{"id":2857,"date":"2012-07-27T12:46:09","date_gmt":"2012-07-27T12:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=2857"},"modified":"2016-08-20T21:12:54","modified_gmt":"2016-08-20T21:12:54","slug":"cluiche-meaitseala-faoi-na-cluichi-oilimpeacha-an-olympics-matching-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/cluiche-meaitseala-faoi-na-cluichi-oilimpeacha-an-olympics-matching-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Cluiche Meaitse\u00e1la faoi na Cluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha (An Olympics Matching Game)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

F\u00e1inn\u00ed Oilimpeacha<\/p><\/div>\n

Bhuel<\/strong>, the season is upon us, Cluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha 2012<\/strong>.\u00a0 So this is a good time to practice various words related to “Olympic” itself.<\/p>\n

First, let’s consider what the word “Olympic” itself means, going back the original Gr\u00e9igis<\/strong>.\u00a0 Yes, we have “Sliabh Oilimpeas<\/strong>” and “Oilimpia<\/strong>,” an mhachaire sa Ghr\u00e9ig<\/strong> where the games used to be held.\u00a0\u00a0 But why was Mount Olympus called “Olympus” and why was Olympia\u00a0named after it?\u00a0 We can’t always answer these questions, especially about ancient place names, and some sources simply say, “of unknown origin,” but there are some theories.\u00a0 “Olympus” may mean “the sky ablaze” or it may mean “high, divine, and\/or sublime power,” or it might not mean either of those.\u00a0 My desktop dictionary, usually good for sanasa\u00edochta\u00ed<\/strong>, doesn’t venture any explanation — it just gives a variety of related words.\u00a0 So we’ll leave it at that for etymology.\u00a0 The word “Olympus” (\u1f4c\u03bb\u03c5\u03bc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c2<\/em>)\u00a0does go back to at least the 13th century B.C. and it’s also mentioned by Homer.\u00a0 Sean go leor!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next, let’s look at \u00fas\u00e1id<\/strong>.\u00a0 In English, one can readily say, “The Olympics,” but the more complete term is “The Olympic Games.” \u00a0In Irish, almost all references I see include the word “cluich\u00ed<\/strong>” (games). \u00a0That means the “Olympic” element is an adjective, and plural (with the “-a”<\/strong> ending): Cluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha<\/strong>. I find a scant 6 hits for “Oilimpic\u00ed<\/strong>” as such (without “cluich\u00ed<\/strong>), one (!) for hOilimpic\u00ed<\/strong> (as in “sna hOilimpic\u00ed<\/strong>), two for “nOilimpic\u00ed<\/strong>” (genitive plural as in “ar son na nOilimpic\u00ed Speisialta<\/strong>,” “for the Special Olympics,” “for the sake of the Special Olympics,” etc.) and no hits for “n-Oilimpic\u00ed<\/strong>” (a slight variation of the genitive plural — this punctuation, with the hyphen, is no longer standard).<\/p>\n

In contrast, there’s ample discussion in Irish online of “Cluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha<\/strong>,” as shown by my search for amais<\/strong> (hits):<\/p>\n

Cluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha<\/strong>: 4360 amas<\/strong> (before any sorting or analysis, but a good sizable figure)<\/p>\n

Chluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha<\/strong>: a further 75 amas<\/strong>, as in the phrase “ar Chluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha<\/strong>” (on or<\/em> about the Olympic Games)<\/p>\n

gCluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha<\/strong>: a further 111 amas<\/strong>, as in the book title N\u00e1 Glac P\u00e1irt i gCluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha na Sean-Ghr\u00e9ige!<\/strong><\/em> (lit. Don’t Take Part in the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece) by Michael Ford, translated into Irish by Eil\u00eds U\u00ed Mhuirne\u00e1n [sic].\u00a0 The original English version of this book is You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Greek Athlete: Races You’d Rather Not Run<\/em>.\u00a0 It’s a fun children’s book with lively illustrations by David Antram, and probably a good read for Irish language learners as well.<\/p>\n

