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 Post subject: h-prothesis and names
PostPosted: Mon 03 Nov 2025 11:33 am 
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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?


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PostPosted: Mon 03 Nov 2025 12:13 pm 
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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′ ət​ɑː .../
or Is í Áine atá ag teacht (Áine is coming) /ʃiː ɑːn′ ət​ɑː .../


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PostPosted: Mon 03 Nov 2025 4:24 pm 
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Go raibh maith agat. That's a great explanation. I was sure something would happen in the speaking of it and wanted to make sure I knew the written form. As it is, there is no alteration to the written form.

So if I were to address that person or refer to them while speaking Irish, Síle Áine might sound effectively like one word, Síláine?

:GRMA:


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PostPosted: Mon 03 Nov 2025 5:32 pm 
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CeistAmháin wrote:
So if I were to address that person or refer to them while speaking Irish, Síle Áine might sound effectively like one word, Síláine?

:GRMA:

With a slender l. So it would sound like: síleáine.


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PostPosted: Mon 03 Nov 2025 9:27 pm 
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Of course, if addressing the person, you would have to use the vocative particle (which causes lenition): 'A Shíle Áine'.


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