Message: "Gwenllian" - Behind the Name

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Gwenllian

by Bear

1/7/2010, 11:36 AM

Gwenllian is new to me and I think I'm in love. :-) Thank you. I've just added it to my long list. But I'm nervous to use it here on these boards unless I know how iit is it pronounced. "GWEN-lee-un" or some other way? And while I'm at it, how is Mair pronounced?

And how sweet to see Sioned being used.

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- Pie +1

1/7/2010, 12:28 PM

Sadly, Gwenllian is one of those names that's really tricky to pronounce properly unless you've grown up with the Welsh ll - which is really hard to describe, as it doesn't exist in English. gwen-THLEE-an is vaguely close. Mair is much more non-Welsh-user-friendly! and is pronounced MY-er.

- Bear

1/7/2010, 3:02 PM

Oh, dear. That definitely is not names 101 material. Thanks for the inside info. It really helps.

I'll have to leave the pronunciation for the advanced class. But I still love the look of it. :-) Once I read that it was a favorite of medieval Welsh parents I was sold. I'm a sucker for historic names.

This message was edited 1/7/2010, 3:02 PM

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