What is the difference in pronunciation between -ían and -ian in Gaelic?

In those particular cases, the pronunciation is the same (KEE-un and REE-un).

It's Irish, by the way. "Gaelic" is usually used to refer to the language of Scotland.

Redwolf

Yes, -ia- is usually pronounced the same as -ía-, i.e., /i:ə/.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

as in Tiarnán (and would anybody have any news about him, by any chance?)

He's active over at Gaeilge Amháin on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/166677873392308/

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

In standard Irish, ía doesn't exist. The logic being that ia already has a long initial sound, so there is no need to signify this with a síneadh fada (accent mark). So you get words like bia, Liam etc. Therefore it should be Cian and Rian for consistency (or Cían and Rían in non-standard Irish).


And then there's the argument that you can spell names any way you want - anyone remember Siouxsie and the Banshees?!

Given the site these came from, which is not the most reputable name site on the internet in my experience, I'm guessing the fada on "Rían" is a mistake. I thought it was a bit odd myself, not having seen it before, and knowing that both names would have the same vowel sound in any case.

Redwolf