Tag Archives: sheep
Leaves, Limes, Lambs, and Goosefoots and Goose Feet: An Irish Language Botanical Discussion Posted by róislín on Sep 17, 2016
(le Róislín) Plant names are probably intriguing in every language, and Irish is no exception. When people first start Irish, they probably learn the more basic ones, ones that readily identifiable in nature, like “nóinín” and “caisearbhán.” Even easier for the Anglophone learner are the ones that are similar in both languages, like “rós,” “tiúilip,”…
Chinese New Year in Irish: Cén tAinmhí (which animal) do 2015? Posted by róislín on Feb 18, 2015
(le Róislín) Bliain Nua na Síneach agus Parthas na nGramadóirí. Chinese New Year and this year, 2015, a grammarian’s paradise. Cén fáth? Why? Because unlike previous years, 2015 offers us two, perhaps even three, animals as the symbol for the year. But choosing between animals would mostly be vocabulary, not grammar, right? Like “sheep” vs…
Saol an Mhadaidh Bháin — The (Good) Life of the White Dog Posted by róislín on May 8, 2012
(le Róislín) Last blog we looked at the expression “ar muin (ar dhroim) na muice” (being “on the pig’s back,” i.e. well off). The blog before that also referred to several other examples of figurative speech, including “madraí bána.” As with the ‘dromanna muc” (or “muiní muc”), that general reference to “madraí bána” was in…