Archive for May, 2011
An Mháthair nó an Lá: Cé Acu Atá Sona? Posted by róislín on May 8, 2011
(le Róislín) Some of you may have been wondering how to say “Happy Mother’s Day” in Irish. Previous blogs in the series have talked about the phrase for “Mother’s Day” itself (Lá na Máithreacha, lit. day of the mothers). But what happens when you want to say the greeting? In Irish, if a greeting is…
An Ceathrú Díochlaonadh (4th-declension): Bealtaine, Duine, Domhainlascaine, srl., srl., srl. Posted by róislín on May 4, 2011
(le Róislín) Why so many “srl.-anna” sa teideal? Because there are so many different word-endings that fit this category, besides “-aine” and “-uine,” including a lot of the most recent borrowings, or adaptations, like “móideim” and “ríomhaire.” Other major groups include most (but not absolutely all) “-ín” nouns, like “cailín” and “bóithrín,” and most nouns…
Mayday! May Day! Bealtaine! Posted by róislín on May 1, 2011
(le Róislín) Bhuel, not exactly! “Mayday” as an emergency call comes from the French “(Venez) m’aider” (Come help me!)* and the Irish for “mayday” as an SOS remains “mayday,” so we have “córas mayday” (a mayday system) for sailing, etc. In fact, “SOS” also remains exactly the same in Irish, as an internationally understood abbreviation. …