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HelpRe: Kathleen
in reply to a message by maire
This confuses me too. If Catriona is pronounced ca-TREE-na, then why isn't Fiona pronounced FEE-na? I have been to websites where some say the stress should be on the first syllable. Then again, my dh is a big fan of Fiona Ritchie, host of NPR's "Thistle and Shamrock" program. Fiona is a native of Scotland and I've heard the woman enough to know she distinctly pronounces her name fee-O-na (three syllables). Does anyone know if the name is pronounced more than one way in Scotland?
Re: Catriona, I had someone from Edinburgh, Scotland, tell me once that the o is pronounced but it's so subtle it can't even be considered a full syllable. More confusion. ;-)
Re: Catriona, I had someone from Edinburgh, Scotland, tell me once that the o is pronounced but it's so subtle it can't even be considered a full syllable. More confusion. ;-)
This message was edited 9/11/2006, 9:57 AM
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There are really two separate origins for Fiona and therefore two separate pronunciations. The Irish name Fiona (spelled Fíona in modern Irish Gaelic), was actually originally spelled Fíne and is from the Latin word vinea, "vine", according to O Corrain & Maguire's Irish Names. It is pronounced "Feena".
However, the Scottish name Fiona is an invention of the 18th century author James Macpherson. It was later made famous throughout Scotland when a man named William Sharp (1855-1905)wrote popular novels under the pen name Fiona Macleod. Most experts believe that Macpherson intended his name Fiona to be a feminization of the word fionn, meaning "fair, white". That Fiona seems to have always been pronounced in three syllables, as "fee-OH-nuh".
However, the Scottish name Fiona is an invention of the 18th century author James Macpherson. It was later made famous throughout Scotland when a man named William Sharp (1855-1905)wrote popular novels under the pen name Fiona Macleod. Most experts believe that Macpherson intended his name Fiona to be a feminization of the word fionn, meaning "fair, white". That Fiona seems to have always been pronounced in three syllables, as "fee-OH-nuh".
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I just visited the babynamesofireland site where the names are pronounced. It pronounced Fiona with three syllables, fee-O-na, and said it had a Scottish origin. It didn't mention anything about the "vine" meaning.
Thanks, CKE. I always enjoy reading your comments on these boards.
Thanks, CKE. I always enjoy reading your comments on these boards.
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