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I think we all know by now Ciara is very ambiguous when it comes to pronunciation. So, I have 2 questions.
1. How far back does the Irish KEER-ah go? And why do people consider it the “only” correct pronunciation?
2. Where exactly does the “shy” pronunciation in Ciara come from? “KEER”, and “SEE” makes sense. But how exactly does “shy-ara” and “shy-ra” come to place?
"People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing all day."
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1. How far back does the Irish KEER-ah go? And why do people consider it the “only” correct pronunciation?
2. Where exactly does the “shy” pronunciation in Ciara come from? “KEER”, and “SEE” makes sense. But how exactly does “shy-ara” and “shy-ra” come to place?
"People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing all day."
Rate my personal name list please :) https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/217493
1
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The entry for Ciara on this site, mentions St Ciara, dating to the 7th century. Ciar, a character in the Ulster cycle gave his name to Co. Kerry. The Ulster cycle was probably first written down around 700 AD. Some scholars date it to 1 AD, others earlier. In other words Ciar and Ciara as names have existed in Ireland for over a millennium, at least. Old Irish was the language spoken then.
I speak Irish so Keer-a is the 'proper' and instinctive way for me to pronounce Ciara. There is no ambiguity;I don't know what you mean by that exactly.
That doesn't mean I don't recognise that there is a modern US/English name with the spelling, C-I-A-R-A, pronounced "Sierra" or "Key-ara" or whatever. This is a different, separate name to the Irish Ciara, possibly, partly influenced by the popularity of the name Ciara in Ireland from the 1970s on, and inspired by a lack of awareness of Irish language pronunciation.
I speak Irish so Keer-a is the 'proper' and instinctive way for me to pronounce Ciara. There is no ambiguity;I don't know what you mean by that exactly.
That doesn't mean I don't recognise that there is a modern US/English name with the spelling, C-I-A-R-A, pronounced "Sierra" or "Key-ara" or whatever. This is a different, separate name to the Irish Ciara, possibly, partly influenced by the popularity of the name Ciara in Ireland from the 1970s on, and inspired by a lack of awareness of Irish language pronunciation.
This message was edited 7/26/2021, 3:02 PM
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I didn’t know you were Irish? I’m not pulling any personal attacks at anybody.
“There is no ambiguity;I don't know what you mean by that exactly.”
am·bi·gu·i·ty
/ˌambəˈɡyo͞owədē/
noun
the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.
Ciara’s pronunciation, can be considered ambiguous. It’s not “inexact”. But it has many different interpretations. If we’re talking generally.
“There is no ambiguity;I don't know what you mean by that exactly.”
am·bi·gu·i·ty
/ˌambəˈɡyo͞owədē/
noun
the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.
Ciara’s pronunciation, can be considered ambiguous. It’s not “inexact”. But it has many different interpretations. If we’re talking generally.
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That's 'variety', not 'ambiguity'. Thanks for explaining.
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The first basis for any pronunciation is its origin and/or history, but names in the USA are not so constrained.
1. In American English, "c," when followed by an "i," is usually soft (like "s"), not hard (like "k"). Though names may be an exception, be prepared to correct people a lot.
2. The "sh" reading of "ci" comes from an Latin/Italian interpretation of the phoneme, as in "fascia."
1. In American English, "c," when followed by an "i," is usually soft (like "s"), not hard (like "k"). Though names may be an exception, be prepared to correct people a lot.
2. The "sh" reading of "ci" comes from an Latin/Italian interpretation of the phoneme, as in "fascia."
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Thank you. This helped.
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