How to say “steep slope” and “switchback” in Irish Posted by róislín on Mar 21, 2019
(le Róislín) Cá bhfuil an tsráid seo? Where is this street? Perhaps you recognized it, Lombard Street in San Francisco. Not quite the steepest residential street in the word — that honor belongs to Baldwin Street, Dunedin, NZ — but certainly one of the steepest (ar cheann de na sráideanna cónaithe is géire ar domhan)…
Ten Irish Phrases for Snowflake and Whether They Use ‘Sneachta’ or ‘Shneachta’ Posted by róislín on Feb 28, 2019
(le Róislín) I have to admit that I was surprised at how many Irish words for “snowflake” I found as I researched the previous blog (nasc thíos). Before we move on to some other topics, I thought it would be good to review them one more time, looking specifically at how to say “a snowflake”…
The Irish Words for ‘Snowflake’ — Calóga and More! (with ‘sneachta,’ of course) Posted by róislín on Feb 20, 2019
(le Róislín) Irish may not have as many different words for “snow” as the Inuit (estimated at between four and a hundred, depending on how we define “different”), but it does have a healthy range of words for “snowflake.” The Irish word for ‘snow,’ as many of you may already know, is “sneachta,” a nice…
Where the ‘fianna’ and the ‘antalóip’ play? Irish words for some quadrupeds! Posted by róislín on Jan 31, 2019
(le Róislín) Remember the Irish for “unicorn” and “rhinoceros” from the last blog? If not, freagraí thíos. Last time we also included the Irish word “biorbheannach,” which refers to another horned quadruped (ceathairchosach). Remember what that one was? If not, freagra also thíos and a picture of it is thuas. Having looked at those animals…
Unicorn or rhinoceros? Compound words with ‘-bheannach’ in Irish Posted by róislín on Jan 20, 2019
(le Róislín) By now, you may have guessed — the Irish for unicorn is “aonbheannach,” (lit. one-horned”). Or you may have picked up the word from reading _Harry Potter agus an Órchloch_ (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, aka Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) by J. K. Rowling and translated into Irish by Máire Nic…
What’s Your New Year’s Resolution (and How to Say It in Irish)? Posted by róislín on Dec 31, 2018
(le Róislín) ‘Sea, an t-am sin den bhliain arís, aimsir na ndea-rún don bhliain nua. In the word cloud (néal focal) above we see some common topics for “dea-rúin na hAthbhliana,” many of which have to do with health (sláinte). How many of them do you recognize? Here they are again, with a few pronunciation…
How to say “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” in Irish AND Five Examples of Lenition (Séimhiú), to boot Posted by róislín on Dec 24, 2018
(le Róislín) Around this time of year, we often see the phrases “Nollaig Shona” and “Athbhliain faoi shéan agus faoi mhaise duit.” Today’s blogpost will look at how to pronounce these phrases and at the reasons why words like “sona” and “bliain” change to “shona” and “bhliain.” This change of the first letter is called…