Irish Language Blog
Menu
Search

Tag Archives: athair

“Comharsa,” “Monarcha,” “Pearsa”: An Cúigiú Díochlaonadh Arís Posted by on Jun 10, 2011

(le Róislín) We’ve recently seen several patterns for 5th-declension nouns in Irish. One small group, which contains some very important kinship terms, looks like this: athair (father), athar, aithreacha máthair (mother), máthar, máithreacha Another group sometimes also has the “-air” ending but works slightly differently when you create the possessive form (adding “-ach”) and includes…

Continue Reading

Whither “Nathair”? Mar “Athair” nó Mar “Chathair”? Posted by on Jun 6, 2011

(le Róislín) So, you’re staring at the Irish word “nathair” and wondering which way to go for its tuiseal ginideach and its foirmeacha iolra.   Is it going to be like “cathair” or is it going to be like “athair”? Before we actually answer that (why cut to the chase when we can prevaricate and still…

Continue Reading

An Iarmhír “-ach” sa Chúigiú Díochlaonadh: Beoir (Beer) vs. Beorach (of Beer), srl. Posted by on Jun 3, 2011

(le Róislín) We’ve recently seen one pattern for the 5th category of Irish nouns (an cúigiú díochlaonadh), which involved dropping the “i” of words like máthair, athair, deartháir, and bráthair. As you may recall, that change results in phrases like the following (aistriúcháin thíos): a) gach mac máthar b) in ainm an Athar c) carr…

Continue Reading

Gaolta and the Fifth Posted by on May 27, 2011

(le Róislín) Fifth declension, that is.  So, no, the fifth here is not a cúigiú as in 4/5 of a galún, traditionally filled with uisce beatha, vodca, rum, or other hard liquor, ar ndóigh. And it’s not the “Fifth” that Americans, at least, might take, demand, or plead, to protect against féin-ionchoiriú, etc.  That’s “an…

Continue Reading

Ag Caint faoi Bhia (hunger, hungry, etc.) Posted by on Aug 28, 2010

Agus mé ag éisteacht leis an raidió le déanaí, chuala mé clár faoi neamhshlándáil bia.  Bhí an clár i mBéarla ach shocraigh mé ag an am go scríobhfainn blag faoi théarmaí Gaeilge a bhaineanns le bia.  Níl mé ag caint anseo faoi chineálacha áirithe bia mar thrátaí grianthromaithe nó vaiféil, ach go ginearálta, faoi bhia…

Continue Reading

Lá na nAithreacha – Father’s Day (An Tríú Domhnach i Mí an Mheithimh) Posted by on Jun 20, 2010

This blog will be a round-up of terms connected to fathers, in honor of Lá na nAithreacha (Father’s Day, lit. Day of the Fathers).  We’ll start with the basics (athair) and the less formal forms “Dad” and “Daddy,” and continue with more specialized phrases, like “godfather” and “Father Christmas.” athair [AH-hirzh], father How about the…

Continue Reading

Lá na Máithreacha vs. Lá na Máthar (“Day of the Mothers” or “of the Mother”)? Posted by on May 10, 2009

(le Róislín) I’ve been following this debate in Irish circles for a good 10 or so years now, probably since the first time I wrote on the topic for my Irish language column for children in the Philadelphia-based Irish Edition newspaper (www.irishedition.com).  Are we celebrating one mother or all mothers?  I should probably qualify that to say…

Continue Reading

Older posts
Newer posts