Etymology

Among the first Livonian village names to be attested – in 1387 as Domesnes, Minor Irwa, Sigkeragke, Irvemunde, Gipkewalme. Minor Irwa or Livonian Irai, Ire (~ Irē), Latvian Mazirbe (dialectal Maģier) should be etymologized just like the name of Īra joug. The Estonian term for this village was Irve. The question of the qualifier Minor for Mazirbe in the 14th century Latin text remains open as Lielirbe was called Irwemunde back then (thus there was no opposition between "Big Irbe" and "Small Irbe".) It is evident that both villages got their names from the names of the rivers: Ire joug (~ Irē joug) and Īra joug. The name of the village Irwemunde was replaced by Gross Irwen in 1582-1583.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iːrɑ/