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<\/a>An Daifne n\u00f3 Dafnae \u00ed an bhean seo? C\u00e9 chomh fada sula nd\u00e9anfar crann ioml\u00e1n di? [t\u00e9acs le R\u00f3isl\u00edn; grafaic: Antonio del Pollaiolo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/p><\/div>(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn)<\/strong><\/p>\n We interrupted this “mionsraith<\/strong>” on “ainmneacha<\/strong>” to acknowledge the passing of Prince, which then led to a discussion of the word “siamsa\u00edocht<\/strong>” in its various forms, since Prince was a “s\u00e1r-r\u00e9alta shiamsa\u00edochta<\/strong>.”\u00a0 So now let’s return to some names.\u00a0 This particular set deals with “ainmneacha ban<\/strong>” whose theme is “bl\u00e1thanna<\/strong>.”\u00a0 First we dealt with the trio “Bl\u00e1th<\/strong>,” “Bl\u00e1ith\u00edn<\/strong>,” and “Bl\u00e1thnaid<\/strong>” (naisc th\u00edos do Prince, siamsa\u00edocht, agus na hainmneacha<\/strong>).<\/p>\n The second pair in our list, Daifne<\/strong> and Dafnae<\/strong>, is a little less complex, I’d say, than the “Bl\u00e1th,” “Bl\u00e1ith\u00edn,” “Bl\u00e1thnaid”<\/strong> series.\u00a0 Partly that’s because “Daphne,” as such, is probably already familiar to many Irish learners around the world, either “mar phlanda<\/strong>” (from the Greek \u0394\u03ac\u03c6\u03bd\u03b7, meaning “laurel”) or from “miotaseola\u00edocht na Gr\u00e9ige<\/strong>.”\u00a0 In contrast, the various ‘flower” names (Bl\u00e1th, Bl\u00e1ith\u00edn, Bl\u00e1thnaid<\/strong>, and their variations\/anglicizations: Bl\u00e1naid<\/strong>, Blaheen, etc.), may well have been new for many foghlaimeoir\u00ed<\/strong> outside Ireland.<\/p>\n Also, we only have two variations of “Daphne” in Irish, “Daifne”<\/strong> and “Dafnae<\/strong>,” unlike the three or more for “Bl\u00e1th<\/strong>.”\u00a0\u00a0 Each one, of course, changes for direct address (A Dhaifne!<\/strong> OR A Dhafnae!<\/strong>), but that’s par for the course for Irish names.<\/p>\n A few points about the gaelicization of these names from the Greek, whether directly or via English.\u00a0 The “ph” of the Greek is changed to an “f,” since that’s the best match for the Irish sound.\u00a0 If we see a “ph” in an Irish word, it suggests an underlying “p” (just “p,” with no “h,” i.e. not lenited).\u00a0 Some well-known “ph” words illustrate this: \u00a0“Philadelphia” becomes “Filideilfia<\/strong>,” “the Philippines” become “na Filip\u00ednigh<\/strong>” and “the Philippians” become “na Filipigh<\/strong>” (as in “Litir Naomh P\u00f3l chuig na Filipigh<\/strong>“).\u00a0 So it’s quite logical that Irish would use an “f” in the middle of the girl’s\/plant name.\u00a0 The underlying form of the name isn’t ” *Dapna” (fad m’eolais<\/strong>), just like ” *Piladelpia” isn’t an underlying form of “Philadelphia.”\u00a0 Agus, d\u00e1la an sc\u00e9il, seo n\u00f3ta beag ar an \u00e1bhar sin<\/strong>: “in Philadelphia” is “i bhFilideilfia<\/strong>” as in “Scr\u00edobh go dt\u00ed aingeal na heaglaise i bhFilideilfia (Apacailipsis Eoin 3:7<\/em>)<\/strong>.\u00a0 So, to make a long story short, Greek “ph” generally becomes “f” in Irish.<\/p>\n As to why there are two versions of Daphne in Irish, one for the plant and ordinary girls’ name (daifne\/Daifne<\/strong>) and one for the Greek mythological character (Dafnae<\/strong>) … n\u00edl a fhios agam<\/strong>.\u00a0 But I can, at least, say that it sort of parallels Irish having two forms of the name Mary, “M\u00e1ire<\/strong>” for ordinary mortals and “Muire<\/strong>” in the religious context.<\/p>\n The version that I see mostly in name books is “Daifne<\/strong>,” which, when lower-case, is also the name of the plant.\u00a0 So let’s check out its different forms, including direct address.\u00a0 That would mostly be for talking directly to a girl or woman named Daifne<\/strong>, but if you want to consider the direct address form for talking to flowers, like Alice in _Through the Looking-Glass_, then that’s fine too.\u00a0 I don’t remember what kind of flowers Alice spoke with, but if there was a daphne flower there, Alice would have addressed it as “A dhaifne!<\/strong>”<\/p>\n 1. As a name, the typical everyday form:<\/p>\n Daifne<\/strong><\/p>\n direct address: “A Dhaifne!<\/strong>”<\/p>\n possessive\/genitive: carr Dhaifne<\/strong> (Daifne’s car; same change as for direct address, adding the “h,” but for a different purpose)<\/p>\n 2. As a “n\u00e1iad<\/strong>” or “nimfeach<\/strong>” in miotaseola\u00edocht na Gr\u00e9ige<\/strong>, the standard Irish spelling is “Dafnae<\/strong>.”\u00a0 So we have:<\/p>\n Dafnae<\/strong><\/p>\n direct address: “A Dhafnae!<\/strong>” (“A Dhafnae,” a d\u00fairt Apall\u00f3, “C\u00e1 bhfuil t\u00fa, a Dhafnae?\u00a0 N\u00e1 rith uaim!