Author Topic: Pronunciation of Tierney, please?  (Read 3861 times)

Offline gaffy

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Re: Pronunciation of Tierney, please?
« Reply #9 on: Wednesday 30 September 15 19:07 BST (UK) »

You mentioned Dundee in Scotland, I am Scottish and I would pronounce Tierney as teer/nay
with the pronunciation being more "eee" and as in the sound a horse would make...  neigh   ;D
teernay


That's interesting.  :)  As a County Antrim man with several Tierney friends, I would say my own pronunciation is: Tier (literally as in the word tier, ie. level), followed by something halfway between "knee" and "neigh".

But definitely with the emphasis on the Tier bit, the knee/neigh bit being a bit of an afterthought .
 

Offline Elwyn Soutter

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Re: Pronunciation of Tierney, please?
« Reply #10 on: Wednesday 30 September 15 21:51 BST (UK) »
I live in Co Antrim too and agree with Gaffy that in Ireland the emphasis is on the first syllable of a name or place name. However in Scotland (and elsewhere), the emphasis can often be on 2nd syllables. So the pronunciation changes. An obvious example is the surname KINSELLA, which in Ireland is Kin’sla, but in Scotland or England is generally Kin-sell-a.

I agree completely with gaffy. In Ireland the name Tierney is Tear-ny (with the “ny” being an afterthought).
Elwyn

Offline rosie17

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Re: Pronunciation of Tierney, please?
« Reply #11 on: Thursday 01 October 15 05:16 BST (UK) »

You mentioned Dundee in Scotland, I am Scottish and I would pronounce Tierney as teer/nay
with the pronunciation being more "eee" and as in the sound a horse would make...  neigh   ;D
teernay


That's interesting.  :)  As a County Antrim man with several Tierney friends, I would say my own pronunciation is: Tier (literally as in the word tier, ie. level), followed by something halfway between "knee" and "neigh".

But definitely with the emphasis on the Tier bit, the knee/neigh bit being a bit of an afterthought .
 
That is how I would pronounce the name also  :)

Offline Lisa in California

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Re: Pronunciation of Tierney, please?
« Reply #12 on: Thursday 01 October 15 06:36 BST (UK) »
Thank you, gaffy, Elwyn and rosie17.  Some might think that how a name is pronounced is such a minor thing, but I find it fascinating to hear what others have to say.  It is always interesting to hear from those who actually live in the localities where my husband's ancestors lived (and from those who don't live there but have heard the pronunciation).  Thank you all for your input; I appreciate it.   :)
Ellison: Co. Wicklow/Canada       Fowley: Sligo/Canada       Furnival: Lancashire/Canada       Ibbotson: Sheffield/Canada       Lee/DeJongh: Lancashire & Cheshire       Mumford: Essex/Canada       Ovens: Ireland/Canada       Sarge: Yorkshire/Canada             Stuart: Sligo/Canada       Sullivan: Co. Clare/Canada      Vaus: Sussex/Surrey      Wakefield: Tuam or Ballinasloe, Ireland              (Surname: Originated/Place Last Lived)  (Canadians lived in Ontario)