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Tag Archives: dhá

When Is “gh” pronounced like “y” in Irish words?  Think ‘gheobhaidh’ and ‘gheocaigh’ Posted by on Sep 30, 2015

(le Róislín) So, we finally finished that mionsraith about Irish words starting with non-traditional letters in the Irish alphabet (v, w, x, y, z) and even threw in the “-cs-” spelling for “x” (as in “innéacs” or “tacsaí“) for good measure.  We’ve previously noted that in Irish, “gh-” and “dh-” at the beginning of a word…

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‘In quarantine’ or ‘on quarantine’ — how to say it in Irish Posted by on Oct 15, 2014

(le Róislín) In the recent blog on the Ebola virus (víreas Ebola), I referred briefly to saying “in quarantine” in Irish.  It seems like a simple phrase to say, and the word for “quarantine” itself isn’t surprising — “coraintín” [KOR-antch-een], no relation to “aintín” as such! But it’s interesting to note the preposition that’s used…

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Ten St. Patrick’s Day Items and How to Lenite and Eclipse Them Posted by on Mar 19, 2014

(le Róislín) Before we completely leave Lá Fhéile Pádraig (aka Lá ‘le Pádraig) behind us and turn to “céad lá an Earraigh” (20 mí an Mhárta 2014), let’s practice lenition and eclipsis of some Irish nouns pertaining to “an Naomh é féin” and the celebrations of the day. The concepts of lenition and eclipsis have been discussed many times…

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Apostles, Mill-Clappers, and Zodiac Signs (And The Common Thread Is … the Number 12) Posted by on Jan 29, 2014

(le Róislín) You may have noticed that both “dhéag” and “déag” were used in the last blog title (nasc thíos).  For “twelve animals,” we said “dhá ainmhí dhéag” with the lenited form “dhéag” [yayg].  For “twelve years,” we said “dhá bhliain déag,” with the basic form of “déag” ([djayg] not lenited).  So what’s going on…

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How to Say ‘2014’ in Irish Posted by on Dec 31, 2013

(le Róislín) Dhá mhíle is a ceathair déag.  Piece o’ cake, right?  Well, maybe, but for anyone new to the language, here is a rough pronunciation guide: [γaw VEEL-yuh iss uh KYA-hirzh djayg].  [Pointe léirithe, 4 Eanáir 2014: ní an litir “y” atá i gceist i “γaw” ach an tsiombail teangeolaíochta “γ” .i. an tsiombail…

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Cúpla Caife Gaelach, Dhá Chaife Ghaelacha (A Couple of Irish Coffees vs. Two Irish Coffees) Posted by on Aug 20, 2011

(le Róislín) Lenition, another lenition, and a plural ending.  That’s the difference that happens when we say “two Irish coffees” as opposed to “a couple of Irish coffees.” So how does that work? As we discussed in the last blog, the Irish word “cúpla” is followed by the singular form of the noun (unlike English…

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Na hUimhreacha Pearsanta i nGaeilge (Irish Personal Numbers and Cuid a Cúig or the Last Installment of Dhá Lá Dhéag na Nollag) Posted by on Jan 6, 2011

(le Róislín) Fotheideal (perhaps too long for the subject line): Ag comhaireamh na ndaoine san amhrán “Dhá Lá Dhéag na Nollag” Learning to use the numbers in Irish is often considered one of the more challenging aspects of the language.   Often you start out with the “maoluimhreacha” (independent numbers) such as “a haon, a dó…

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