Madam, - In the course of a recent report on an inquest into the death of a young child in tragic circumstances in Co Tyrone in 2004, a witness is quoted as saying: ". . .he asked me if the wain [ sic] was dead".
In the interests of linguistic accuracy, may I point out that the correct spelling of this word is "wean"? It is of Scottish origin from "wee ane" or "little one".
As a child in Co Donegal I often heard reference to "the weans" (pronounced "wains", and meaning "the children"). This would still be quite common in parts of Ulster. - Yours, etc,
BRENDA O'HANRAHAN, Park Lane, Dublin 4.