(le Róislín)

Fíoracha sinséir, gúna ar cheann acu agus léine agus bríste ar an gceann eile. Miongháirí orthu freisin! (photo by alcinoe, public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CrispyGingerbreadCookies.jpg)

One of the first Christmas blogs I wrote in this series was about Christmas phrases that don’t have the word “Christmas” in them (nasc thíos).  Every time we use the word Christmas in Irish (Nollaig, Nollag), we have to be aware of the ending (“-aig” or “-ag”) and whether or not to include “na” for “of the” (Mí na Nollag vs. cárta Nollag).  So today’s phrases let us off the hook as far as the infamous “tuiseal ginideach” (for saying “of the”) goes.

This year let’s look at some of the same phrases as in the 2009 blog but more in a matching quiz format, not simply as a list.

Seo an banc focal.  Roghnaigh na focail as an mbanc seo.

candaí   sinséir   uibhe   sinséir (don dara huair)   reoáin

Agus seo na frásaí; tá na freagraí agus na haistriúcháin go Béarla thíos:

1. an bhleathach _________
2. an cána _________
3. sciorta _________
4. an t-arán _________
5. an fhíor _________

And now that we’ve established those, let’s try some variations on those phrases.  For these, there’s no word bank; we’re just looking at different forms of the words in the phrases above.  Number 6 is a variation of number 1 above, number 7 is a variation of number 2 above, etc.   Tá na freagraí thíos.

6. blas na _________ _________
7. dathanna an _________ _________
8. _________  _________  na mban sinséir  
9. Tá plúr, sinséar, uibheacha, siúcra, molás, agus comhábhair eile san _________  _________
10. cnaipí rísíní na _________ _________

Ar éirigh leat? Tá súil agam gur éirigh.  SGF – Róislín

PS: By the way, of course you could always add the word ‘Christmas’ to any of today’s phrases.  It’s just not required the way it is for “mí na Nollag” or “Daidí na Nollag.”  So we could have phrases like  “bleathach uibhe Nollag” (Christmas eggnog) or “cána candaí Nollag” (a Christmas candy cane — said in case there are any other sorts)

Freagraí:

1. an bhleathach uibhe [un VLA-hukh IV-uh], the eggnog or the egg-flip
2. an cána candaí (cé nach ndeirtear “candaí” go hanmhinic i nGaeilge; de ghnáth deirtear “milseáin”); the candy cane. Well, I guess it’s not a “sweets-cane.”
3. sciorta reoáin, a frosting skirt (for a gingerbread woman)
4. an t-arán sinséir, the gingerbread
5. an fhíor sinséir [un eer SHIN-shayr^zh], the gingerbread man/woman, lit. the gingerbread figure

And now, an dúshlán dúbailte:

6. blas na bleathaí uibhe, the taste of the eggnog/egg-flip. Do you remember the background on the use of the word “bleathach,” here in the genitive case: ”Bleathach” normally means “grist” or “oat-meal cake.”  Add “uibhe,” the possessive form of “ubh” (egg), and somehow, you get a beverage, lit. “egg-grist” (Say “Céard!”).  The word “an bhleathach” looks curiously similar to, but isn’t the same as, “an bhláthach” ([un VLAW-hukh], the buttermilk).” (ó bhlag 30 mí na Nollag, 2009).

Note the pattern of “bleathach” changing to “bleathaí” [BLA-hee], typical of the fifth declension.

7. dathanna an chána candaí, the colors of the candy cane (iad dearg agus bán, de ghnáth). Note the lenition of “cána,” becoming “chána.” This “ch” sound is pronounced like the “ch” in “anocht” or “seacht” or “cóta Cháit,” i.e. as in “chutzpah” or “Chanukah.”
8. sciortaí reoáin na mban sinséir, the frosting skirts of the gingerbread women (I decided to go with the non-gender-neutral term “na mban“, based on ‘bean’ (woman) here, instead of “fíor,” which could be used for a gingerbread man or woman.
9. Tá plúr, sinséar, uibheacha, siúcra, molás, agus comhábhair eile san arán sinséir, There is flour, ginger, eggs, sugar, molasses, and other ingredients in the gingerbread. Note that the “t-” of “an t-arán” is dropped here, after the word “san.”
10. cnaipí rísíní na bhfíoracha sinséir, the raisin buttons of the gingerbread men (lit. gingerbread figures). Here we have “fíoracha,” the plural of “fíor,” plus eclipsis (“f” becoming “bhf” to show we’re saying “of the”.  “Na bhfíoracha” is pronounced “nuh VEER-uh-khuh.”

Naisc: Téarmaí Nollag gan an Focal “Nollaig” Posted on 30. Dec, 2009 by róislín in Irish Language (https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/tearmai-nollag-gan-an-focal-%E2%80%9Cnollaig%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%93-cana-candai-bleathach-uibhe-agus-fioracha-sinseir/)