(le Róislín)

In the last blog, we looked at the words for “inch” and “foot” (in measurements) in Irish (orlach and troigh).  Among other reasons for discussing these measurement terms, a lot of people have been talking about the depth of snow in Boston lately (thart fá chéad orlach ó thús an gheimhridh).  Even that doesn’t top some other record-breaking snowfalls, such as:

Aomori, an tSeapáin, 21 Feabhra 2013: beagnach seacht dtroithe dhéag (5.15 méadar)

Tamarack, California, 11 Márta 1911: beagnach seacht dtroithe is tríocha  (11.5 méadar)

Mount Baker, Washington (baile / ionad saoire sciála): geimhreadh 1998-99, ocht dtroithe is nócha go leith (30 méadar)

Baile Sheáin (Baile Naomh Eoin), Talamh an Éisc, Ceanada: geimhreadh 2000-01, breis agus troigh agus fiche (6.48 méadar)

agus maidir le hEirinn, áit nach bhfaigheann méideanna sneachta mar sin de ghnáth:

 Aeradróm Mhic Easmainn (Casement Aerodrome), Baile Dhónaill, Baile Átha Cliath, Éire: 31 Mí na Nollag, 1962:  beagnach ocht n-orlaí déag, .i. troigh go leith  (0.45 méadar).  An cuimhin le duine ar bith agaibh é?

I have to acknowledge that the way some of these figures are recorded is ambiguous as to how long it took for that amount of snow to fall — was the figure cumulative, or in one specific snowfall?  But either way, the figures are very impressive.  Tuilleadh eolais faoi na titimí sneachta seo ag na hailt sa liosta nasc ag deireadh an bhlag seo.  

Céard faoi do cheantar féin?  What about your own area?  A lán sneachta i mbliana?  Gan sneachta ar bith (má tá tú i bhFlorida, mar shampla, a Sheancháin ámharaigh!)?  Scríobh isteach, le do thoil, agus inis dúinn cé mhéad sneachta a thit i do cheantar.

And now back to the main theme for today’s blog.  Remember, Irish has two basic words for “foot,” one usually for the body (cos) and one usually for measuring (troigh).  Here’s a review of these words, with some sample phrases:

 

cos [kuss], foot, leg (yes, there is that ambiguity); Níl cos ag Seán le cur faoi (Seán is very drunk, lit. Seán hasn’t got a foot/leg to put under him)

an chos [un khuss], the foot, the leg

coise [K^wISH-uh], of a foot, of a leg; fad coise (leg length; NB: this is understood to be “leg” length basically by tradition; “fad troighe” may be used for “length of a foot,” despite “troigh” mostly being reserved for measurements)

na coise, of the foot, of the leg

cosa, feet, legs; cosa fuara (stilts); Tá a cosa nite (It’s all up with her, lit. “Her feet/legs are washed.”)

na cosa, the feet, the legs; Ná labhair leis na cosa má bhíonn an ceann sa láthair (Talk to the head, lit. “Don’t talk to the feet if the head is present”)

cos, of feet, of legs; folcadán cos (footbath, lit. “bath/tub of feet”)

na gcos, of the feet, of the legs; in aghaidh na gcos (feet first, lit. “in the face of the feet”)

And for “troigh,” we have:

troigh, a foot (mostly for measuring, these days); troigh ar fad (a foot in length)

an troigh, the foot

troighe, of a foot; síos go méara a troighe, down to her toes, lit. “down to the fingers of her feet” (using “troigh” in reference to the body, here)

na troighe, of the foot

troithe, feet (old spelling: troighthe, which shows the core of the word better, with the “-gh“); troithe an soicind, feet per second

na troithe, the feet

troithe, of feet

na dtroithe, of the feet

And here are a few interesting phrases with “cos,” “troigh,” or the adjective form “-chosach”  Can you match them up?  Watch for some that are parts of compound words, and for a couple of duplicates, as shown in the word bank.  Freagraí thíos (cuid “A”).

Banc Focal: a) -chosach  b) choise c) coise  d) coise e) cos  f) cos g) cos-  h) throigh  i) troigh j) troigh-

Frásaí:

1) ____  fuála

2) feall  _____  

3) ____  sipe  

4) sciomradh  _____  sliogairt 

5) bandacút muc-_____ 

6) stop ceithre  _____

7) lóis nua phúdair  _____  dhíbholaíoch féir líomóidigh 

8) diúilicín goiríneach  _____fhlannbhuí,

9) ________phunt

10) _____  stoca

And now a few “foot” phrases that don’t have the word “foot” in Irish.  An féidir leat iad a mheaitseáil?  Freagraí thíos (cuid “B”):

Gaeilge:  1) ciotóg  2) deasóg  3) bonnra  4) bonnchomhla 5) galar crúb is béil  6) crúibíneach  7) gé ghobghearr 

Béarla:  a) right-footed kicker  b) footing (of a wall)  c) left-footed kicker  d) foot-and-mouth disease  e) foot rot  f) pink-footed goose  g) foot valve

Tá súil agam gur bhain tú sult as sin.  SGF — Róislín

Naisc:

http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/SnowfallAnal.pdf, Snowfall in Ireland, Aidan Murphy, Met Éireann, Glasnevin Hill, Dublin 9, November 2012

http://www.easternsnow.org/proceedings/2002/021_Whiffen.pdf, One for the History Books: The Winter of 2000-01 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, by Bruce Whiffen (59th Eastern Snow Conference, Stowe, Vermont, 2002)

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/01/japan-record-snowfall-not-deepest-ever, Japan’s Record Snowfall Still Not the Deepest Ever, Stephen Moss, March 1, 20013

Freagraí “A”

1) cos fuála, sewing foot (for an “inneall fuála“)

2) feall coise, foot fault (i leadóg)

3)  cos sipe, zipper foot (don inneall fuála freisin)

4) sciomradh coise sliogairt; pumice foot scrub

5) bandacút muc-chosach, pig-footed bandicoot

6) stop ceithre throigh, four-foot stop (i gceol)

7) lóis nua phúdair choise dhíbholaíoch féir líomóidigh, new lemongrass deodorizing foot powder lotion (hmm, how is a púdar (powder) a lóis (lotion), well, ceist lá fearthainne!)

8) diúilicín goiríneach cosfhlannbhuí, orange-footed pimpleback (!) mussel,

9) troighphunt, foot-pound (téarma eolaíochta)

10) troigh stoca, vamp (front upper part of a stocking; in English, “vamp” is also used for shoes and boots, but in Irish this seems to simply be “uachtar” (“top part,” etc.).

Freagraí “B” — phrases that have “foot” in English but not the usual words for “foot” in Irish (cos, troigh):

1c) ciotóg, left-footed kicker

2a) deasóg, right-footed kicker

3b) bonnra, footing (of a wall)

4g) bonnchomhla, foot valve

5d) galar crúb is béil, foot-and-mouth disease, lit. “hoof-and-mouth disease”

6e) crúibíneach, foot rot

7f) gé ghobghearr, pink-footed goose, lit. “short-beaked goose” — so I guess the perspective on the goose is different, depending on language — foot type vs. beak type