(le Róislín)

Last time we looked at different foods (bianna éagsúla) that hamsters can and can’t eat and practiced the Irish vocabulary for 35 different edible items (nasc thíos/link below). This time we’ll look at those same foods and determine if they are “Neam-neam!” or “Uch!” Of course, there could be a third category, foods that might taste good but not be safe or healthy for hamsters. But we’ll stick to the tasty vs. yucky, since, not being a hamster, I can’t really tell which foods they would like to eat but which are forbidden!

To make the dúshlán [say: DOO-hlawn] a little more rigorous, we’ll take each food item and use the phrase “the taste of …” or “the taste of the ….”, i nGaeilge, ar ndóigh, ag úsáid an fhocail “blas.” That will require using “an tuiseal ginideach,” a special form of a noun, which has two main functions in language. One is to show possession (like “cóta an fhir,” the man’s coat, with “fhir” instead of “fear,” man). The second is to say “of/of the,” even when possession as such isn’t involved, such as “doras oifige” (an office door/a door of an office, with “oifige” instead of just “oifig” or “ag buachailleacht na mbó,” herding the cows, lit. “at herding of the cows,” with “mbó” [say: “moh”] instead of just “bó”).   For our 35 food terms today, there will be a variety of “tuiseal ginideach” endings, and some prefixes, and maybe a vowel change or two. Sin nádúr an tuisil ghinidigh!

Oh, by the way, did I say, “we’ll” do this?   Really, I mean “you’ll,” or at least you’ll fill in the answers and I’ll provide the answers in an answer key below. So here’s the list of foods, with space to fill in the phrase “blas an ____” or “blas na _____”, as needed.   The food item in its basic form is in parentheses. The English is provided in the answer key.

The foods the hamster can eat are in the “Is féidir” (can/possible) group and the foods the hamster shouldn’t eat are in the “Ní féidir” (can’t/not safe/not recommended) group. The form of the word in parenthesis is the basic form and may need the various adjustments mentioned above. The slightly longer blanks mean that the answer will be a phrase, not just a single word.

Is féidir le hamstair na bianna seo a ithe. Is maith le hamstair an blas – “Neam-neam,” a déarfadh siad dá mbeadh caint acu. Blas cén rud?

• 1) blas an _________ (alfalfa)
• 2) blas an _________ (banana)
• 3) blas __________________ (bláth caisearbháin)
• 4) blas an _________ (brocailí)
• 5) blas an _________ (cáiréad)
• 6) blas an _________ (cúcumar)
• 7) blas __________________ (duilleoga caisearbháin)
• 8) blas na _________ (cóilis)
• 9) blas na _________ (criogar)
• 10) blas an _________ (fíorbhambú)
• 11) blas an _________ (grúnlas)
• 12) blas na _________ (minphéisteanna)
• 13) blas na _________ (péitseog)
• 14) blas an _________ (piorra)
• 15) blas na _________ (“sárphéisteanna”)
• 16) blas an __________________ (sicín bruite) agus blas na ____________ (feoil thrua eile)
• 17) blas an _________ (siocaire)
• 18) blas an _________ (úll)

Ní féidir le hamstair na bianna seo a ithe. Ní maith le hamstair an blas – “Uch!” a déarfadh siad dá mbeadh caint acu. Sin, nó b’fhéidir go mbeadh an blas ceart go leor ach bheadh an bia dainséarach do hamstair. Blas cén rud?

• 1) blas na _________ (almóinní)
• 2) blas an __________________ (aló íceach)
• 3) blas an __________________ (bambú ádhúil)
• 4) blas an __________________ (buachalán buí)
• 5) blas __________________ (cam an ime)
• 6) blas an _________ (candaí)
• 7) blas an _________ (criosantamam)
• 8) blas na _________ (criospaí)
• 9) blas __________________ (duilleoga trátaí)
• 10) blas na __________________ (feoil lán de shaill)
• 11) blas na _________ (gairleog)
• 12) blas an _________ (oinniún)
• 13) blas an __________________ (piobar glas)
• 14) blas na _________ (pónairí)
• 15) blas an _________ (práta)
• 16) blas na _________ (seacláid)
• 17) blas na __________________ (torthaí citris)

Ar éirigh leat iad go léir a dhéanamh? Faigh amach anseo le heochair na bhfreagraí! Did you succeed in doing them all? Find out here with the answer key! SGF — Róislín

Freagraí agus Béarla:

