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Tag Archives: beart

How to Pronounce ‘Leathbheart,’ ‘i mbeart,” and Other Consonant Clusters in Irish  Posted by on Aug 31, 2015

(le Róislín) In today’s blog we’ll look at how to pronounce words  and phrases like “leathbheart” and “i mbeart.”  “Leathbheart” is a classic example of “lenition,” or the “softening” (séimhiú) of the sounds of certain Irish consonants.  And the phrase “i mbeart” is a classic example of “eclipsis” (urú), which is covering over the sound…

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Irish Bits, Bytes and Lenition (Giotáin, Bearta, agus Séimhiú) Posted by on Aug 28, 2015

(le Róislín) In several recent blogs, we’ve looked at the word “beart” in its many meanings.  Remember the four different basic meanings (freagraí thíos) as they apply to phrases such as: a) Oifig na mBeart b) bléinbheart c) i mbearta crua d) beart curtha in áirithe And for a total semantic workout, try: e) i mbeart. This phrase could…

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Speaking of ‘Na Cóid Phoist,’ How about ‘Letters’ and ‘Parcels’ in Irish Posted by on Aug 25, 2015

(le Róislín) This summer saw the launch of the new Irish postal code system, kerfluffle and all, which we discussed in a previous blog. So let’s get postal now with some other mail-related vocabulary. a) litir–this word is quite clearly related to “letter,” which is exactly what it means. It can be “letter” as in…

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‘Bléinbheart’ go ‘Zeitibheart’  — Cineálacha Beart agus Beartanna i nGaeilge Posted by on Aug 14, 2015

(le Róislín) When I first thought of this blog topic, I thought I’d just do types of clothing, like “bléinbheart” and “coisbheart.”  But then I figured we might as well do “an banana iomlán.”  If we’re in for a “pingin,” we may as well be in for a “punt.”  Or actually, as the more traditional…

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Cúig Fhrása (Béarla) Gan Mhaith (De Réir Fhionntán Uí Thuathail aka Fintan O’Toole) (Cuid 1/4) Posted by on Jan 4, 2012

(le Róislín) Noted journalist Fintan O’Toole recently published his list of five phrases that he thinks should be outlawed in 2012 (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0103/1224309734610_pf.html).  Not that words are typically actually outlawed as such, but he feels these five phrases “distort or conceal” reality and are misleading.  For example, we constantly discuss “austerity,” but meanwhile certain individuals are…

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