Tips for Pronouncing the “thdh” Combination in Some Irish Words from the List of ‘Gaolta Teaghlaigh’ (Family Relationships) Posted by róislín on Nov 19, 2016
(le Róislín) There are a few pairs of words in our most recent blog about gaolta teaghlaigh (family relationships) that might be a little puzzling to pronounce, for newcomers to the language. This blogpost will deal with the following pairs; if you have questions about others, please feel free to write in and ask. leasdeirfiúr…
Terms for Family Relationships in Irish — Gaolta Teaghlaigh Posted by róislín on Nov 16, 2016
(le Róislín) As we approach two major holiday seasons, Lá an Altaithe (i Meiriceá) and An Nollaig (go hidirnáisiúnta), many people will be traveling great distances to spend time with their families (a dteaghlaigh). So let’s take break from looking at leasghaolta (steprelationships), as we’ve done in the recent blogposts, and look at the broader…
How to Pronounce Irish Words with the ‘Leas-‘ Prefix (Cuid/Part 1) Posted by róislín on Nov 12, 2016
(le Róislín) Leasainm … Leas-rí … Leas-ardeaglais … all fairly straight-forward in pronunci-ation, all things consider-ed. But what hap-pens to the “m” in “leas-mhamó” or “leas-mháthair” or the “c” in “leas-chodán” or “leaschon-sal“? Why don’t the “s’s” of “leas-seanathair” and “leas-seanmháthair” and “leas-seansailéir” change at all? And what about “leis-chliamhain” and the presumably possible “leasbhanchliamhain”…
More Meanings of the Irish Prefix ‘Leas-‘ (from ‘step-‘ to ‘vice,’ etc.) Posted by róislín on Nov 6, 2016
(le Róislín) Recently we’ve looked at a lot of Irish terms using the prefix “leas-” to say “stepmother,” “stepfather,” “stepgrandmother,” “stepgrandfather,” etc. In this blogpost, we’ll look at some of the other uses of the prefix “leas-.” First though, let’s review some “step-” terms for gaolta teaghlaigh (family relationships). The translations are given below: leasathair…
Irish Words for Brothers, Sisters, Stepbrothers, Stepsisters, and Blended Families Posted by róislín on Oct 31, 2016
(le Róislín) Continuing our theme of gaolta teaghlaigh (family relationships), let’s look at brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters, and the overall concept of “blended families.” The basic siblíní are probably quite well known: deirfiúr, sister, pl. deirfiúracha deartháir, brother, pl. deartháireacha To say “stepbrother” or “stepsister,” we add the same prefix as for step-parents (leas-). This…
Saying “Stepgrandmother” and “Stepgrandfather” in Irish Posted by róislín on Oct 29, 2016
(le Róislín) While we’re working on kinship terms and words for family members (seanathair, seanmháthair, srl.), it could be helpful to look at “step-” relationships, especially since they are so prevalent these days. The basic scenario is pretty straightforward — we use the prefix “leas-” in front of the noun. It has many other meanings…
If the other grandfather is “Grandpa,” what Irish term can you use? Posted by róislín on Oct 27, 2016
(le Róislín) Here, as previously promised, is a review of Irish words for “grandfather,” “grandpa,” and “grand(d)ad,” written as a companion piece to the recent post, “If the other grandmother is “Grandma,” what Irish term can you use?” As we’ll see, the same three adjectives can be used to create the word “grandfather” from “father”…