name
Irish
Mythology
Cú Chulainn
koo KULL-in
/kuː ˈxʊlɪn/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
cúchulainn
Name meaning and origin
- Origin
- Irish/Gaelic (Ireland); from Irish cú (hound) + Chulainn (of Culann the smith); the greatest hero of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology
- Meaning
- The Hound of Culann; originally named Sétanta, he took this name after killing Culann's guard dog
- Gender
- male
- Also spelled
- Cú Chulainn, Cuchulainn, Cu Chulaind
Common mispronunciations
Saying 'koo choo-LANE'; the 'Ch' in Irish is a guttural 'kh' not an English 'ch'; '-ainn' ends in a soft nasal 'in'
Pronunciation tips
'Ch' = guttural 'kh' as in Scottish 'loch'; 'Chu' = 'KHULL'; '-lainn' = 'lin'; so 'koo KHULL-in'
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