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Archive for May, 2009

Lá na Máithreacha vs. Lá na Máthar (“Day of the Mothers” or “of the Mother”)? Posted by on May 10, 2009

(le Róislín) I’ve been following this debate in Irish circles for a good 10 or so years now, probably since the first time I wrote on the topic for my Irish language column for children in the Philadelphia-based Irish Edition newspaper (www.irishedition.com).  Are we celebrating one mother or all mothers?  I should probably qualify that to say…

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Logainmneacha Ceilteacha agus Náisiúntachtaí a Ceathair: Celtic Place Names and Nationalities 4 – The Isle of Man (Mann) and the Manx Posted by on May 6, 2009

We’ve recently discussed the place names Albain (Scotland), Éire (Ireland), and An Bhreatain Bheag (Wales).  Today we’ll turn to the Isle of Man (IOM), an island which is not part of Britain nor of the United Kingdom, but which has been a British crown possession since 1828.  Under the auspices of the British Home Office…

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Logainmneacha Ceilteacha agus Náisiúntachtaí a Trí: Celtic Place Names and Nationalities – Wales and the Welsh Posted by on May 3, 2009

We’ve recently discussed the place names Albain (Scotland) and Éire (Ireland).  Now we’ll turn to ”An Bhreatain Bheag” (Wales).  Since “Breatain” is a feminine noun, the adjective that modifies it, “beag” (little) becomes “bheag.”  And since this country name includes the definite article “an” (the), it also causes “Breatain” to change to “Bhreatain,” pronounced with…

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Bealtaine, Beltain, Beltene, or Beltane for May 1st? YES! Ba’al tine – NOT! Posted by on May 1, 2009

Bealtaine, Beltain, Beltene, or Beltane for May 1st? YES!  Ba’al tine – NOT!   May 1st is the first day of summer in the traditional Celtic calendar, and if our current heat wave (ceithre chéim is nócha Fahrenheit ar an 26ú lá d’Aibreán, 94°F on April 26th) is any indication, it will feel like an…

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