid Fer Trí                   LUɣ-əð FʸER TREE

Lugaid Mac Con               LUɣ-əð MACK KON Lugaid Riab nDerg         LUɣ-əð REE-əv NʸErg Luigni         LUɣ -nʸə

Mac Cécht                        mack KAYkht

Macha                              MAKH-ə

Máeltne                            MAILT-nʸə (MAILT like English ‘mild’ but with the final -d replaced by a t)

Manannán mac Lir           MAN-ənn-ahn mack LIR

Mongán mac Fiachna         MONG-ahn mack FʸAKH-nə Medb MEð-v

Míach                              MEE-əkh

Midir                               MIð-ər

Míl Espáine                      MEEL ESS-PAH-nʸə

Mochaomhóg                    mə-KHWEEVE-ogue (-ogue rhymes with ‘vogue’)

Módhán                            MOW-ðahn (MOW like English ‘mow’)

Mórfhesa                          MOHR-essə

Morrígan, Morrígu             MOR-ree-ɣən, MOR-ree-ɣoo (thus in Old Irish; in later Irish, the first syllable was often taken to be the word mór, ‘big’, and given an accent―in which case the name should be pronounced MOH-ree-ɣən with a long ‘o’)

Muirias                            MWEER-ee-əss

Mumain                           MUV-ənʸ (almost rhymes with English ‘oven’)

Nemain                            NʸEV-ənʸ

Nemed                             NʸEV-əð

Nemglan                          NʸEV-ɣlən

Néit                                 NʸADE (rhymes with ‘made’)

Núadu Argatlám                NOO-əð-oo AR-gad-LAHV

Óengus                            OIN-ɣəss

Ollam                              Oll-əv

Ógarmach                         OWG-ar-vəkh (OWG to rhyme with ‘vogue’)

Ogma                               Oɣ-mə

Orchil                              OR-khil (a goddess invented in the nineteenth century, so pronunciation uncertain)

Partholón                          PARTH-əll-own (last two syllables sound much like English ‘alone’)

Rúadán                             ROO-ə-ðahn

Sadb                                SAðv (later sive, to rhyme with English ‘five’)

samildánach                     SAV-il-ðahn-əkh

Scothníam                        SGOTH-nʸee-əv

Senchán Torpéist               SHEN-khahn TOR-paysht Senchus Már  SHEN-khəs MAHR

Seithoir                            SHETH-or (a Middle Irish name, Seth(e)or, adapted in modernity by William Sharp: this is a guess at how Sharp might have pronounced it)

Semias                             SHEV-ee-əss (or, if the name is actually Sémias, perhaps SHAVE–ee-əss: SHAVE like English ‘shave’)

síabair, pl. síabraí               SHEE-əv-ər, SHEE-əv-ree

Síd                                   SHEEð (much like English sheathe); later Sídhe, Sí, both pronounced ‘shee’

Sinand                             SHIN-ənn

Slat                                  SLAD

Táin Bó Cúailnge                TOINʸ (or TAWNʸ) BOW (as in ‘bow and arrow’) KOOL-ngʸə Tait son of Taburn

TADʸ son of TAV-ərn Tanaide       TAN-əð-ə

Teithoir                            TʸETH-or (a Middle Irish name, Teth(e)or, adapted in modernity by William Sharp: this is a guess at how Sharp might have pronounced it)

Tírechán                           TʸEER-əkh-ahn

Tír Tairngire                     TʸEER TARN-gʸir-ə

Tochmarc Étaíne                TOKH-vərk AY-deen-yə

Trén                                 TRAYnʸ (quite close to English ‘train’)