Guth: What’s in a name?

Why call it Guth?

If there’s one question I get asked more than any other about Guth magazine, it’s why I called it Guth.

The simple answer is, it’s an Irish word, and an Irish magazine, and unlike English words, most Irish words tend to be available. They’re less likely to be trademarked, less likely to already be in use as domain names, less likely to run into copyright problems.

To give the simplest example: Guth is voice, and Irish Voice is already taken.

Using an Irish name also raises some other issues, so for those still wondering: No, Guth is not an Irish language magazine. That’s not to say it would turn down an article in Irish, but it is intended to produce work in English.

But it is an Irish magazine, and Irish focused, though will look at stories farther afield where resources allow.

And while we’re on words, isn’t it odd how the language of print persists. People have called Guth a newspaper, but there will be no paper, except for some limited runs to generous crowdfunding contributors. Guth is an online entity. Even the word magazine, although it is as often applied to radio or television, carries overtones of print. And “online magazine” feels clunky, though not as inelegant as “webzine”.

So to sum up, Guth is an English-language online magazine covering (mostly) Irish issues.

And for those still wondering, it’s pronounced “Gooh”.