Fermanagh pronunciation

[Lisa in California]

Apologies for such a basic question, but I think for decades we've been pronouncing “Fermanagh” incorrectly.  I was just double-checking in which province Fermanagh was and rather than hearing the way my mum used to say it, the pronunciation was fur-MAN-ah.

Mum used to say fur-man-ahh (not emphasizing any syllables and saying it rather quickly).  If that is incorrect would anyone know if Canadians might have pronounced it mum’s way?  It seems odd that she wouldn’t have known the correct pronunciation.

Thank you, Lisa

[manukarik]

Irish pronunciation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n2Iywjs8J4&t=13s

[Lisa in California]

Thank you, manukarik. 

I don’t understand why my mum pronounced it incorrectly.    Her beloved mum’s family was from Fermanagh, and my mum was such a great mimic (as well as having the ability to converse in French and a bit of German) - it’s so strange to have confirmation that she was wrong.  Maybe someone in the family used that pronunciation.

Anyway, thank you for sharing the link.   

[Kiltaglassan]

Hi Lisa,

As a county Down blow-in (from county Antrim), I've always pronounced it Fur-Man-Ah.


KG

[Lisa in California]

 KG 

Thank you for confirming the pronunciation.

After reading your post, I see that I didn’t type my mum’s pronunciation correctly…we didn’t say it
fur-man-ahh, we said it
FUR-man-ahh. (Very slightly emphasizing the first syllable and dragging out the last.)

I’m going to have to repeat the word a couple of hundred times today to remember the change. 

Thank you, again.

[Elwyn Soutter]

As a fairly general rule, when speaking Gaelic (Irish) the emphasis is normally on the first syllable of a word. That has translated through into how, in Ireland, we pronounce peoples and place names in English.

Overseas visitors and even some BBC newsreaders sometimes mistakenly emphasise the second syllable, and we can have a little chuckle at the results. Sorry.

[Maiden Stone]

As a fairly general rule, when speaking Gaelic (Irish) the emphasis is normally on the first syllable of a word. That has translated through into how, in Ireland, we pronounce peoples and place names in English.

Overseas visitors and even some BBC newsreaders sometimes mistakenly emphasise the second syllable, and we can have a little chuckle at the results. Sorry.

Reminds me of my dad correcting my pronunciation of Connaught.
I emphasise first syllable of surnames such as Horan and Moran. I've heard Americans place emphasis on 2nd syllable "MorANN".   

[shanreagh]

As a fairly general rule, when speaking Gaelic (Irish) the emphasis is normally on the first syllable of a word. That has translated through into how, in Ireland, we pronounce peoples and place names in English.

Overseas visitors and even some BBC newsreaders sometimes mistakenly emphasise the second syllable, and we can have a little chuckle at the results. Sorry.

Reminds me of my dad correcting my pronunciation of Connaught.
I emphasise first syllable of surnames such as Horan and Moran. I've heard Americans place emphasis on 2nd syllable "MorANN".

Well that is interesting.....many here in NZ would pronounce Moran and Horan differently. More-ran equal stress on both syllables but Horan the last syllable is almost swallowed or, if said, has a slightly 'in' sound.   

[Erato]

I've heard Americans place emphasis on 2nd syllable "MorANN"

That could be because they are used to hearing the Spanish surname Morán which is stressed on the second syllable.