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Tag Archives: Gaelach

Uirlisí Ceoil: Musical Instruments (18 Irish Words or Phrases) Posted by on Apr 7, 2018

(le Róislín) Recently we’ve been looking at the Irish words for various musical instruments, particularly those used for playing ceol traidisiúnta (naisc thíos). Today we’ll review the ten terms previously introduced and add eight more.  Additional suggestions are welcome, especially if anyone can think of some non-traditional instruments (uirlisí neamhthraidisiúnta) for playing ceol traidisiúnta. Today, we’ll…

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Bia Gaelach: Cé na cineálacha bia Gaelach is fearr leat? (Irish Words for Irish Foods) Posted by on Mar 17, 2018

(le Róislín) Whether you prefer corned beef, corned pork, Dublin coddle, or oak-smoked salmon, March is the month for celebrating the Irish menu.  Here’s a little matching quiz to provide a little bilingual culinary challenge.   Each food item has at least two words and the phrase may need one or more Irish words.  A few…

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Cén fhéile? Cén deoch? (An Irish Language Guide to Beverages and When to Drink Them) Part / Cuid 1 Posted by on Mar 7, 2017

(le Róislín) While many beverages can readily be drunk all year around (piontaí Guinness ina measc), some are particularly associated with certain holidays or seasons.  Today’s blogpost will start a mini-series about beverages and some special days they are most associated with.  We’ll look at the beverages in seasonal order, starting with mí an Mhárta…

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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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How To Say ‘Tweet’ and ‘Twitter’ in Irish Posted by on Sep 30, 2013

(le Róislín) Remember when “tweets” and “twittering” mostly referred to birds, especially the “spideog” or the “smólach imirce“?  Or perhaps the sound of “caint eachtardhomhandach” (the speech of extra-terrestrials) as in H. G. Wells’ insect-like Selenites?  You might recall that they made “a slight elusive twittering,” as observed by Messrs. Bedford and Cavor (The First…

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Rudaí Gaelacha, Rudaí Éireannacha Posted by on Aug 17, 2011

(le Róislín) We’ve recently discussed rudaí Francacha and a cluster of rudaí Ollannacha, rudaí Dúitseacha, agus rudaí Ísiltíreacha.  How about now cúpla rud Gaelach agus cúpla rud Éireannach? And before we proceed with the interesting cultural “stuif,” let’s look at the structures in the paragraph thuas. Rudaí is a plural noun (plural of rud, thing)…

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The Many Meanings of “Oireachtas” Posted by on Apr 18, 2009

 (le Róislín) For the week of April 5 to 12, 2009, many Philadelphians probably saw more samples of the Irish language in the media than ever before in the city’s history.  Why?  This year, Philadelphia hosted the first Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne (World Irish Dance Championship) to be held outside Ireland or the U.K.  Over 6000…

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