Deirdre

Deirdre

English

Alternative forms

• Derdriu (in mythology)

Etymology

From Irish, from Old Irish Derdriu.

Pronunciation

• (Republic of Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈdeːɹdɹə/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪədɹi/, /ˈdɪədɹə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪɹdɹə/

Proper noun

Deirdre

1. (Irish mythology) The foremost tragic heroine in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.
2. A female given name from Irish.
   • 1885 Frances Mabel Robinson, Mr. Butler's Ward, Vizetelly, page 95:

     Deirdre, it seemed to him, was the most beautiful name in the world. But Mrs. Stanley had different views on nomenclature. She had never, she declared, heard so utterly preposterous a name. […] "Theatre and saltpetre are both spelt that way, Arthur; depend upon it, it is Deirder - a sort of peasant name like Darby and Biddy, a corruption of something else."

   • 1996, Maeve Binchy, This Year It Will Be Different: A Christmas Treasury, Hachette UK, published 2008, →ISBN:

     His daughter was called Deirdre, a good Irish name, but now she signed herself Dee, and her man friend was called Fox.

Translations

Irish mythological heroine

Greek: Ντέιρντρε f (Déirntre) Irish: Deirdre f Old Irish: Derdriu f Korean: 데르드러 (dereudeureo) Russian: Де́йрдре f (Déjrdre) Scottish Gaelic: Deirdre f

Anagrams

• derider, redried, ridered

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Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish Derdriu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdʲɛɾʲədʲɾʲə]

Proper noun

Deirdre f (genitive Deirdre)

1. a female given name from Old Irish

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
Deirdre	Dheirdre	nDeirdre
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “Deirdre”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Entries containing “Deirdre” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “Deirdre” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

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Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish Derdriu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʲɛrtɾə/, /ˈtʲɛʈɾə/

Proper noun

Deirdre

1. a female given name from Old Irish

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
Deirdre	Dheirdre
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.