Pronouncing this name: Donn......?

**denmcdough** · 11th May 10, 04:52 AM

I'd like some help from the rabble on pronouncing this name: Donnchadha.

My guess is "don - a - chu." Would this be correct? Thanks!

**RockyR** · 11th May 10, 06:20 AM

My guess is "Don Ka Da", though I have no real knowledge of Gaelic and only can guess by how I've heard names pronounced.

**Manitoban Keith** · 11th May 10, 06:41 AM

i think it's pronounced Dan-cha

D (as in the word "do")
ah (as in "car")
n (as in "no")
ch (as in "chin")
ah (as in "car")

**slohairt** · 11th May 10, 07:18 AM

DAWN-KAY-A (The 'ch' as in 'loch').

This is the possessive form of the name Donnchadh (Modern Irish: Donncha) as used in Irish surnames like Ó Donnchadha or Mac Donnchadha. ('Descendant of Donnchadh and 'son of Donnchadh, respectively.)

**denmcdough** · 11th May 10, 03:04 PM

Hmm, very interesting take on how to pronounce this name. I'm thinking that it's: DAWN-KAY-A! What syllable is accented, though, the KAY?

I'm looking in to the MacDonagh (McDonough) surname roots, and it seems to stem from Donnchadha.

I was at the Frederick, MD Celtic Festival on Saturday, and visited the MacDonald clan tent. Their take on it was: DAWN'-A-KEY.

So, now, who's actually correct?????? I'm all confused!

**denmcdough** · 11th May 10, 03:37 PM

OK, look at what I found on a Gaelic pronunciation site:

Donnchadh DO nu chugh, DO nu chu, DOO nu chugh, DOO nu chu brown warrior Duncan

**MacBean** · 11th May 10, 04:06 PM

I know no Gaelic at all, but it's beginning to look just like the name Donahue to me! So I looked it up and it is indeed the same.

**cajuncelt** · 13th May 10, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by denmcdough

Hmm, very interesting take on how to pronounce this name. I'm thinking that it's: DAWN-KAY-A! What syllable is accented, though, the KAY?

I'm looking in to the MacDonagh (McDonough) surname roots, and it seems to stem from Donnchadha.

I was at the Frederick, MD Celtic Festival on Saturday, and visited the MacDonald clan tent. Their take on it was: DAWN'-A-KEY.

So, now, who's actually correct?????? I'm all confused!

I am unknowledgable of Irish Gaelic, but it is definitely not Dawn-A-Key (the Robertsons Gaelic name). If this were Scots Gaelic, it would be Dawn-A-Ka. The "dh" would be silent, but there would be an inherent "a" between the n and the ch.