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Cártaí Vailintín?  Cé dóibh?  (Some Irish words for your Valentine’s Card recipients) Posted by on Jan 31, 2017 in Irish Language

(le Róislín)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACard%3B_valentine_card_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons (original in the Museum of London)

With Valentine’s Day coming up, it would be fun to look at list of all the people we might give Valentine’s Day cards to.  In a recent blogpost (nasc thíos), we listed cúig chatagóir déag, and maybe this time, we’ll have a few more.  Today, however, instead of just listing them in Irish, or just listing them with their definitions, we’ll make a matching game of it.  So here are the words, with the Irish listed alphabetically and the English equivalents in the word bank.  There is some overlap.  Also, I’ve added plurals for some of the terms where this would be especially typical: son(s), daughter(s), nephew(s), and niece(s).  For “classmates,” I’ve only included the plural, since every school I’ve heard of insists that the child gives a Valentine to every other child in the class, regardless of the degree of friendship, so no one feels “ina (h)éan corr” (left out).

Notice also that I’ve included the word “your” throughout in the Irish section.  That gives us a little extra challenge in Irish because the pronunciation of some of the words will change.  The fourth column is for a few pronunciation notes.  Hopefully most readers will be able to switch from saying “your mother,” for example, to “my mother,” “the mother,” etc., but if any readers would like more practice with this, please do write in and let me know.  We can certainly design more ways to practice those phrases.

I doubt that any of us really send out Valentine’s to this many people, but they’re all certainly potential.  I’ve seen cards specifically printed for most of these categories and

And a final BTW, there are way more terms for darling, sweetheart, etc., than we have room for here, but we’ll look at more of those soon.  And you might remember some from blogposts past also (nasc samplach thíos).

And a final final BTW, if you’re looking for some phrases like “I love you,” we’ll work on those in the next blogpost or two.  Today’s theme is simply who are the recipients.

Banc na bhFocal

 aunt       father                   wife                       girlfriend              spouse                 cousin     2nd cousin          classmates          granddad             husband              sweetheart            daughter             daughters           lover                     son                         grandma              mother                sons        teacher                     niece                     nieces                   nephew               nephews             partner                 godchild               grandfather       grandmother     siblings         uncle                     boyfriend (lad)

 An Liosta 

1. d’aintín  
2. d’athair  
3. do bhean  
4. do chailín  
5. do chéile  
6. do chol ceathrair (aka: do chol ceathar)  
7. do chol seisir  
8. do chomhscoláirí  
9. do dhaideo  
10. d’fhear  
11. do ghrá geal
12. d’iníon
13. d’iníonacha
14. do leannán
15. do mhac
16. do mhamó
17. do mháthair
18. do mhic
19. do mhúinteoir
20. do neacht
21. do neachtanna
22. do nia
23. do nianna
24. do pháirtí
25. do leanbh baiste
26. do sheanathair
27. do sheanmháthair
28. do shiblíní
29. do stócach
30. do stóirín
31. do stór
31. d’uncail

And the final question, does anyone give cártaí Vailintín to their dogs (madraí) or cats (cait) or other pets (peataí eile).  Certainly they get bronntanais Nollag, so why not?  How about a nice heart-shaped dog biscuit, drizzled with gravy, and served on a bed of shredded bread and cheese.  With dollops of, dare I say it, marmite?  SGF —  Róislín

Freagraí

1. d’aintín aunt
2. d’athair father
3. do bhean wife
4. do chailín girlfriend
5. do chéile spouse
6. do chol ceathrair (aka: do chol ceathar) cousin
7. do chol seisir 2nd cousin
8. do chomhscoláirí classmates
9. do dhaideo granddad
10. d’fhear husband
11. do ghrá geal Sweetheart, lit. “bright love”
12. d’iníon daughter
13. d’iníonacha daughters
14. do leannán lover, sweetheart
15. do mhac son
16. do mhamó grandma
17. do mháthair mother
18. do mhic sons
19. do mhúinteoir teacher
20. do neacht niece
21. do neachtanna nieces
22. do nia nephew
23. do nianna nephews
24. do pháirtí partner
25. do leanbh baiste godchild
26. do sheanathair grandfather
27. do sheanmháthair grandmother
28. do shiblíní siblings
29. do stócach boyfriend/”lad”
30. do stóirín sweetheart
31. do stór sweetheart
31. d’uncail uncle

Naisc: Cúig phictiúr d’imeachtaí an tséasúir: Irish words for some festivals and events from late January through mid February Posted by on Jan 27, 2017 in Irish Language

Saying “I Love You” in Irish Posted by on Feb 11, 2016 in Irish Language

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