Hi there all. I think I have translated the words properly, (please let me know if otherwise), but I want to make sure I am pronouncing them correctly. The following combination of words is intended to be used as a name. Please let me know if there is some special way to present the words if they are to be a name.

english - midday sun
gaeilge - meán lae grian
supposed pronunciation - mawn lay gri-un

Thanks,
Lee

If this were a name could it be said like one word such as mawn-lay-gri-un and would the individual words still be written seperately?

Thanks so much,
Lee

Hi Lee,
You got the words right but there's an added complication in Irish. The genitve case is used in Irish, which changes the words somewhat.

So, the phrase in Irish is:

Grian an mheáin lae
the sun of the middle of the day

Pronounced: GREE-un VAW-in LAY

These words are always written separately.
Copmlicates things, doesn't it?

Why don't you make it easy on yourself and call yourself Solstice (Grianstad) (GREE-un-STHOD)

BTW, my name supposedly derives from the Sun (O'Greanáin or O'Grianáin. I've seen various versions of it in Irish)

Hmm... that does complicate it a bit. You see, I've beeen going by Middysun for years. I'm originally of Irish decent with Collins being my maiden name. It suddenly hit me the other day to translate it into Gaeilge. Meán Lae Grian sounded so cool too. :> At least the way I was prounouncing it - Mawn-lay-gree-un - with the accent on the lay syllable. Would it be completely ridiculous to use the 'literal' translation? Well, perhaps I can find an Irish name with a simillar meaing.

Thanks for all your help,
Lee
(Meán Lae Grian) :>

Hi,
Sorry, but there's no way around it I'm afraid. I left out the "an" in my pronunciation guide, it should be:

Pronounced: GREE-un UN VAW-in LAY

I can also confrim that "Mawn-lay-gree-un" is absurd in Irish, unfortunately.

Maybe summon else may have a solution.....

Since it's Lee's name, and she can do what she wishes with it, how about switching things around.

How about Lá Gréine. A literal translation sounds awkward, (a day of the sun) but you get to keep the "day" part and the "sun" as well. If anyone asks, you could say it means "a sunny day."

Lá gréine ar a dó dhéag a clog.

Sorry about that. It's very late.

Pádraig

Sorry, it's been a bit since I got back here. I just ran across this variant meaning sunny, and I was hoping you could help with the pronunciation.

grianach

Thanks so much,
Lee

Dia duit, a Lee,
I don't find grianach, but rather grianmhar to mean sunny. Though I also came upon grianadh, but that's a positive transitive verb as in "tú féin a ghrianadh" - to sun yourself. Or, I think, a noun meaning "a sunning" as in "An ghrianadh díot féin" - a sunning of yourself.
Though, still, I'm not the sharpest knife in the stock in this subject. So, for simple prnunciation, I find - grianach(GREE-UN-UKH) and grianmhar(GREE-UN-WUHR).
I'm sure that someone else can do better.
Slán,
Maidhc.

Thanks Maidhc,

This is the source I am using for my translations:
http://www.clanmacrae.org/documents/gaelic-g.htm

I also came across this word and would love to know how to pronounce it. I hope I'm not too much of a pain.

grioglachan

Thanks,
Lee

Lee
the confusion is arising because that link is to a page of Scots Gaelic or Gàidhlig.

The two languages are close, but not identical.

Someone with Ulster Irish will probably get close to Scots pronunciation.

Midday Sun
----------

Means the following:

the sun of a midday

or

the sun of the midday

or

a sun of a midday

or

a sun of the midday

-

"The sun of the midday" is the most accurate, I think.

grian = sun
meán lae = midday

OF midday = meáin lae

-

Here's your options:

grian meáin lae
grian an mheáin lae

Sun of midday
Sun of the midday

(Notice how it is unknown whether there's "a" or "the" before sun)

Both of them seem grand, so pick the simplest:

"grian meáin lae"

pronounced "GREEN MOIN LAY"

"moin" as in "SerlOIN steak". Or you can pronounce it more like "aw" if you like. "GREEN MAWN LAY", or "GREEN MAN LAY".

-Phil

Meán lae.

The Gaeilge for day is "lá".

The Gaeilge for mid or middle is "meán".

"Lae" = "OF lá".

"Lae" is the genitive form of "lá".

-

"grian meáin lae"

"the sun of the middle of the day" -> "Midday Sun"