Deirdre

English

Alternative forms

• Derdriu (in mythology)

Etymology

From Irish, from Old Irish Derdriu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdeːɹdɹə/
• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪədɹi/, /ˈdɪədɹə/
• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪəɹdɹə/

Proper noun

Deirdre

1. (Irish mythology) The foremost tragic heroine in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Fedlimid mac Daill. At birth, Cathbad foretold that she would be very beautiful, but that kings and lords would go to war over her. She committed suicide.
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 (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

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “Deirdre”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “Deirdre”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

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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.