Irish Translation Forum

tinidril

I've got what I laughingly refer to as a "Malcolm X" surname...King. Galway King, though my ancestors moved from Clifden to Gorthmellia (sp?) smack dab in the middle of the Great Hunger (talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire! No one knows the wherefores of the move.) Anyway, I read in several places that the Galway Kings were originally Conraoi (even though my father, in school in Mayo, was instructed to write his name, John King, as Seán Mac An Rí, and I don't think there ever even was such a surname).

From what I've gathered, there were Conraoi's in another part of Ireland who were Mac Conraoi, but in Galway, it was Ó Conraoi. I don't know which is which.

At any rate, as a female, how would I spell my surname? I have a friend who is a fairly fluent Irish speaker and he says it should be níc Chonraoi. Is that correct? Would I also add the "h" to my forename? or is that only when people address me?

My other surname issue involves my daughter, who has the lovely forename of Gráinne. Her father, though he's "purebred" Irish, has a surname of Scottish origin: Moffett. Apparently the Moffetts have been in Ireland for a couple of hundred years, since the clan chief was killed and they were dispersed....there are a bajillion Moffetts of every spelling in America, and quite a few in Ireland especially around Roscommon, where my ex-husband's father was born.

Anyway, what, if any, changes would be made to my daughter's surname to make it more Irish? or is she just stuck with plain ol' Moffett?

All help gratefully accepted, and thanks in advance,

Tinidril

Tiarnan2

Moffett - Moiféid

Look at Irish Names on Left and HoganSTAND
_________________
=================

Mol an óige agus rithfidh sí uait

She was only a whisky maker, but I love her still.

yort

If Ó Conraoi was your father's last name, your maiden name would be Ní Chonraoi. If your father was a Mac Conraoi, you'd be a Nic Conraoi, Nic doesn't force lenition if the surname starts with a C.

What you see when people are addressed is the vocative form of the name. For the most part, you'll see an Irish name lenited (Xhxxx) after an a (e.g. ("Dia dhuit, a Xhxxx!")

A small number of names that end in a broad vowel also have that vowel slenderised... Seán becomes a Sheáin. (Usually they're masculine names... my uncaffeinated brain this morning isn't offering up any of the girl variety although I'm sure someone will come along that'll fix that.
_________________
I'm learning. ALWAYS wait for someone else. Always. No exceptions. Especially on Tuesdays.
In the battle between Troy and his flute, the struggle to a consistently strong low D is a Very Slow advance Smile

yort@igtf | kothz@chiff

tinidril

Thank you *very* much, Tiarnan2, for the Moffett translation. My daughter will be tickled. Can you tell me how to pronounce it LOL?

Yort, thank you, too...now I can spell my name in real actual Irish! Whee!

Couple more questions, I'm being greedy, I know...would my daughter be Gráinne Moiféid, or is there anything added? When I address her in an email, for example, would it be "A Ghráinne, a chara"? And lastly, I see "Ní" capitalized and uncapitalized...which is more correct?

If I could say "Thanks a million times a million" in Irish, I would. Smile

Tinidril

Irish Translation Forum

Surnames and how to spell them

Other Things to See?