(le Róislín)

A flag with a history as complex as that of the United Sates can offer almost limitless possibilities for practicing counting, since the number of stars has continuously increased with each new state.  There’s even at least one design already in the works for a 51-state, 51-star flag, should it be necessary.

But first let’s count the current number of stars:

Tá caoga réalta ann, réalta do gach stát.

Tá naoi sraith de réaltaí ann.

Tá cúig shraith a bhfuil sé réalta iontu ann (tríocha réalta san iomlán).

Tá ceithre shraith a bhfuil cúig réalta iontu ann (fiche réalta san iomlán). 

Notice what happened to the word “sraith” (row) after the numbers “four” and “five”?  Yep, lenition (séimhiú).

So “sraith” becomes “shraith” [say: hri, with the “s” now silent and the “th” at the end simply a breathy h, almost silent; the “i” vowel is close to an English “my” or “hi,” but there is that breathiness].

Why didn’t this happen after the number “naoi” (9)?  “Naoi” would cause eclipsis (urú), not séimhiú, and “urú” simply doesn’t apply to the letter “s.”  So, no initial mutation!

Given all the changes to the design of the flag, there are lots of possibilities to practice more number combinations.  To randomly pick a previous year in which there were níos lú réaltaí (fewer stars), let’s try 1907 for the new state, with 1908 as the year in which the star was added.  Freagraí thíos (A).

So, ceist a haon:

1) Cé mhéad réalta a bhí ar an mbratach i 1908, ag tosú ar an cheathrú lá de mhí Iúil?

Ceist a dó (ceist neamhuimhriúil)

2) Cén stát a tháinig isteach san Aontas sa bhliain roimhe sin (1907)?  Seo roghanna mar chuidiú duit: Oregon, Dakota Theas, Alasca, Dakota Thuaidh, Oklahoma, Haváí)

Ceist a Trí (faoi leagan amach an chúinneáin, leis an stát nua)

3) Cé mhéad sraith a bhí ann?

Ceist a Ceathair: réaltaí an tsraith (stars per row)

4) Cé mhéad sraith a bhí ann a raibh ocht réalta iontu?

Ceist a Cúig: réaltaí an tsraith, cuid a dó

5) Cé mhéad sraith a bhí ann a raibh seacht réalta iontu?

And to wrap up for today, and for a slight change of pace, let’s jump briefly from uimhreacha to cruthanna.  Any thoughts as to what shape one new draft design for a potential 51-star flag takes?  Here are some choices (freagra thíos, B). 

a) triantán       b) cearnóg       c) peinteagán     d) heicseagán     e) ciorcail chomhlárnacha     f) hata Uncail Sam

Smaointe agat féin do leagan amach (layout) nua?  Slán go fóill, Róislín

Freagraí do Chuid A: 1. sé réalta is daichead (46); 2. Oklahoma, 3. sé shraith (6 rows), 4. ceithre shraith (4 rows), 5. dhá shraith (2 rows)

Freagra do Chuid B: ciorcail chomhlárnacha.  Aaa-aaa-aaach, a deir tú!  Má bhíonn ciorcail chomhlárnacha sa chúinneán (in ionad riabha/stríoca), cad a tharlóidh don leasainm “Na Réaltaí is na Riabha?”  An mbeidh amhrán ann faoi “Na Réaltaí agus na hImlínte,” mar ómós do Bhratach Mheiriceá?

Gluais d’fhreagra B: cúinneán, canton (of a flag); imlíne, circumference; leasainm, nickname; tharlóidh [HAR-low-ee, with the “low” like “low tide,” not like “allow”], will happen

Nóta don fhreagra: bíodh cuimhne agat go n-aistrítear “Bratach Mheiriceá” mar “the American Flag,” de ghnáth, in ionad “the Flag of America.”  Even though the grammatical structure says “of America,” using the possessive form “Mheiriceá.”