Archive for 'Irish Language'
An Mháthair nó an Lá: Cé Acu Atá Sona? Posted by róislín on May 8, 2011
(le Róislín) Some of you may have been wondering how to say “Happy Mother’s Day” in Irish. Previous blogs in the series have talked about the phrase for “Mother’s Day” itself (Lá na Máithreacha, lit. day of the mothers). But what happens when you want to say the greeting? In Irish, if a greeting is…
Mayday! May Day! Bealtaine! Posted by róislín on May 1, 2011
(le Róislín) Bhuel, not exactly! “Mayday” as an emergency call comes from the French “(Venez) m’aider” (Come help me!)* and the Irish for “mayday” as an SOS remains “mayday,” so we have “córas mayday” (a mayday system) for sailing, etc. In fact, “SOS” also remains exactly the same in Irish, as an internationally understood abbreviation. …
M3, .i. An Téarma Gramadaí (Ní Mótarbhealach Atá i gCeist) Posted by róislín on Apr 27, 2011
(le Róislín) The abbreviation “M3” may suggest many things to many people: mótarbhealaigh (to traffic planners), soláthar airgid (to financial analysts), tomhas scriú sa chóras méadrach (to carpenters), an teanga ríomhchlárúcháin Modula-3 (to computer programmers), and an réaltbhraisle chruinneogach sa réaltbhuíon “na Madraí Fiaigh,” .i. Canes Venatici (to astronomers), to name just a few. But…
Díochlaontaí Arís! Posted by róislín on Apr 24, 2011
(le Róislín) Two words that pertain to Easter conveniently fit our next category of nouns, an tríú díochlaonadh (the third declension). One is the word “Cáisc” itself, and the other is “uaineoil.” As you may recall, before we took our “Sos Pónairí Glóthaí” and “Sos Cásca,” we had gotten through the first two declensions of…
Aimsir na Cásca Posted by róislín on Apr 21, 2011
(le Róislín) Hmm, “Aimsir na Cásca”? “The Weather of Easter”? Not really, even though Easter weather may be important for such outdoor activities as tóraíochtaí uibheacha Cásca or for the temporary workers who wear cultacha coiníní Cásca and stand outside places like bialanna and seomraí taispeántais carranna to attract customers to come in. Iad ag…
Sos Pónairí Glóthaí Posted by róislín on Apr 18, 2011
(le Róislín} Cad faoi shos beag ó na díochlaontaí? … Ní chloisim aon ghearán! So let’s take a little break (sos beag) from declensions (díochlaontaí) and talk about a timely topic, one of our favorite types of candaí Cásca. I actually have been checking the Internet for uses of the term “pónairí glóthaí” for years…
An Dara Díochlaonadh, Firinscneach: Lambs of Butter, Mountains of Butter Posted by róislín on Apr 15, 2011
(le Róislín) Second-declension nouns — mostly feminine, right? Right! Mar shampla: spúnóg, bróg, ubh, feirm. Tuiseal ginideach, uatha? Sodhéanta: spúnóige, bróige, uibhe, feirme, etc. I mentioned in an earlier blog that at least two 2nd-declension nouns are masculine, “im” and “sliabh.” Let’s start with “im” (butter), if for no other reason than that it has…