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[Facts] Máire: pronunciation, please?
The Irish name "Máire" seems to have a pronunciation listed as "MOI-ra" and "Máirín", it's pet form, is pronounced as "moi-reen"; I thought that it was supposed to be "MAH-rya" and "MAH-reen" or something close to that. What is the right way? I speak some Gaelic, ach chan eil mi fileanta innte, mar sin chan eil fhios agam air dòigh-labhairt. Dè 'n dòigh-labhairt a tha ceart? Chuirinn luach air. Tapadh leibh. (but I'm not fluent in it, therefore I don't know the pronunciation. Which is the proper pronunciation? I would appreciate it. Thank you.)
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Máire is pro. as MOY-ra and Máirín as MOR-een. The only exception to this is Donegal where they drop or slur the "r" and say Máire as MOY-a.The anglicised spellings Maura and Maureen are more common in Ireland except for areas where Irish is the first Language(Gaeltachts)
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Oh! Is that where the feminine name Moya comes from, then, do you think?
ChrisellAll we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.

This message was edited 5/13/2005, 10:09 PM

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I thought that they would have pronounced it as "MAH-rya", or something close to that. I guess not.
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