“Léan Ní Chuilleanáin?” I hear you murmur. Except … not. Because unless you’re really quite a confident Irish-speaker, you’ll probably balk at the prospect of trying to say my name out loud.
Never fear! Follow these simple instructions, and soon you will be pronouncing my name as well as probably 95% of the Irish population.
So. Léan Ní Chuilleanáin.
1. Léan: Lay-en.
Think layin’ down the law, as I was fond of saying in my student politician days.
2. Ní: Knee.
Nothing to it.
3. Chuilleanáin: Well, now, that is a little trickier. OK, sit up straight and pay attention, because if you get this wrong, it will annoy me. You wouldn’t like me when I’m annoyed.
Hey, waaaaaaaidaminute! Go back a bit.
…it will annoy me…
…it will annoy…
will annoy
That’s it!
OK. Now. Utter a rasping “ch” sound, as in the end of German ach or Scots loch. Much as though you’re trying to prevent a small insect from making its way down your throat.
Segue straight into “will annoy”, and finish it off with an ordinary honest to goodness “n”. Yes! Like that! Well done.
Right, then, let’s recap:
Léan: Lay-en.
Ní: Knee.
Chuilleanáin: Ch-will annoy-n
Congratulations! You did it!
(Near enough, anyway. The authentic sounds of the Irish language are different from English, but we’ll leave that to Lesson Two…)