mavourneen

[ muh-voo r-neen, -vawr-, -vohr- ]

/ məˈvʊər nin, -ˈvɔr-, -ˈvoʊr- /

darling; dear.

Origin of mavourneen

First recorded in 1790–1800, mavourneen is from the Irish word mo mhuirnín my darling

mauá, maven, maverick, mavis, mavors, mavourneen, mavun, maw, mawger, mawkin, mawkish

It was the voice of some one singing “Mavourneen,” that sweet Irish melody which has charmed and will always charm thousands.

The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters |Edward S. Ellis
Ay, Paddy, mavourneen; I'll be bail they didn't skit and laugh the way some people would be doin'.

The Fairy Mythology |Thomas Keightley
You see, it was one hard summer afore I was married to Ellish—mavourneen, that you wor, asthore!

Phil Purcel, The Pig-Driver; The Geography Of An Irish Oath; The Lianhan Shee |William Carleton
Mavourneen will be having kittens next month, and May cats are so lucky.

The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett |Compton Mackenzie

Ay, but you're not promisin', Bobby mavourneen; you're not promisin' all the time.

Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. II, No. X., March 1851 |Various

mavourneen

/ (məˈvʊəniːn) /

Irish my darling

C18: from Irish, from mo my + muirnīn love