[Facts] How is EI pronounced in Welsh?
I know it can be AY but can it also be EYE?
Can Eira be EYE-ra? Can Aneira be a-NEYE-ra? Or is it not possible?
If it is legit could you tell me what the regional differences are? Where is it pronounced EYE-ra?
Please rate my list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/6232
Can Eira be EYE-ra? Can Aneira be a-NEYE-ra? Or is it not possible?
If it is legit could you tell me what the regional differences are? Where is it pronounced EYE-ra?
Please rate my list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/6232
Replies
I think it varies a bit between different parts of Wales. In the examples at this link, you can hear how an untrained ear might hear the sound as either 'ay' or 'eye':
https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/names/index.shtml?a
https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/names/index.shtml?a
I'm not a Welsh speaker but I lived for years in the county of Ceredigion, a very Welsh-speaking area of coastal Wales, where my neighbour Eira pronounced the first syllable to rhyme with 'eye', leading me to assume she was an Ira until I saw her name written down. In due course I met others called Eira, similarly pronounced. You can rest assured that it is a legitimate Welsh pronunciation. There are two main categories: North Welsh and South Welsh, and I believe Ceredigion's native pronunciation counts as South Welsh, even though on the map the county looks as if it is more towards north Wales.