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Tag Archives: gráinneog

Nature Words in Irish, pt. 7: Holly (following ‘acorn’ to ‘herring’) Posted by on Nov 18, 2019

(le Róislín) Which words should be in a dictionary and which ones should be removed after a certain period of time?  We can all probably agree that for modern English pocket dictionaries, we probably don’t need to take up space with words like “apricity” or “yelm,” although I’m delighted to find them in Landmarks, Robert…

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The Irish for “Pygmy Hedgehog” without “Pygmy” as such (gráinneog — hedgehog) Posted by on Oct 18, 2018

(le Róislín) Having found the adorable picture of a pygmy hedgehog (thuas sa ghrafaic), I figured I’d write this blog about hedgehogs, pygmy and otherwise. Let’s start with the basics – “gráinneog” is the Irish for “hedgehog.” Here are some of the basic forms of the word: an ghráinneog, the hedgehog na gráinneoige, of the…

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Seven words for ‘ball’ in Irish, including “football” (soccer ball) Posted by on Jun 28, 2014

(le Róislín) Irish has one basic word for “ball” for most sports, “liathróid,” and another word, “sliotar,” which is specifically for a hurling ball.  Let’s take a look at these, and then as space permits, we’ll look at other related phrases (snowball, meatball, etc.) “Liathróid” [LEE-uh-HROHDJ] is a feminine noun, with the following forms: an…

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Ainmhithe Eile (ón Iolra go dtí an tUatha, from Plural to Singular) Posted by on Sep 12, 2012

(le Róislín) In the last blog, we created a chart with the names of various types of ceathairchosaigh chrúbacha (ungulate quadrupeds), going from the plural form to the singular form.  Why an t-iolra go dtí an t-uatha?  Just for a change of pace, is dócha.  So often we see an fhoirm uatha first, and then…

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