(le Róislín) 

A couple of blogs ago, I mentioned the suffix “-bhách,” which is used to create compound words like English “Francophile” and “bibliophile.”  Since we’re finished with the more romantic Valentinesy love for a while, at least until Lá Vailintín seo chugainn, this topic could segue us back from “love” in general into some other arenas of discussion, perhaps even back to nationalities and ethnonyms.  In English, all of these “-phile” words are based on the Greek root, “philos,” (φίλος beloved, friend).  In Irish, they use the suffix “-bhách” (“affectionate” or “loving”).

Here are some of the “-phile” words I’ve found in use in Irish.  Can you match them up with the definitions, which are offered at the bottom of this blog?

1. Eurabhách

2. focalbhách (that one’s review from a few blogs back, so I hope it’s familiar!)

3. Francabhách

4. Gallbhách

5. leabharbhách

I thought I’d find more examples online of “Gaelbhách” (“Gaelophile”), but in fact, I only find a glaicín (little handful).  One appears to be somebody’s screen name, writing mostly i mblaganna i bhFraincis!  Fair play dó nó di!  Another is a single reference in the genitive plural (“oidhreacht liteartha … na nGaelbhách,” from www.ealain.ie/nuachtlitir/NuachtlitirEanair2011.html), and the last is from a book review in the journal Foinse.  I’m sure there are at least a few more examples, but they’re not showing up in my search.

Finally, by extension, the city of Philadelphia (the “City of Brotherly Love”), should sort of qualify for discussion here, since it has the “philos-“ element.  In Irish, “Philadelphia” is spelled “Filideilfia,” at least according to An Bíobla Naofa, where it appears in “Apacailipsis Eoin.”  So, the same approach has been taken here as with place names like “The Republic of the Philippines” (Poblacht na nOileán Filipíneach), that is, replacing the Greek-based “ph-“ sound with the “f-,“ which would be the logical representation of the sound in Irish.  The “philos-“ connection may be less apparent with the Irish spelling, but at least the place name makes sense within the Irish spelling tradition.

By the way, in case you were looking for “files,” as in “computer files,” the word is “comhad,” completely different, but perfectly useful.  What were the ancient Gaels doing with “files,” computer or otherwise, you might wonder?  Well, “comhad” also means “cover” or “protection,” so that was no doubt its original context.  Some how I can’t quite imagine Cathbhadh the druid consulting his Pendaflex Portafile to drum up some genealogical recitations.  But, curiously, “comhad,” as a “closing,” also originally meant the last two lines of a dán díreach (poem written in the díreach style, a specific type of fixed meter).  So the bardic reference is not too far off!

How ‘bout a nail file or other type of metal file?  Reasonable question, really, but unrelated to the “-philes” and the computer or paper files.  A metal file would be a “líomhán” or an “oighe chuimilte” (lit. a rubbing file or rasp).  That last one also hints at one way to say “nail file” in Irish, “raspa ingne.”

Freagraí: 1. Europhile, 2. logophile (word-lover), 3. Francophile, 4. anglophile, 5. bibliophile (book-lover).  Number 4, Gallbhách, is based on “gall,” which has a variety of meanings, depending on the historical time period (a Gaul, a Frank, a Dane, a Norman, an Anglo-Norman, or an Englishman, or a foreigner in general).  The usual prefix for “Anglo-“ is “Angla-“ as in “Angla-Shacsanach”).  The usual words for England (Sasana) and Englishman (Sasanach) derive from “Saxons,” not from the Angles or from the Gauls-Franks-Danes sequence.  So, in theory, our word “Gallbhách” could have other meanings, like a “Gaulophile,” in the ancient sense, that is.

Nóta: líomhán, a metal file, is based on the verb líomhadh (to grind, sharpen, or polish).  That’s “polish” in the sense of grinding or smoothing, not applying a liquid or paste to something – that would be “snasaireacht,” which has its own family of related words and phrases, like “snasán” (a polish) and “Gaeilge shnasta” (polished Irish, i.e. well-spoken or well-written Irish)

Maybe in the next blog we can get back to the ethnonyms, starting with any readers who identify themselves as “Gaill” (aka Gailligh).  Calling all Gauls!  Or, ar a laghad, ag glaoch ortsa, a Asterix!    SGF,  ó Róislín