Archive for 'Irish Language'
“Ór,” “Óir” or “Órga”? “Fáinne” or “Éan”? Éan?! (Cuid a Trí: Dhá Lá Dhéag na Nollag) Posted by róislín on Dec 31, 2010
We’re up to day five of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” usually sung as “five gold rings,” with the word “gold” stretched into two syllables (go-old) to fit the song’s meter. Some people sing “golden,” which will slightly change our translation into Irish. Of special interest, though, at least don aistritheoir seo, is the theory…
Cearca Francacha agus Lonta Dubha (Cuid a Dó don tSraith: Dhá Lá Dhéag na Nollag) Posted by róislín on Dec 29, 2010
(le Róislín) Two birds down, done in an earlier blog, and deich mbronntanas fágtha (idir éin agus dhaoine). This blog will deal with the “French” hens (3) and the “colly” birds (4). And how to use adjectives with nouns that are being counted. So buckle up for more lenition! Véarsa a Trí: “Three French Hens”…
Dhá Lá Dhéag na Nollag (The Twelve Days of Christmas) Posted by róislín on Dec 25, 2010
(le Róislín) For the next few (six really) blogs, I thought I’d check out the gifts mentioned sa charúl Nollag, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” There are so many gifts, we’ll do two per blog and see if that ends up on the actual 12th day of Christmas. Be warned, there are at least four…
Happy vs. Merry and All That! (Sona, Meidhreach, srl.) Posted by róislín on Dec 12, 2010
(le Róislín) ‘S é an séasúr é! ‘Tis the season! So let’s do a little holiday terminology. Some of these phrases are quite well known but all are interesting when looked at from a translator’s perspective. Nollaig Shona! or to be more specific “Nollaig Shona dhuit!” (to one person) or “Nollaig Shona dhaoibh! (plural). Or…
Maidir le Succotash (Cuid a Dó) Posted by róislín on Nov 29, 2010
(le Róislín) We recently finished a discussion of pónairí móra (líoma, as in “lima”) as a comhábhar for succotash. Now here’s corn, the second major ingredient. That’s “corn” in the U.S. sense. The word “corn” in Irish and UK English usually means “edible grain” in general, NOT specifically maize or sweet corn. In Irish, “arbhar” (corn…
Lá (an) Altaithe: Cén Téarma i nGaeilge? Posted by róislín on Nov 23, 2010
(le Róislín) Last year, as some of you may recall, I compared the usage of four different terms for saying “Thanksgiving Day” in Irish. The total number of hits, based on Google searching, was about 100, which is, of course, quite small compared to the word “Thanksgiving” in English. Admittedly, the difference in the number…
Wrapping Up “Before” (roimh, sula, etc.) and “After” (i ndiaidh, tar éis, etc.) Posted by róislín on Nov 21, 2010
(le Róislín) Before we really start talking turcaí, in honor of Lá an Altaithe (the American holiday coming up), let’s briefly review the “before” and “after” spectrum. Then, after our turkey interlude, we can resume with the points of the compass, as hinted at earlier. For the word “before,” there were two main expressions, one…