GalacticCactus Forum

Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: Porter on April 03, 2006, 08:26:23 AM

Title: colleen
Post by: Porter on April 03, 2006, 08:26:23 AM: I'm learning a song right now called "Star of the County Down"*. The lyrics include the word "colleen", which I thought was weird, because it wasn't capitolized.

So I looked it up and discovered that it means "An Irish girl or maid", which is a pretty cool word to use for a first name.

It made me wonder if there are other names which mean "boy or girl from INSERT_LOCATION". Jon Boy?

*For you Mormons out there -- it happens to have the same melody as the hymn "If You Could Hie To Kolob".
Title: colleen
Post by: pooka on April 03, 2006, 08:47:22 AM: I know a woman named Colleen. She feels strongly about the pronunciation being "Call-een" and not "Co-leen". Which is kind of too bad since I'd called her the wrong one for a couple of years. She didn't tell me, it was in a book she'd written.
Title: colleen
Post by: Jonathon on April 03, 2006, 10:28:55 AM: I don't think I know of any names like that.
Title: colleen
Post by: pooka on April 03, 2006, 02:45:08 PM: Francine?
Title: colleen
Post by: Jonathon on April 03, 2006, 02:59:12 PM: Ah, true. Frank and Francis both come from the name of the Germanic tribe.

But according to Behindthename.com, Colleen is simply Irish for "girl," not Irish for "Irish girl." Similarly, my best friend once told me that his name means "red-headed Irish king," but it in fact is simply Irish for "red king" (the "-headed" part being implicit, I presume).
Title: colleen
Post by: Porter on April 03, 2006, 03:05:29 PM: The name "Colleen" is simply Irish for "girl", but the English word "colleen" means "Irish girl".

The name came first.
Title: colleen
Post by: Jonathon on April 03, 2006, 03:46:39 PM: Quote
The name "Colleen" is simply Irish for "girl", but the English word "colleen" means "Irish girl".

The name came first.
Ah. Somehow I didn't catch that you were referring to an English word and not a name.
Title: colleen
Post by: Porter on April 03, 2006, 04:02:59 PM: Quote
The lyrics include the word "colleen", which I thought was weird, because it wasn't capitolized.
I only knew it as a name, but since it wasn't capitolized, it appeared to be an English word as well. I was right.
Title: colleen
Post by: Porter on April 03, 2006, 05:37:26 PM: Of course I did say
Quote
So I looked it up and discovered that it means "An Irish girl or maid", which is a pretty cool word to use for a first name.
which is pretty confusing.
Title: colleen
Post by: pooka on April 05, 2006, 04:44:23 PM: If Birdie were to be used as a name, I think it would be understood to mean "girl from England."

Maybe I'll have a daughter and name her Birdie. Though something tells me my husband would have to be dead before that happened.
Title: colleen
Post by: Porter on April 05, 2006, 04:45:24 PM: Quote
If Birdie were to be used as a name, I think it would be understood to mean "girl from England."
Why?
Title: colleen
Post by: Brinestone on April 05, 2006, 08:17:08 PM: I was flipping through channels today while snuggling with Liam, and I saw a program on KBYU that showed two girls singing the song you're describing, Porter. I'm sure; it was the tune to "If You Could Hie to Kolob," and the word colleen was in it.
Title: colleen
Post by: Porter on April 05, 2006, 09:29:29 PM: :cool:
Title: colleen
Post by: pooka on April 06, 2006, 09:07:51 AM: Because in England it is not uncommon to refer to girls as "birds".

I miss KBYU.