The variations in pronunciation of “cluiche<\/strong>” [KLIH-huh, the singular form] are:<\/p>\n

cluich\u00ed<\/strong> [KLIH-hee, or i gConamara<\/strong>, “KLIF-ee”]<\/p>\n

chluich\u00ed<\/strong> [KHLIH-hee, with our seanchara<\/strong>, the voiceless velar fricative, much discussed in previous blogs in this series, such as Saying \u201cI love you\u201d in Irish and Minding Your Velar Fricatives” from October 9, 2011, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/saying-i-love-you-in-irish\/<\/a>]<\/p>\n

gcluich\u00ed<\/strong> [GLIH-hee, showing eclipsis]<\/p>\n

So much for gramadach<\/strong> and fuaimni\u00fa<\/strong>, now for the spraoi<\/strong> (“fun” or “spree,” I hope).\u00a0 Here are five Irish phrases connected to the Olympics.\u00a0 Can you match them to the English?<\/p>\n

1. lasair Oilimpeach<\/strong>\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 a. Olympic village<\/p>\n

2. Staidiam Oilimpeach Bh\u00e9ising<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b. Olympic torch<\/p>\n

3. t\u00f3irse Oilimpeach<\/strong>\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 c. Olympic flame<\/p>\n

4. foireann Oilimpeach<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 d. Olympic team<\/p>\n

5. bailt\u00edn Oilimpeach<\/strong>\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 e. Beijing Olympic Stadium<\/p>\n

I know, no. 2. is a bit of a giveaway, but I thought the Irish form for “of Beijing” was interesting.\u00a0 Without the “of” (possessive) element, the word is simply “B\u00e9ising<\/strong>” [BAY-shing].\u00a0 To show possession, we “lenite” it (adding the “h” and changing the sound), so it becomes “Bh\u00e9ising<\/strong>” [VAY-shing].<\/p>\n

And the “for-good-measure” bonus: Oilimpiad Matamataice na h\u00c9ireann<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Obviously, the challenge, by this point, isn’t the word “Oilimpeach<\/strong>” itself, but the other vocabulary.\u00a0 Freagra\u00ed th\u00edos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Hope you enjoyed this, and Foirne na h\u00c9ireann Ab\u00fa<\/strong>! \u00a0The plural form of “foireann<\/strong>,” btw, is “foirne.<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\u00d3<\/strong>, one last ceist<\/strong>, before we wrap up.\u00a0 C\u00e1 bhfuil an Sliabh Oilimpeas Meirice\u00e1nach?\u00a0 Eolas ag duine ar bith?\u00a0 Scr\u00edobh d’fhreagra ar an leathanach Facebook, m\u00e1s mian leat.\u00a0 Leid: smaoinigh ar “oisr\u00ed Oilimpia.”\u00a0 C\u00e1 as iadsan?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Freagra\u00ed<\/strong>: 1c. lasair <\/strong>[LAHSS-irzh] Oilimpeach<\/strong>, Olympic flame; 2e. Staidiam Oilimpeach Bh\u00e9ising<\/strong>, Beijing Olympic Stadium, 3b. t\u00f3irse <\/strong>[TOHRzh-shuh] Oilimpeach<\/strong>, Olympic torch; 4d. foireann <\/strong>[FIRzh-un] Oilimpeach,<\/strong> Olympic team; 5a. bailt\u00edn Oilimpeach<\/strong>, Olympic village (bailt\u00edn<\/strong> being a diminutive of “baile<\/strong>“).\u00a0 And the good-measure question: Oilimpiad Matamataice na h\u00c9ireann<\/strong>, Irish Mathematical Olympiad.<\/p>\n

Gluais: d’fhreagra<\/strong> [DJRAG-ruh, the “fh” is silent], your answer; leathanach<\/strong> [LA-hun-ukh], page;\u00a0machaire<\/strong>, a plain; oisre<\/strong> [ISH-ruh], oyster; smaoinigh<\/strong> [SMWEEN-ee], think<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) Bhuel, the season is upon us, Cluich\u00ed Oilimpeacha 2012.\u00a0 So this is a good time to practice various words related to “Olympic” itself. First, let’s consider what the word “Olympic” itself means, going back the original Gr\u00e9igis.\u00a0 Yes, we have “Sliabh Oilimpeas” and “Oilimpia,” an mhachaire sa Ghr\u00e9ig where the games used to…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":2860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3898],"tags":[229579,229580,229584,65,5271,5667,9507,229581,229583,111665,229582,229585,11,229586],"class_list":["post-2857","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-cluiche","tag-cluichi","tag-derivation","tag-etymology","tag-fuaimniu","tag-irish","tag-oilimpeach","tag-oilimpeacha","tag-oilimpia","tag-oisre","tag-oisri","tag-olympus","tag-pronunciation","tag-sliabh-oilimpeas"],"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