Tag Archives: athair
“Comharsa,” “Monarcha,” “Pearsa”: An Cúigiú Díochlaonadh Arís Posted by róislín 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…
Whither “Nathair”? Mar “Athair” nó Mar “Chathair”? Posted by róislín 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…
An Iarmhír “-ach” sa Chúigiú Díochlaonadh: Beoir (Beer) vs. Beorach (of Beer), srl. Posted by róislín 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…
Gaolta and the Fifth Posted by róislín 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…
Ag Caint faoi Bhia (hunger, hungry, etc.) Posted by róislín 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…
Lá na nAithreacha – Father’s Day (An Tríú Domhnach i Mí an Mheithimh) Posted by róislín 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…
Lá na Máithreacha vs. Lá na Máthar (“Day of the Mothers” or “of the Mother”)? Posted by róislín 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…