{"id":135,"date":"2010-02-21T11:56:07","date_gmt":"2010-02-21T15:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=131"},"modified":"2010-02-21T11:56:07","modified_gmt":"2010-02-21T15:56:07","slug":"thuas-seal-thios-seal-or-ice-cream-and-underlings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/thuas-seal-thios-seal-or-ice-cream-and-underlings\/","title":{"rendered":"Thuas Seal, Th\u00edos Seal, or Ice-cream and Underlings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before the U.S. completely finishes with L\u00e1<\/strong> (or Seachtain<\/strong>) na nUachtar\u00e1n<\/strong>, let\u2019s take a brief look at some contrasting terms for up\/down and above\/below in Irish.\u00a0 <\/span>As you might imagine, this will end up treating a wide variety of topics, not just spatial relations.\u00a0 <\/span>Ice-cream and underlings, for example. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the core terms: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

thuas<\/strong>, above<\/span><\/p>\n

th\u00edos<\/strong>, below<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These can be used quite straightforwardly: thuas staighre, th\u00edos staighre<\/strong> (upstairs, downstairs).\u00a0 <\/span>These two terms are used when the subject is stationary, as in \u201cT\u00e1 s\u00e9 thuas ansin<\/strong>\u201d (He is up there).\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The contrast of \u201cua\u201d and \u201c\u00edo,\u201d which I see as the core of these words, gives us many other pairs:\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

suas<\/strong> (up, above, with motion, e.g. ag dul suas<\/strong>)<\/span><\/p>\n

s\u00edos<\/strong> (down, below, with motion, e.g. ag dul s\u00edos<\/strong>) <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

anuas<\/strong> (down, emphasizing the movement from above to below, e.g. ag teacht anuas<\/strong>)<\/span><\/p>\n

an\u00edos<\/strong> (up, emphasizing the movement from below to above, e.g. ag teacht an\u00edos<\/strong>)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those are the typical contrasting pairs.\u00a0 <\/span>But the parallels continue:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

uachtar<\/strong>, upper part, uplands (for sheep, etc.), surface (of water, etc.), cream (\u00f3 na laethanta roimh homaigini\u00fa<\/strong>), and the upper of a set of millstones (an bhr\u00f3 uachtair<\/strong>)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00edochtar<\/strong>, lower part, bottom, bottom land, skimmed portion (of milk), the lower of a set of millstones (an bhr\u00f3 \u00edochtair<\/strong>), and even the runt of a litter of pigs (which could also be made even more diminutive, as \u00edochtair\u00edn<\/strong>)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From uachtar <\/strong>we also get uachtar reoite<\/strong> (ice-cream, lit. frozen cream), and the special Irish version thereof, uachtar reoite ar\u00e1in dhoinn<\/strong>, as well as borr\u00f3ga uachtair <\/strong>(cream buns) and the ultimate Irish culinary specialty, anraith seamr\u00f3g le huachtar<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From \u00edochtar<\/strong> we also get \u00edochtar oighearshrutha<\/strong> [OY-er-HRUH-huh, silent g, s, and t] (glacier bottom), an <\/strong>Tr\u00e9imhse Charb\u00f3nmhar \u00cdochtair <\/strong>(the Lower Carboniferous), and raca \u00edochtair<\/strong> (lower rack, of a miasniteoir<\/strong>). <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Add the \u201c-ach<\/strong>\u201d suffix and you get additional adjective forms: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

uachtarach<\/strong>, as in Sr\u00e1id U\u00ed Chonaill Uachtarach<\/strong>, often abbreviated \u201cUacht<\/strong>.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00edochtarach<\/strong>, as in Sr\u00e1id U\u00ed Chonaill \u00cdochtarach<\/strong>, often abbreviated \u201c\u00cdocht<\/strong>.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, for now at least, add the \u201c-\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d suffix, and you get the person characterized by the concept:<\/span><\/p>\n

uachtar\u00e1n<\/strong>, president, or head (of a school, etc., though other terms for that also exist, such as pr\u00edomhoide<\/strong>), in pl. the authorities, etc.\u00a0 <\/span>Examples: Uachtar\u00e1n na h\u00c9ireann<\/strong> (the President of Ireland). uachtar\u00e1n slal\u00f3im<\/strong> (slalom president; note the genitive case of \u201cslal\u00f3m<\/strong>,\u201d which I must confess I\u2019ve had little occasion to use otherwise), and an Leas-Uachtar\u00e1n<\/strong> (the Vice President).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Preceded by the definite article when used with a person\u2019s name: An tUachtar\u00e1n Obama<\/strong>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The American holiday, Presidents\u2019 Day, is L\u00e1 na nUachtar\u00e1n<\/strong>, since it\u2019s plural (two presidents).\u00a0 <\/span>Somehow there is now \u201cSeachtain na nUachtar\u00e1n<\/strong>,\u201d perhaps dreamed up by marg\u00f3ir\u00ed<\/strong>, since it enables sales to be prolonged.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00edochtar\u00e1n<\/strong>, lowly person, subordinate, underling, in pl. the proletariat.\u00a0 <\/span>Not that I particularly like thinking of people in this manner, but the concept is traditional.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So finally we get back to the seanfhocal<\/strong> that I used as teideal an bhlag seo<\/strong>: Thuas seal, th\u00edos seal<\/strong>, up a while, down a while, describing guaga\u00edl an tsaoil<\/strong> (the vagaries of life).\u00a0 <\/span>So, no, that\u2019s not a translation of \u201cice-cream and underlings\u201d as such, but come to think of it, maybe there\u2019s something to that idea.\u00a0 <\/span>On that convoluted note, sl\u00e1n go dt\u00ed an ch\u00e9ad bhlag eile<\/strong>.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before the U.S. completely finishes with L\u00e1 (or Seachtain) na nUachtar\u00e1n, let\u2019s take a brief look at some contrasting terms for up\/down and above\/below in Irish.\u00a0 As you might imagine, this will end up treating a wide variety of topics, not just spatial relations.\u00a0 Ice-cream and underlings, for example. \u00a0 Let\u2019s start with the core…<\/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":[],"class_list":["post-135","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-irish-language"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\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