<\/strong>“)<\/p>\n possessive\/genitive: trasfhoirmi\u00fa Dhafnae (\u00f3 bhean go planda)<\/strong>, the transformation of Daphne (from a woman to a plant) — m\u00e1 t\u00e1 tuilleadh sonra\u00ed uait, l\u00e9igh an miotas \u00e9 f\u00e9in.<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. As a plant:<\/p>\n an daifne<\/strong>, the daphne<\/p>\n na daifne<\/strong>, of the daphne (cumhracht na daifne<\/strong>, the fragrance of the daphne)<\/p>\n na daifn\u00ed<\/strong>, the daphnes (typically called “daphne flowers” or “daphne shrubs” in English, but that’s an English language issue)<\/p>\n na ndaifn\u00ed<\/strong> [nuh NAFF-nee], of the daphnes (pr\u00fan\u00e1il na ndaifn\u00ed,<\/strong> the pruning of the daphnes)<\/p>\n As for famous real-life bearers of this name, the first that leaps to mind is Daphne du Maurier, but there are also Daphnes in books, TV shows, movies, and other media ranging from “Scooby-Doo” and “The Broons” to Harry Potter (a minor role, admittedly) and The Sisters Grimm.<\/p>\n On a horticultural note, I’m puzzled about why if “daphne” in Ancient Greek meant “laurel,” then why does English have the two words, “daphne” and “laurel”?\u00a0 As far as I know, we don’t honor people by giving them crowns of daphne or crowning them “poets daphneate”!\u00a0 So, to quote Pals Ted and Joey, of Pal Joey, “What gives?”\u00a0 B’fh\u00e9idir go bhfuil eolas ag na luibheolaithe a l\u00e9ann an blag seo.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0A luibheolaithe?<\/strong><\/p>\n As a geographical name, there are several places called “Daphne” around the world.\u00a0 To me, an intriguing question would be whether the two “Daphne” islands of “na hOile\u00e1in Ghal\u00e1pagos<\/strong>” should be “na Daifn\u00ed<\/strong>” or “na Dafnaetha<\/strong>,” and, believe it or not, I can’t find an confirmation one way or the other online.\u00a0 <osna<\/strong>!>\u00a0 Would the two Daphnes be “an d\u00e1 Dhaifne<\/strong>” or “an d\u00e1 Dhafnae<\/strong>“?\u00a0 And what if we used the words “Major” and “Minor,” which are sometimes used to differentiate the two islands — Daifne Mh\u00f3r<\/strong> or Dafnae Mh\u00f3r<\/strong> and Daifne Bheag<\/strong> or Dafnae Bheag<\/strong>?\u00a0 Oh well, I guess I can get by without knowing that answer, at least for a while.\u00a0 Of course, if we were talking about two Daphnes that weren’t islands, but real people, then we’d use “beirt<\/strong>” (pair) not the number two itself.\u00a0 Ach na huimhreacha pearsanta, sin \u00e1bhar blagmh\u00edre eile.<\/strong><\/p>\n On that geographical note, sl\u00e1n go Gal\u00e1pagos<\/strong> — that is, until I get to visit those islands some day.\u00a0 Ar mo liosta buic\u00e9id.\u00a0 – R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n PS: Despite my attempts to retain the differentiation between the mythological usage (Dafnae<\/strong>) and the ordinary (daifne<\/strong>), the one online account I can find of the Greek legend uses “Daifne<\/strong>.”\u00a0 <osna, ar\u00eds!<\/strong>><\/p>\n Naisc (ainmneacha, fuaimni\u00fa, Prince):<\/strong><\/p>\n 1) Five More Irish Names for Girls \u2014 Names with a Flower Theme (Bl\u00e1th \/ Bl\u00e1ith\u00edn \/ Bl\u00e1thnaid, Daifne \/ Dafnae, Lil \/ Lile, N\u00f3in\u00edn, R\u00f3is\u00edn \/ R\u00f3is \/ R\u00f3ise, and, sort of, Mair\u00e9ad \/ Maighr\u00e9ad)<\/a>\u00a0Posted on 21. Apr, 2016 by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a> (https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/five-more-irish-names-for-girls-names-with-a-flower-theme-blath-blaithin-blathnaid-daifne-dafnae-lil-lile-noinin-roisin-rois-roise-and-sort-of-mairead-maighread\/)<\/em><\/p>\n 2) How to pronounce \u2018shiamsa\u00edochta\u2019 in Irish<\/a> Posted on 28. Apr, 2016 by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a> 3) In \u00f3m\u00f3s don s\u00e1r-r\u00e9alta shiamsa\u00edochta\u00a0Prince \u2014 R\u00e9altn\u00e9al Corcra (a memorial note with some Irish phrases)<\/a> Posted on 25. Apr, 2016 by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a> (https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/in-omos-don-sar-realta-shiamsaiochta-prince-realtneal-corcra-a-memorial-note-with-some-irish-phrases\/)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) We interrupted this “mionsraith” on “ainmneacha” to acknowledge the passing of Prince, which then led to a discussion of the word “siamsa\u00edocht” in its various forms, since Prince was a “s\u00e1r-r\u00e9alta shiamsa\u00edochta.”\u00a0 So now let’s return to some names.\u00a0 This particular set deals with “ainmneacha ban” whose theme is “bl\u00e1thanna.”\u00a0 First we dealt…<\/p>\n
\n(https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/how-to-pronounce-shiamsaiochta-in-irish\/)<\/p>\n