Magdalen - Magdalene

The saint called Mary, the friend of Jesus in the New Testament, is distinguished from other Saint Marys by the name of her home town, Magdala (in Galilee). So she is (Saint) [[#redirect Saint MaryMary Magdalene.

This can be seen written with or without a terminal ‘ e ’, Magdalen or Magdalene. The 2nd edition of OED gives it as magdalen(e), though the 3rd (on-line) seems to have settled on a preference for magdalen, with the final silent '-e'. AWE's advice is to decide on one (the one with which you feel most comfortable), and then use it consistently.

In British English, both spellings are pronounced the same: usually as ‘MAG-der-lin’, with the stress on the first syllable, which rhymes with ‘bag’, SAMPA: /"m{gd@lIn/.

In the past, there was a different pronunciation, ‘MAUD-lin’, SAMPA: /"mO:dlIn/. This eventually became a separate word, maudlin, which has no religious meaning nowadays. It is an adjective meaning ‘characterised by tearful sentimentality’ (OED). It has come to mean this because Saint Mary Magdalene was believed to have been a repentant prostitute, and is often shown in pictures as weeping. Maudlin was first a pronunciation of her name, then used to mean ‘tearful’, and finally merely sentimental. (The stage of maudlin drunken-ness is that in which the drinker weeps.)

See also: Magdalen - Magdalene College