NO matter how many times we explain it, our friends overseas never quite seem able to grasp that certain things are pronounced differently in the Irish language.
The Niamhs, Siobhans and Tadhgs of this world will know all too well how monotonous it gets having to explain your name every second minute beyond our shores.
Luckily for them, a sympathetic reddit user has decided to open a thread for people with Irish language names to let off some steam. And oh, did they.
Niamh wrote: “When I was a manager in Next, our payroll call centre was in India. I'd get lots of phonecalls looking for ‘Neemhaha’.
“Head office over in the UK used to call asking if I was male or female (for when they were booking accommodation for me).
“I even had a Scouser tell me that I spelt my name wrong. Apparently I should spell it ‘Neeve’.”
Nancy certainly empathised with her plight: “My sister’s name is Niamh, I know the pain!” she replied.
“She’s been called Neenuv, Nympho, Liam, Leave, Eeyuv, Neo... the list goes on ? not easy names to pronounce or spell but I’m so proud of Irish names!”
Aisling said: “Americans have started to use my name but pronouncing it ‘ace-lin’.
“I have come across two of these, one Mom told me she picked the name because it was Edge’s wife’s name. She probably never heard it spoken correctly.
“The other Mom just didn’t care. She’s doing her own thing unconcerned what Irish people think”.
One user replied: “Ah goway. I can’t even cope with people spelling it ‘Ashling’, hearing ace-lin would send me over the edge.
“I knew an American family who moved over years ago and named their daughter Caoimhe, but for the sake of their family back in the States they pronounced it ‘Kiva’.
“Like if you’re going to change the pronunciation of it, might as well make the spelling your own too”.
Irishmen certainly seem to have had similar experiences to their female counterparts.
One wrote: “I always have a good laugh whenever I go on holiday with the missus.
“Making reservations in her name for anything never works; the best pronunciation I've heard abroad has been Cam-he or Kay-oh-me (her name's Caoimhe).
“In the States a few months back, and most of the time the Uber drivers just wouldn't attempt it. Also, the way it's pronounced in Dublin is different to how it's pronounced back up North and out West I've found”.
While another joked: “If I ever have a kid I'll call him Conchubhair. A life of misery and frustration awaits... Kind of like Johnny Cash's 'A boy named Sue'.
“Ta mo ainm baiste as gaeilge agus níl leagann béarla air. What p***es me off is that some Irish people can't be bothered to pronounce it correctly.
“It's two fecking syllables, how difficult can it be?”
Sadly, it appears us lads are just as capable of butchering foreign names in our own country as people who encounter our lot abroad.
One particularly unlucky Irishman with a Welsh name griped: “Multiple people can’t pronounce my name, which has caused me issues with the law and college admin.
“Bar my surname being as Irish as you can get, I’m sure I’d be mistaken for a foreigner.”
He added: “It’s a pain sometimes, but your name is your name. And you don’t change it for anyone.”
How true, Shawn-Shaymus, how very true.
