I'm kind of surprised I don't know this one, but I don't think it's ever come up in anything I've read. If you're addressing someone with a double-barreled name (say, "Seán Mícheál"), do both names get put in the vocative, or just the first one? If just the first one, is there any kind of mutation to the second one? So, for example, would it be:

A Sheáin Mhíchil

Or...

A Sheáin Mhícheál

Or...

A Sheáin Mícheál

?

Redwolf

Or to avoid all such difficulties, just 'Hey tusa!'

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I think (but am NOT 100 percent certain) that all the names "get the treatment", as do adjectives:

Seán Mhíchíl => A Sheáin Mhíchíl

Seán Mhór => a Sheáin Mhóir

But as you see, the second name in a "double-barrelled" name is already in the genitive, which is the same as the vocative.


Family names, which aren't in the genitive to start with, become the vocative or genitive when the phrase does:

Seán Ó Briain => a Sheáin Uí Bhriain

More at in Chapter 10 in Graiméar Gaeilge na mBráithre Críostaí.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

I think she was refering to "double first names" (but I don't think there are many names like that in Ireland, even in the "Gaelic speaking" Ireland), like, say "Anna-Mary" or things like that.

In the vocative I think both would be in the vocative (because there's no reason not to put the second one in the vocative ). But that's my hypothesis because I don't remember having seen any male double first name (because only male names have a real declension in the vocative, as you know) in Irish.

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Yes...that's what I was thinking of. I know a couple of Irish speakers (both males) here with double first names, and I've been curious as to how to address them.

GRMA

Redwolf

Choose one of the two names and vocativise that.

Or ask them how they would address themselves in Irish, if they’re native speakers.


Typologically speaking, it would be most likely, if their names are considered a single name, to lenite the first of the two names, but only put the second one in the vocative: a Sheán-Mícheáil. If the two names are considered separate first names, however, having both lenited and in the vocative would make sense (at least historically and ideally speaking): a Sheáin Mhícheáil.

Considering how rare double-barelled names are traditionally in Irish, though, I think you can pretty much get away with anything.

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Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

In the traditional system of naming families - father;grandfather;great-grandfather etc - all the names would be lenited:
Cóilín Pháraic Shéamais
Seán Chóilín Mhaolra
But addressing people you only call them by their first name usually.

Like Koko said double-barrelled names are fairly rare. And those that are common like Máire-Áine wouldn't have the second name lenited anyhow.
Not really sure but I think both name would be lenited where required.
A Mhicíl-Sheáin ... A Mhicíl-Seán (I think would sound a bit odd)
A Pháraic-Sheosaimh... a Pháraic-Seosamh (again a bit odd- but really most people would be Paddy Joe)

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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