# Sinn Fein

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinn-fein/84652>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 30, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinn-fein/84652 "2001-09-30T19:51:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinn-fein/84652/1 "2001-09-30T19:51:22Z")

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The poltical wing of the IRA…

Did I spell it right? How do you pronounce it? I’ve heard several variations. I’ve heard “Shin Fane”, “Shin Fine”, “Shane Finn”, “Shine Fin”.

These variations all came from news references, not anybody I know.

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinn-fein/84652/2 "2001-09-30T20:11:29Z")

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I would go with **Shin** (like the bone) **Fane.** rhymes with ‘vein’.

That’s how I heard Gerry Adams pronounce it.

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**Author:** ![pasiphae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea666f/32.png) [@pasiphae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasiphae)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinn-fein/84652/3 "2001-09-30T21:56:27Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by postcards \*  
> \*\*I would go with **Shin** (like the bone) **Fane.** rhymes with ‘vein’.
> 
> That’s how I heard Gerry Adams pronounce it. \*\*

Spot on. 🙂

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**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinn-fein/84652/4 "2001-10-01T01:37:04Z")

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Sinn sounds like shin, as in the part of your leg.  
Fein sounds like “feign,” as in “the kid may feign an illness to stay out of school.”

“Sinn fein,” by the way, is merely the Gaelic way of saying “We ourselves.”

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinn-fein/84652/5 "2001-10-01T05:22:01Z")

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Sinn Fein = ourselves alone

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinn-fein/84652/6 "2001-10-01T17:30:45Z")

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“Ourselves alone” is a common translation, but it’s incorrect. _Sinn_ = we. _Féin_ = self/selves. So astorian has it right.