(le Róislín)

We know that in English the word “tanker” may refer to a “tanker truck” and that “artic” may refer to an “articulated lorry.”  In today’s blog, we’ll look at a few Irish words for types of trucks or lorries that don’t necessarily incorporate the word “trucail” or “leoraí” into the term.   In most cases, we know that we’re referring to trucailí or leoraithe from context.  So the final installment, for now, in our mini-series on córais iompair and lóistíocht shlabhra an tsoláthair will look at some samples, typically, but not always, with the same occupational suffixes that we use for people (-aire, óir, -eoir, srl.)

In the most recent blogpost (nasc thíos), we saw “dumpaire,” one of three words for “dumptruck,” as an example.   That “-aire” suffix is widely used either for occupation terms (iascaire, fisherman; beachaire, bee-keeper, srl.) or for words for machines or devices (aerthomhsaire, air gauge; beiltscagaire, belt filter, srl.) that perform a specific function or mechanical task.

Let’s see if there are at least a few more truck-related words that don’t include “leoraí,” “trucail,” “truiclín,” or even that corrshampla, “truc.”  A quick look shows at least six:

dumpaire, dumptruck.  Two other choices for this word are “trucail dumpála”  (lit. truck of dumping) and “truc tuisil” (lit. truck of falling/slipping), as we saw in the last blog.

forcardaitheoir, forklift truck, often simply called a “forklift” in English, much like the Irish, which is literally “fork-raiser” or “fork-lifter”

inneall dóiteáin, fire truck, lit. “fire engine” (paralleling the two English expressions)

leantóir gan ráillí, flatbed truck, lit. follower/trailer without rails.  This can also be a “trucail gan ráillí” — in many cases there will be a choice of terms for the same thing.

leatóir grin, a gritter, gritting lorry, lit. a spreader of grit.  “Grin” means “of grit” and comes from the root word “grean.”   As far as I know, the Irish word ‘grean‘ is not used for “courage” or “true grit” as we can do in English.  That would typically be expressed by “misneach” or “uchtach.”

tancaer, tanker (tanker lorry, tank truck, tanker truck)

There are some terms, of course, that don’t have “truck” or “lorry” in the English either.  I’d love to find a confirmation of “*flóta bainne” for a “milk float,” a vehicle which I don’t think exists in North American transportation methods and which I haven’t found in any Irish dictionary so far.  The history of these vehicles intrigues me, plus the notion that the driver could jump off before the float came to complete stop, deliver the milk, and jump back on while the float continued slowly down the street.  “Flóta” can also be used for a beverage, like a “flóta beoir fréimhe,” so it’s mainly context that distinguishes a “milk float” from a float made with soda and ice-cream.  Flóta beoir fréimhe!  Mh’anam — next thing you know, we’ll be talking about whether to have a “glóir Uachtar Ard” or a “scoilteog bhanana.”  Well, why not, mar tá aimsir dheas the an tsamhraidh beagnach ann?

Some day we’ll also have to look at veaineanna, and who knows, some day maybe we’ll take a step back and look at draenna and cairt chapaill, but our immediate goal has been modhanna iompair that are reasonably nua-aimseartha.

Hope you found this mionsraith as enjoyable as I found writing it.  If so, please remember to click “is maith liom.”  SGF — Róislín

PS (6/19/17) In some recent reading, was reminded that a “trucail” at one time could mean a “cairt chapaill” as well as the previously noted “hand-truck.”

Naisc: 

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