Irish Language Blog
Menu
Search

Tag Archives: examples

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…

Continue Reading

Logainmneacha Ceilteacha agus Náisiúntachtaí a Trí: Celtic Place Names and Nationalities – Wales and the Welsh Posted by on May 3, 2009

We’ve recently discussed the place names Albain (Scotland) and Éire (Ireland).  Now we’ll turn to ”An Bhreatain Bheag” (Wales).  Since “Breatain” is a feminine noun, the adjective that modifies it, “beag” (little) becomes “bheag.”  And since this country name includes the definite article “an” (the), it also causes “Breatain” to change to “Bhreatain,” pronounced with…

Continue Reading

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”…

Continue Reading