Tag Archives: bliana
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 many ways can we say ‘bliain’ (year) in Irish, including ‘athbhliain’? Posted by róislín on Jan 11, 2016
(le Róislín) As we settle into the new year (an bhliain nua, an bhliain úr, an athbhliain, srl.), let’s think of how many ways we can say and use the word ‘year’ in Irish. Most recently, you’ve probably seen the phrase “Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise” (A happy and prosperous New Year). But let’s look…
Years, Ears, and Donkeys in Irish (Bhuel, Not Really Donkeys!) Posted by róislín on Jan 25, 2014
(le Róislín) This time in January, in between the western New Year (1 Eanáir) and Chinese New Year (31 Eanáir i 2014) seems like a good time to look again at the word “bliain” (year) in Irish (nasc thíos do bhlag eile faoi seo). In this blog, we’ll look at the basic forms of the…
New Year’s – Celtic Style (1 Mí na Samhna in ionad 1 Eanáir) Posted by róislín on Oct 31, 2012
(le Róislín) While January 1 is widely considered to be “New Year’s Day” in many parts of the world, including Ireland, there is/was a Celtic concept of the New Year that placed the holiday much earlier in the winter season, specifically on November 1. I say “is/was” quite deliberately. Considering “an t-aonú lá de mhí…
Blianta Go Leor — Years Galore, Except the Donkey’s! Posted by róislín on Jun 29, 2009
(le Róislín) You may have noticed Transparent’s recent Word of the Day, bliain (year) or an bhliain (the year). Care to guess how many forms of this word are in common use? Well, there’s the lenited form (an bhliain), the special form used after the numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6 (bliana), the eclipsed “special”…