(le Róislín)

A few years ago, we did a few blog posts on Irish proverbs (seanfhocail, lit. “old words”; naisc thíos / links below), which are always a popular language learning tool. The seanfhocail not only teach vocabulary and sentence structure, but they’re often also fun (Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb), pithy (Más mian leat cáineadh – pós; más mian leat moladh — fáigh bás), pleasantly alliterative (Ná ceannaigh muc i mála), witty (Cuir síoda ar ghabhar ach is gabhar i gcónaí é), and/or internationally understood (Is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn).

Last time, to make the proverbs more challenging, we didn’t just list them, but we wrote them as “fill-in-the-blank” exercises, with a “banc focal” (word bank), of course.   Without a word bank, the choice of vocabulary would just be too broad. But to keep the challenge level up, today’s word bank does have one extra answer, which won’t be used for the 10 sentences.

So here we have another “deich seanfhocal le líonadh isteach” (10 proverbs to fill in) and freagraí (answers) and aistriúcháin (translations).

Banc Focal: aon, binn, cat, eile, méilí, pósta, rósta, shrón, sliabh (x2), thí, triúr, tuigeann

Seo iad:

1, Ní scéal rúin é ó tá a fhios ag __________é.

2.. Nuair a bhíonn an _________ amuigh, bíonn an luch ag rince.

3.. Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg _________.

4.. Is teann gach madra gearr i ndoras a _________ féin.

5.. Is _________ béal ina thost.

6.. An t-uan ag múineadh _________ dá mháthair.

7.. _________ Tadhg Taidhgín.

8. Pós bean ón _________ agus pósfaidh tú an _________ ar fad.

9.. Ní féasta go _________, ní céasadh go ­_________

10.. Níl _________ tinteán mar do thinteán féin.

Tá súil agam gur thaitin an dúshlán leat. SGF — Róislín

Freagraí

1.. Ní scéal rúin é ó tá a fhios ag triúr é. (triúr, three people). It’s not a secret once three people know it.

2.. Nuair a bhíonn an cat amuigh, bíonn an luch ag rince. (cat, cat).   When the cat’s away, the mice play.

3.. Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile. (eile, other). One beetle recognizes another beetle.

4.. Is teann gach madra gearr i ndoras a thí féin. (thí, from teach, house; a thí, of his house). Every terrier is bold in the door of his own house. NB: Another word for terrier is “brocaire,” lit. “a badgerer,” i.e. “a badger-dog,” a similar structure to the German “Dachshund” (lit. badger-hound).

5.. Is binn béal ina thost. (binn, sweet). A quiet mouth is sweet, lit. It’s sweet a mouth in its silence.

6.. An t-uan ag múineadh méilí dá mháthair. (méilí, from “méileach,” bleating). The lamb teaching its mother to bleat.

7.. Tuigeann Tadhg Taidhgín. (tuigeann, understands). Tadhg understands Young/Little Tadhg’

8.. Pós bean ón sliabh agus pósfaidh tú an sliabh ar fad.   (sliabh, mountain). Marry a woman from the mountain and you will marry the entire mountain.

9.. Ní féasta go rósta, ní céasadh go ­pósta. (rósta, a roast of meat; pósta, married). There is no feast until there is a roast and there’s no torment until one is married.

10.. Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin. (aon, any). There isn’t any hearth like your own hearth.

As for that “focal breise” in the word bank, “shrón” (nose), it’s from this proverb: Is minic a bhris béal duine a shrón (It’s often that a person’s mouth broke his nose). If the implication were for a woman, it would have to be “a srón” (her nose).

Naisc: Ag Meaitseáil na bhFocal leis na Seanfhocail Posted by róislín on Nov 13, 2009 in Irish Language

Blagmhíreanna eile faoi sheanfhocail:

Seanfhocail Fhrithráiteacha: An Béal Binn vs. An Roth Díoscánach, and What’s So Bad about Moss Anyway?Posted by róislín on Nov 10, 2009 in Irish Language

Cé Mhéad Lá? Cé Mhéad Paorach? Posted by róislín on May 11, 2012 in Irish Language