(le Róislín)

During the Easter season, we can’t escape the promotion of “seacláid,” especially in the shape of “coiníní” and “uibheacha,” and, for those down under, “bilbithe,” as discussed in some previous blogs (naisc thíos).

So let’s look at a few more terms related to “bia na ndéithe” (.i. seacláid, leis an leasainm bunaithe ar an Nua-Laidin “Theobroma” (“of gods-food”).  For many people, chocolate is “scoth na mbianna compoird” (the top choice of comfort foods).  Others will say “macarón cáise” (literally “macaroni cheese,” as in Irish English, which is not quite the same grammatically as the American phrase, which would be “macarón agus cáis,” macaroni and cheese).  In a more Irish context, we might say “pióg an aoire” for a top comfort food.  Céard a deir tusa?  For my part, I’ll happily nominate “seacláid” but I’d never object to the other choices!

Here are the basics for the word ‘chocolate’:

seacláid [SHAK-lawdj] , as a substance or as a candy

an tseacláid [un TCHAK-lawdj], the chocolate

seacláide [SHAK-lawdj-uh], of chocolate; briosca seacláide, briosca sceallaí seacláide, císte seacláide

na seacláide, of the chocolate; blas na seacláide, uigeacht na seacláide

seacláidí, chocolates OR of chocolates; bosca seacláidí

na seacláidí, the chocolates OR of the chocolates

Some types of chocolate include:

seacláid bhainne, milk chocolate

seacláid bhán, white chocolate

seacláid leathmhilis, semi-sweet chocolate

Some related vocabulary:

síol cócó or pónaire chacó, cacao (cocoa) bean

crann cócó or crann cacó, cacao tree

cócó, cocoa

fondue seacláide or fondú seacláide (I’ve seen both words used for “fondue”)

seacláideoir, chocolatier

pónairí carúib, carob beans

and finally, and yummily,

donnóga teo seacláide agus collchnónna

éadromóga seacláide (the singular has “sh” instead of “s” following “éadromóg“: éadromóg sheacláide)

seacláid the [SHAK-lawdj heh; note the “t” is silent], hot chocolate.  Hmm, is there any difference between saying “hot chocolate” and “cocoa”?  Bhuel, if there is, “cocoa” is “cócó“.  So we could say, “cupán seacláid the” or “cupán cócó.”

And what ‘s your choice for the crème de la crème of milseogra seacláide?

cuachán seacláide líonta le cúróg d’uachtar Bailey

OR

cúróg sheacláide cupán chruthach le hanlann de ghrinidín agus miribéal

And the mionghluais for those two is:

anlann, sauce (le hanlann, with sauce)

cruthach, shaped

cuachán, small cup

cúróg, soufflé

grinidín, grenadine, as in the syrup (Note that this is a different spelling from the geographic area: San Uinseann agus na Greanáidíní)

líonta, filled

miribéal, mirabelle

uachtar, cream (d’uachtar, of cream)

And getting back to the Easter theme, which form of the word ‘chocolate’ would you choose to complete these phrases?  Remember, gender (inscne) is the determining factor here.  Seo na roghanna: seacláide, sheacláide

1) coinín _______________

2) ubh ________________

3) bilbí ________________

4) bilbithe _____________

5) uibheacha ___________

Maybe in some future blog we’ll revisit another popular Easter candy, pónairí glóthaí, as introduced in https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/sos-ponairi-glothai/, 18 Aibreán 2011.  Tá a lán blasanna suimiúla ann, cuid acu neamhbhlasta, céir chluaise, mar shampla (de réir leabhartha J. K. Rowling sa tsraith Harry Potter).  SGF — Róislín

Freagraí: 1) coinín seacláide (initial “s” because “coinín” is masculine); 2) ubh sheacláide (initial “sh” because “ubh” is feminine); 3) bilbí seacláide (“s” because “bilbí” is masculine); 4) bilbithe seacláide (“s” because “bilbithe” is plural, not specifically because it’s masculine); 5) uibheacha seacláide (back to “s,” i.e. unlenited, because “uibheacha” is plural; although it’s feminine, the rules change when the noun is plural)

Naisc:

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/an-chaisc-easter-is-a-cognate-of-pascha-and-pesach/ (12 Aibreán 2009)

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/irish-terms-for-easter-tearmai-don-chaisc/ (2 Aibreán 2010)

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/that%E2%80%99s-the-way-the-easter-bunny-goes-%E2%80%93-cluas-i-ndiaidh-cluaise-using-the-irish-verb-%E2%80%9Cto-eat%E2%80%9D/ (9 Aibreán 2010)

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/an-dara-diochlaonadh-eggs-and-legs-clutches-and-hutches/ (11 Aibreán 2011)

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/diochlaontai-aris/ (24 Aibreán 2011)

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/laethanta-na-seachtaine-laethanta-aimsir-na-casca/ (4 Aibreán 2012)

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/caisc-chaisc-chasca-casca-et-al-which-one-when/ (8 Aibreán 2012)

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/thats-the-way-the-easter-bilby-goes-cluas-i-ndiaidh-cluaise-using-the-irish-verb-to-eat/ (10 Aibreán 2012)

https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/aimsir-na-casca-redux-eastertide-revisited/ (25 Márta 2013)