# Irish dopers, know any Dianaimhs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-know-any-dianaimhs/485605>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 12, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-know-any-dianaimhs/485605 "2009-02-12T23:03:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-know-any-dianaimhs/485605/1 "2009-02-12T23:03:41Z")

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I’m assuming it’s a rare enough name in Ireland. Any high profile Dianaimhs? Anyone know a Dianaimh at all? And can I have a check on the meaning of the name, is “flawless” a decent translation?

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**Author:** ![mudkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@mudkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mudkicker)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-know-any-dianaimhs/485605/2 "2009-02-13T00:21:06Z")

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Never heard of it, Pushkin…Why not give an Irish language school a call if you haven’t already - think there’s one on the lower Ormeau? (Or ring someone at the Andytown News 🙂 )

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**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-know-any-dianaimhs/485605/3 "2009-02-13T00:31:20Z")

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Ok, I give up. How do you pronounce Dianaimh?

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**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-know-any-dianaimhs/485605/4 "2009-02-13T00:32:57Z")

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> [@mudkicker](#):
>
> (Or ring someone at the Andytown News 🙂 )

Heh, a friend just finished a placement there, else I’d have asked her to ask.

There’s one in my family. We’ve also got a Siofra and we’ve overheard a woman talking to her child of that name, someone in Warrenpoint has the numberplate S1OFRA and a boat in Kinsale is named Siofra.

Me? I got the only English name in the family 😕

> [@corvidae](#):
>
> Ok, I give up. How do you pronounce Dianaimh?

We use dee-a-nuv, we’ve heard gee-a-nuv and day-nif. The latter two depending on whether you’re speaking to a self pronounced expert in Irish language or someone a bit posh.

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**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-know-any-dianaimhs/485605/5 "2009-02-15T01:18:20Z")

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I’ve never come across that name **Pushkin**. Síofra is common enough though, lovely name. Pretty much the only Irish name I don’t like is Risteard. I bet I’ll meet a Dianaimh in the next week.

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**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-know-any-dianaimhs/485605/6 "2009-02-15T09:15:54Z")

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A little girl who lives down the road is called Dianaimh, she’s one of my daughter’s gang.

Her parents prounouce it dia-neve, and the rest of us follow their lead. My mother in law,  
whose first language was Munster Irish, always says that’s wrong, and it should be dee-neve.

As to meaning, flawless,perfect is reasonable.