{"id":1239,"date":"2011-09-21T19:43:35","date_gmt":"2011-09-21T19:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=1239"},"modified":"2019-09-03T06:56:29","modified_gmt":"2019-09-03T06:56:29","slug":"na-seasuir-the-seasons-in-irish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/na-seasuir-the-seasons-in-irish\/","title":{"rendered":"Na S\u00e9as\u00fair (The Seasons, in Irish)"},"content":{"rendered":"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s yet another topic based on \u201can f\u00e9ilire.\u201d\u00a0 <\/strong>In Irish, na s\u00e9as\u00fair <\/strong>are samhradh, earrach, f\u00f3mhar <\/strong>and geimhreadh.\u00a0 <\/strong>As you may have noticed, I didn\u2019t list them in the order we usually think of them, just so we can do another round of meaitse\u00e1il.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

These four words may not very recognizable from an English-language perspective, where we may say \u201cSpring\u201d for the season but can readily recognize the Latin \u201cv<\/em>\u0113<\/em>r, v<\/em>\u0113<\/em>ris<\/em>\u201d (Spring) or its adjective \u201cvernus<\/em>,\u201d from phrases like \u201cvernal equinox.\u201d\u00a0 But the Irish season names actually do have some interesting tie-ins to other languages though.\u00a0 Can you match them up?<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>samhradh <\/strong>[SOW-ruh]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>a. gaeaf<\/em> (Breatnais)<\/strong><\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>earrach\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>b. sam<\/em>\u0101–<\/em> (Sanscrait)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>f\u00f3mhar\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>c. v<\/em>\u0101r<\/em> (SeanLochlainnis)<\/strong><\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>geimhreadh <\/strong>[Gy<\/sup>EV-ruh]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 d. \u00a0foghar<\/em> (Gaeilge na hAlban)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each of these \u201cseason\u201d words, by the way, has a genitive case form, frequently encountered in phrases like the following:<\/p>\n

c\u00farsa\u00ed samhraidh\u00a0 <\/strong>[SOW-ree]<\/p>\n

teacht an earraigh <\/strong><\/p>\n

Me\u00e1n F\u00f3mhair<\/strong><\/p>\n

aimsir gheimhridh <\/strong>[YEV-ree]<\/p>\n

And, an tuiseal ginideach ar\u00eds, <\/strong>for the word \u201cf\u00f3mhar\u201d <\/strong>in this interesting saying:<\/p>\n

Is \u00e9 do l\u00e1 f\u00f3mhair \u00e9 \u2013 <\/strong>it\u2019s your lucky day (i.e. the day you\u2019re reaping your reward).\u00a0 Remember, \u201cf\u00f3mhar<\/strong>\u201d also means harvest or harvest-time, not just Autumn\/Fall.<\/p>\n

The genitive case forms are also used when talking about the solstices (grianstadanna<\/strong>) and equinoxes (c\u00f3nochta\u00ed<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

grianstad an gheimhridh <\/strong>[\u2026un YEV-ree]<\/p>\n

grianstad an tsamhraidh <\/strong>[\u2026 un TOW-ree, \u201ctow\u201d as in \u201ccow\u201d or \u201cnow,\u201d not as in \u201ctow-truck\u201d]<\/p>\n

c\u00f3nocht an fh\u00f3mhair <\/strong>[\u2026 un OH-irzh, with the \u201cfh\u201d silent]<\/p>\n

c\u00f3nocht an earraigh <\/strong>[\u2026 un YAR-ee]<\/p>\n

Hmm, what happened to the word \u201ceacaineacht<\/strong>\u201d (equinox) also used, at least until recently?\u00a0 Scortha?\u00a0 As \u00fas\u00e1id?\u00a0 D\u00edmholta?\u00a0 An \u201cduill\u00edn b\u00e1ndearg\u201d tugtha d\u00f3 (mar a deirtear i Meirice\u00e1)?\u00a0 \u201cC\u00f3nocht\u201d<\/strong> as a term does get to the heart of the issue, \u201cc\u00f3<\/strong>, co- or equal, + nocht<\/strong>, night.\u201d\u00a0 “C\u00f3<\/strong>-” is a form of “comh<\/strong>-” that is typically used before words starting with “m” or “n” (c\u00f3mhaireacht\u00e1il<\/strong>, co-existence, agus c\u00f3naisc<\/strong>, conjoin, mar shampla\u00ed<\/strong>).\u00a0 That\u2019s \u201cnocht<\/strong>\u201d as in \u201canocht<\/strong>\u201d (tonight).\u00a0 Not the other \u201cnocht<\/strong>\u201d! \u201cC\u00f3nocht<\/strong>\u201d seems to be the somewhat more official word for \u201cequinox\u201d these days, rather than “eacaineacht<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

SGF, R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gluais: duill\u00edn, <\/strong>slip of paper; nocht, <\/strong>night, but only as a \u201croot\u201d or element of \u201canocht\u201d <\/strong>and related compound words, night (the other \u201cnocht\u201d <\/strong>is an adjective meaning \u201cnaked\u201d!).\u00a0 Hmm, come to think of it, there are some interesting possibilities for “c\u00f3<\/strong>-” plus the other “nocht<\/strong>” as well, nach bhfuil<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Freagra\u00ed: <\/strong>1b, samhradh, <\/strong>summer; sama<\/em>– (Sanskrit, where it more typically means \u201cyear\u201d or \u201cseason\u201d); 2c, earrach, <\/strong>spring, v<\/em>\u0101r<\/em> (Old Norse); <\/strong>3d) f\u00f3mhar, <\/strong>fall\/autumn, foghar<\/em> (Scottish Gaelic, where the historical spelling reveals the original concept behind this word in Old Irish (lit. \u201cunder\u201d-winter).\u00a0 Of course, the pre-reform Irish spelling also shows us the same thing (foghmhar)!\u00a0 <\/strong>4a. geimhreadh<\/strong>, winter, gaeaf<\/em> (Welsh).\u00a0 Suimi\u00fail, nach ea?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) Here\u2019s yet another topic based on \u201can f\u00e9ilire.\u201d\u00a0 In Irish, na s\u00e9as\u00fair are samhradh, earrach, f\u00f3mhar and geimhreadh.\u00a0 As you may have noticed, I didn\u2019t list them in the order we usually think of them, just so we can do another round of meaitse\u00e1il.\u00a0 These four words may not very recognizable from an…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3898],"tags":[111056,315936,12030,315934,5034,11201,111064,111054,111058,111051,111045,111061,111059,5373,96671,9928,111055,111057,315938,111046,10454,6725,6749,3395,6751,1317,1327,315935,111049,315924,315937,7296,992,7626],"class_list":["post-1239","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-under-winter","tag-aimsir-gheimhridh","tag-autumn","tag-cursai-samhraidh","tag-earrach","tag-fall","tag-feilire","tag-foghar","tag-foghmhar","tag-fomhar","tag-four-seasons","tag-gaeaf","tag-geimhreadh","tag-ginideach","tag-mean-fomhair","tag-old-norse","tag-original-concept-behind-this-word-in-old-irish","tag-pre-reform-irish-spelling","tag-sama","tag-samhradh","tag-sanskrit","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-season","tag-seasons","tag-seasur","tag-spring","tag-summer","tag-teacht-an-earraigh","tag-var","tag-vernal","tag-vernus","tag-welsh","tag-winter","tag-year"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t