Deirdre

English

Alternative forms

• (in mythology) Derdriu, Dierdre

Etymology

From Irish Deirdre, 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 (Ntéirntre)
• Irish: Deirdre f

  Old Irish: Derdriu f

• Korean: 데르드러 (dereudeureo)
• Russian: Де́йрдре f (Déjrdre)
• Scottish Gaelic: Deirdre f

Anagrams

• ridered, derider, redried, Dierdre

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish Derdriu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdʲɛɾˠdʲɾʲə/

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
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “Deirdre”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “Deirdre”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish Derdriu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʲɛrtɾə/, /ˈtʲɛʈɾə/

Proper noun

Deirdre f (vocative a Dheirdre)

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.