CeistAmháin wrote:
My question very simply is if someone's first name ends in a vowel and their middle name begins with another vowel, would that middle name be properly written or pronounced with a 'h' when said together?
E.g. does Síle Áine become Síle hAíne?
No, h-prothesis only occurs in special circumstances. E.g. in surnames, after Ó (e.g. Ó hUiginn, Ó hAonghusa).
But something else happens:
Síle ends in a schwa-sound /ə/ "uh". This sound is elided whenever another vowel follows - as if written "Síl’ Áine"
/
ʃiːl′ə/ + /
ɑːn′ə/ = /
ʃiːl′ ɑːn′ə/
You would never say /
ʃiːl′ə ɑːn′ə/ (except you speak very slowly with long pauses inbetween)
BTW:
The same happens everywhere,
e.g. Is í
Síle atá ag léamh (Síle is reading) /
ʃiː ʃiːl′ ətɑː .../
or Is í
Áine atá ag teacht (Áine is coming) /
ʃiː ɑːn′ ətɑː .../