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Tag Archives: dó

Another Irish Word Beginning with the Letter ‘Y’ (‘Yólais’ as well as ‘yó-yó,’ etc.) Posted by on Aug 4, 2018

(le Róislín) A few years ago I ran a mionsraith of blagmhíreanna about Irish words that started with some of the litreacha neamhthraidisiúnta in the Irish alphabet, like v, w, x, and y (naisc thíos).  Among the few examples that we have for “y” are “yó-yó” (not surprisingly, just add the síneadh fada) and yaincín…

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Orduimhreacha i nGaeilge: Ordinal Numbers in Irish Posted by on Jul 12, 2018

(le Róislín) One, two, three vs. first, second, third.  A haon, a dó, a trí vs. an chéad, an dara / an dóú, an tríú.  Ever notice how in both English and Irish, the word for “first” is totally different from the word for “one” (one/first, aon or haon but céad or chéad)?  Learners of English…

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Deireadh Fómhair agus Mí na Samhna: Séasúr na bPuimcíní (Pumpkin Season) Posted by on Oct 15, 2013

(le Róislín) In some previous blogs, we’ve counted pumpkins (puimcín amháin go fiche puimcín, srl.) and talked about smashing them (for which I finally decided on “smidiríní a dhéanamh de phuimcín“); tá cúpla nasc thíos.  In this blog we’ll look a little further into different forms of the word “puimcín,” glance at its history (i…

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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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Cineálacha Sneachta: Kinds of Snow Posted by on Feb 8, 2010

 (le Róislín) As a tribute to the amount of snow that fell over the weekend ar chósta thoir na Stát Aontaithe, and, I suppose, as a belated tribute to the amount that fell in Éirinn i mí Eanáir, let’s talk about some of the ways it can fall or accumulate. The most basic statement would…

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An Bliosán Gréine (Jerusalem Artichoke): Ainm Contráilte i mBéarla ach “Neamhchontráilte” i nGaeilge (An English Misnomer but Irish “Non-Misnomer”) Posted by on May 25, 2009

Tamaillín ó shin (a little while ago, May 6 to be specific), I hinted at a discussion of the term “Jerusalem artichoke” in Irish.  And why not?  It’s suimiúil (interesting) on several counts: “luibheolaíocht” (botany), “logainmníocht” (toponymy), “sanasaíocht” and “bréagshanasaíocht” (etymology and pseudo-etymology), “cócaireacht” (cooking), and “eolas contráilte”(misinformation), to name just a few.   You…

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As Easy as “a hAon, a Dó, a Trí” – Na Maoluimhreacha i nGaeilge Posted by on Mar 19, 2009

(le Róislín) Quite a few of the basic Irish numbers from one to ten are recognizable if you know at least one other European language.  In each case, the actual number is preceded by the single letter “a,” which here is the numerical particle.  It has no actual meaning.  It simply indicates that a “maoluimhir”…

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