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HelpDeirdra
I'm liking the name Deirdra for a girl, DEER-drah. That's how Deirdre ought to be pronounced in Irish, but everyone says DEER-dree now, which I don't like. (It got confused with Greek names long ago, hence the change in pronunciation.) I thought spelling it Deirdra could solve the problem. Wdyt?
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♥Elinor♥
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♥Elinor♥
This message was edited 3/8/2006, 5:11 AM
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Replies
I vastly prefer the spelling Deirdre over Deirdra but I also live in the U.S. and have only ever heard people pronounce it deer-drah. For your situation you probably would be better off using Deirdra if you're concerned about always having to correct people's pronunciation. I generally dislike "dumbing down" the spelling of names but at the same time I have to let common sense prevail and realize what a human may have to live with their entire life*.
*Yes, I know you're not pregnant but for the purpose of this response I was imagining you comtemplating using it for a future child.
“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
~Mark Twain
*Yes, I know you're not pregnant but for the purpose of this response I was imagining you comtemplating using it for a future child.
~Mark Twain
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I like that spelling. I know someone named Deirdre pronounced Deirdra. It's a pretty Irish name that is very underused.
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I love it. I think your pronunciation is correct as well.
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I've never heard anyone say deer-dree.
Granted, I've only known two, and both were deer-dra. Not certain on their spellings though. I do prefer Deirdre to Deirdra by far. Deirdra just seems kind of dumbed down to me, and I really don't think deer-dree makes sense from the original spelling anyway.
I've loved this name since meeting one who was about 4 years old. It was at a Ren Fest and she was all dressed up in a little garb gown, red velvet, with an embroidered cap thing on. Long, long brown hair. She looked up at me and said in such an adult manner, "Hi, my name is Deirdre." It was just so charming.
Granted, I've only known two, and both were deer-dra. Not certain on their spellings though. I do prefer Deirdre to Deirdra by far. Deirdra just seems kind of dumbed down to me, and I really don't think deer-dree makes sense from the original spelling anyway.
I've loved this name since meeting one who was about 4 years old. It was at a Ren Fest and she was all dressed up in a little garb gown, red velvet, with an embroidered cap thing on. Long, long brown hair. She looked up at me and said in such an adult manner, "Hi, my name is Deirdre." It was just so charming.
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I've only ever heard it pronounced Deer-dree!
S xx
--
The truth is, I have met the right person, only he's not in love with me, and until I stop loving him no-one else stands a chance
(Four Weddings and a Funeral)
S xx
--
The truth is, I have met the right person, only he's not in love with me, and until I stop loving him no-one else stands a chance
(Four Weddings and a Funeral)
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I've never heard anyone say deer-dree.
I think it's more of a British thing, thanks to Coronation Street :-(
So I only hear DEER-dree here, but I do hear DEER-dra in American contexts. Thank you for the feedback!
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♥Elinor♥
I think it's more of a British thing, thanks to Coronation Street :-(
So I only hear DEER-dree here, but I do hear DEER-dra in American contexts. Thank you for the feedback!
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♥Elinor♥
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Hmmm, interesting. Seems like it's usually us Americans with the weird pronunciation problems. But nope, over here I think deer-dra would be the norm.
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I would go with Deirdre... I've never known anyone to mispronounce it and I like this spelling more, not only for the way it looks, but also b/c it is the correct way to spell it. Deirdra isn't horrible, as far as varied spellings go, but it's like changing Colonel to Kernel b/c people usually don't know how to spell Colonel. But, once again, it's not horrible.
"We can even learn from our enemies." -Ovid
Mitakuye Oyasin
"We can even learn from our enemies." -Ovid
Mitakuye Oyasin
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I would definitely go with the spelling Deirdre. And where I live, in Ohio, I hear it pronounced DEE-dra most often. People are likely to pronounce things differently than you'd like no matter how you spell it, so I'd choose the most correct spelling.
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I think you should use the spelling you prefer and if it's Deirdre then teach people how to say it properly.
I live in Belgium and my son's name is Nathaniel and people always say it "nah-tah-Niel", for sure it gets on my nerves and then I tell them it's "Nay" not "Nah" and then they say it right. They just have to learn. Personally, I slightly prefer Deirdre.
I live in Belgium and my son's name is Nathaniel and people always say it "nah-tah-Niel", for sure it gets on my nerves and then I tell them it's "Nay" not "Nah" and then they say it right. They just have to learn. Personally, I slightly prefer Deirdre.
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As far as changed spellings go, Deirdra is not bad at all. I still personally prefer Deirdre, but Deirdra is OK, too.
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