Gaelic pronunciations for McElmurry

[OC Richard]

Mac Giolla Mhuire and/or Mac Gille Mhoire

In Scottish, start with "mac" (son). The "c" has what is called pre-aspiration, in other words a soft "h" inserted before the c, sort of like "ma-h-c".

As for the other words, it's hard to guess at pronunciation without the diacritical marks.

"Giolla" means "lad". The "io" is usually more or less like English "i" in "kid". So "gill-uh" more or less.

"Muire" according to my Gaelic dictionary means "dry scab, scurvy, leprosy". Yikes! It has a ` over the "u" and is pronounced something like "moo-ruh". The "r" is a Gaelic slender r for which there is no equivalent sound in English. The "i" is there as a marker to indicate that the "r" is slender.

The "h" as in "Mhuire" changed the "m" sound to a "w" sound usually (because the "m" is broad) but in some instances and some dialects be "v". So "woo-ruh" or "voo-ruh".

Ma-h-c gill-uh woo-ruh" is probably pretty close.

My Irish dictionary is wholly in the Irish language and has no pronunciation guides.

"Moire" has something to do with textiles evidently. "Muire" is the name "Mary" rendered in Irish. In Scottish Gaelic Mary is Mairi, with a ` over the "a".

There is no entry for "gille", but there is for "giolla" which means "youth, page, boy" much as it does in Scottish Gaelic.

So, does that name mean "son of the servant of Mary" or "son of the servant of the scabby one" or what? (Many of the Gaelic names are not very flattering, meaning "crooked nose" etc etc.)

[Nick the DSM]

It means Son of the Servant of Mary, not Scabby one.