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Re: Erin and Irene - same name?
Hejsan Anders,Erin comes from the Gaelic word "eireann" which means "western island", while Irene comes from the Greek word "eirene" which means "peace". So it's not the same name. Nevertheless - I don't know why you shouldn't "borrow" Irene's nameday!Hälsningar från
Satu
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Hej hej!Thing is that I've come across references (although I can't remember where - duh!) to Erin meaning "peace" as well - tracing it through its Gaelic roots. This is the reason I'm asking, but if no one's heard of such a root, I'm guessing my memory is either failing me or the place(s) I've read this are simply in the wrong.And since I don't know of any Swedish name day names that mean "western island" I guess Irene will be as good a day as any and better than most!
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I’m not sure if this will actually let me post 22 years later lol, but I can confirm that I once had an embroidered, laminated bookmark given to me by my grandmother when I was a child back in the early 80s, and it said “Erin” and under it in quotations was the word “peace,” indicating that was the meaning of the name (there was also a Bible verse under that about a good name being preferable to great riches, although I’m pretty certain that verse isn’t referring to ones actual name but rather a “name” in the reputation sense of the word). I have always been curious as to whether there is an actual link to the Gaelic/Irish word “Erin” being derived from the Greek, as they certainly had contact in ancient times, although it seems a bit far fetched that the word for their own land would have somehow come from a foreign language. Ancient Greek writers apparently referred to Ireland as “Ierne,” among other names, which is certainly close to “Irene,” which is the anglicized version of “Irini,” or the Greek word for “peace.”
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