As you may notice, there are certain patterns within “an tuiseal ginideach” (different endings, different initial changes, etc.).   Perhaps in a future blog, we’ll look some more at these. Meanwhile, you might like a refresher on “an tuiseal ginideach” (the genitive case) at the links listed below. Seo na freagraí, sa tuiseal ginideach:

Is féidir le hamstair iad seo a ithe agus is maith le hamstair na blasanna seo:

1)) blas an alfalfa, alfalfa

2)) blas an bhanana, banana

3)) blas bhláth an chaisearbháin, dandelion flower

4)) blas an bhrocailí, broccoli

5)) blas an cháiréid, carrot

6)) blas an chúcumair, cucumber

7)) blas dhuilleoga an chaisearbháin, dandelion leaves

8)) blas na cóilise, cauliflower

9)) blas na gcriogar, crickets

10)) blas an fhíorbhambú, true bamboo

11)) blas an ghrúnlais, groundsel

12)) blas na minphéisteanna, mealworms

13)) blas na péitseoige, peach

14)) blas an phiorra, pear

15)) blas na sárphéisteanna,” superworms (cineál larbha ciaróige, a kind of beetle larva) ach mar a dúirt mé sa bhlag deireanach, caithfidh tú na cinn a bhaint díobh / but as I said in the last blog, you must cut the heads off. Pé scéal é, agus arís mar a dúirt mé sa bhlag deireanach (agus má tá sé sin léite agat cheana féin, ná bac leis seo mar beidh sé sean, nó mar a déarfadh Wilkie Collins agus a leithéid, “superannuated”), ach here goes, for those who hadn’t read it before: hmm, minphéisteanna … sárphéisteanna … is dócha go mbíonn cineál “Diat Worms” acu — á, á, tá a fhios agam gurb é “aiste bia” an frása ceart anseo agus tá a fhios agam freisin go mba chóir do dhuine gan deimhin a dhéanamh dá dhóchas ag úsáid imeartas focal dhá uair ach cé a bheadh in ann diúltú don imeartas focal sin?

16)) blas an tsicín bhruite agus blas na feola trua eile, cooked chicken and other lean meat

17)) blas an tsiocaire, chicory

18)) blas an úill, apple

Ní féidir:

• 1) blas na n-almóinní, almonds
• 2) blas an aló ícigh, aloe vera
• 3) blas an bhambú ádhúla, lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
• 4) blas an bhuachaláin bhuí, ragweed/ragwort
• 5) blas cham an ime, buttercup
• 6) blas an chandaí, candy
• 7) blas an chriosantamaim, chrysanthemum
• 8) blas na gcriospaí, crisps (US: potato chips)
• 9) blas dhuilleoga na dtrátaí, tomato leaves
• 10) blas na feola atá lán de shaill, fatty meat
• 11) blas na gairleoige, garlic
• 12) blas an oinniúin, onion
• 13) blas an phiobair ghlais, green pepper
• 14) blas na bpónairí, beans
• 15) blas an phráta, potato
• 16) blas na seacláide, chocolate
• 17) blas na dtorthaí citris, citrus fruit(s)

Gluais bhreise (d’fhocail nach cineálacha bia iad): aiste bia, a diet (lit. a regimen of food);; diúltú, resist, refuse; éagsúil, various, different; gan deimhin a dhéanamh de do dhóchas, not to press your luck; imeartas focal, word play; péist, a worm

Agus mar a dúradh sa bhlag deireanach: diat, a “diet” (legislative assembly such as the Imperial Diet of 1521, in the city of Worms, Germany, where Martin Luther defended his viewpoints). Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an fhuaim /v/ ag an “w” sin in ainm na cathrach “Worms,” ach mar sin féin is iontach an comhtharlú sin, a bheith ag caint faoi phéisteanna mar bhia agus an “Diat” sin a bheith sa chathair Worms). : )

Nasc don iarbhlag faoi bhia hamstair:

What food can hamsters eat? (plé i nGaeilge – a discussion in Irish) Posted by róislín on Apr 30, 2019 in Irish Language

Naisc eile:

Of Mice, Of Men, Of Newt, Of Frog (A Prose Ode to “An Tuiseal Ginideach”) Posted by róislín on Apr 2, 2011 in Irish Language

What’s the “Tuiseal” of “an Tuiseal Ginideach” Anyway? Posted by róislín on Apr 5, 2011 in Irish Language

For a little more on words like “aló íceach, which has always struck me as a little unusual-looking: Irish Words ending with ‘-íceach’ and sometimes ‘-ícigh’ or ‘-ící’ – dosaen fada díobh Posted by róislín on Aug 29, 2018 in Irish Language