{"id":3038,"date":"2012-08-22T15:31:16","date_gmt":"2012-08-22T15:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=3038"},"modified":"2012-09-07T14:11:03","modified_gmt":"2012-09-07T14:11:03","slug":"when-is-something-horse-not-something-horse-tearmai-mar-raidis-fhiain-srl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/when-is-something-horse-not-something-horse-tearmai-mar-raidis-fhiain-srl\/","title":{"rendered":"When Is Something “Horse” Not Something “Horse” (T\u00e9arma\u00ed mar “Raidis Fhi\u00e1in,” srl.)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

raidis fhi\u00e1in<\/p><\/div>\n

In the last blog, discussing the “Horse Latitudes” (Criosanna na gCalm<\/strong>), we also briefly addressed the “horselessness” of the Irish term “raidis fhi\u00e1in<\/strong>” (horse-radish) and the inclusion of the word “horse” in the term “cn\u00f3nna capaill<\/strong>” (horse-chestnuts). \u00a0Neither the radishes nor the chestnuts \u00a0really involve actual horses, even though “cn\u00f3nna capaill<\/strong>” refers to them. \u00a0Can one ever predict whether a form of “capall<\/strong>” (or “each<\/strong>” or “marc<\/strong>,” two other words for horse in Irish) will be part of a phrase that starts out with “horse” in English?\u00a0 My inclination is to say “no” in regard to predictability, but to say “let’s go for it,” regarding a general inquiry.<\/p>\n

This blog will be divided into four sections: A) more actual horse-related vocabulary, B) words that have the element “horse” in both English and Irish, but aren’t about horses as such, C) words that have the horse element in English but not in Irish, and D) one example, at any rate, of a term associated with horses by analogy and which can be found both with “capall<\/strong>” and without it!<\/p>\n

A) Compound words that actually have to do with horses (usually based on “capall<\/strong>,” sometimes on “each<\/strong>” or “marc<\/strong>“).\u00a0 The last blog had a few examples, like “c\u00f3iste capaill<\/strong>,” “baneachlach,” <\/strong>and “marcairtl\u00e9ire<\/strong>,” and here are a few more.<\/p>\n

cr\u00fa capaill<\/strong>, horseshoe<\/p>\n

umar capaill<\/strong>, horse-trough (thanks again, Anna Sewell!)<\/p>\n

each-chumhacht<\/strong> [AKH-KHOO-wukht], horse-power (and there’s a good workout for your voiceless velar fricatives, the sound previously discussed in blogs such as https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/saying-i-love-you-in-irish\/<\/a>,\u00a0with “a chro\u00ed<\/strong>” [uh khree], for example)<\/p>\n

marc-chla\u00edomh<\/strong>, a sabre, lit. a horse-sword (not all sabres were used by cavalry, but their primary use was by mounted soldiers)<\/p>\n

B) Words that have the element “horse” in both English and Irish, but aren’t about horses as such.\u00a0 The connection is usually through folklore, association, \u00a0or by analogy (in shape, etc.).\u00a0 In these cases, “capall<\/strong>” seems to predominate over “each<\/strong>” and “marc<\/strong>.”\u00a0 Examples include:<\/p>\n

cn\u00f3 capaill<\/strong>, horse-chestnut, lit. “horse-nut” (note that “cast\u00e1n<\/strong>,” which means “chestnut,” is not part of this phrase).\u00a0 The horse-chestnut was (is?) believed alternately to have healing powers or to be toxic to horses (!), and I leave the rest of that quandary to the eitnealuibheolaithe<\/strong> on the list, if you’re out there!<\/p>\n

creabhar capaill<\/strong>, horse-fly (i.e. the biting type), lit. “horse-woodcock.”\u00a0 Note that this isn’t based on the ordinary word for a fly (cuileog<\/strong>). \u00a0“Creabhar<\/strong>,” on its own, can be “woodcock” (the bird), a gadfly, or the “cleg fly” (a specific type of horse-fly, also known as a “claig<\/strong>“).<\/p>\n

eireaball capaill<\/strong> (or “ruball capaill<\/strong>“): this is literally a horse’s tail or the plant “horsetail” (Equisetum<\/em>, horse + bristle), not to be mistaken for “mare’s tail” (Hippuris<\/em>), which is similar-looking. \u00a0There are at least 30 species of this plant, including giant, dwarf, smooth, and rough — too much for this blog to cover in detail!<\/p>\n

C) Words that have the “horse” element in English but not in Irish<\/p>\n

These Irish terms contain no word for “horse” but are still loosely associated with the animal, in terms of legend, sound, shape, etc.<\/p>\n

raidis fhi\u00e1in<\/strong>, horse-radish, lit. wild radish. \u00a0Someday I’ll check how many languages around the world use “horse” to describe “horse-radish.”\u00a0 Welsh, for starters, does not; the standard term, at any rate, is “radys poeth<\/em>” (hot radishes).\u00a0 Ahh, a new dimension for Luna Lovegood!\u00a0\u00a0 In Scottish Gaelic, it’s “meacan-ragum<\/em>.”\u00a0 Oh, now I also see “meacan-each<\/em>” (“root of horse”) for the Gaelic!\u00a0 Both bases covered!\u00a0 And, l\u00e1mha in airde<\/strong> anyone who wanted to know the Latin for “horseradish”!\u00a0 Well, here it comes, Celtic connection and all, and it’s … horseless\u00a0 — “armoracia<\/em>,” basically meaning “by the sea” (ar<\/em> + mor <\/em>in today’s Breton, Welsh, or Cornish), referring to the north-west coast of Gaul, where the plant grew freely.\u00a0 In modern French,\u00a0the basic name is “raifort<\/em>,” but it has other names such as “moutarde de allemande<\/em>” (German mustard) and “cran de Bretagne<\/em>” (“Breton notch”? — any insight there, a Bhriot\u00e1nacha<\/strong>?).\u00a0 Back to horse territory, it’s also known in French as “radis de cheval<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

g\u00e1ire g\u00e1ifeach<\/strong>: horse-laughter, a guffaw, lit. loud, exaggerated, dangerous laugh.\u00a0 The sound may be like seitreach<\/strong> (neighing) or cuacha\u00edl<\/strong> (whinnying), but that’s not enough to put the actual word “horse” in the Irish phrase<\/p>\n

bolm\u00e1n<\/strong> [BOL-uh-mawn], horse-mackerel or jack mackerel or scad.\u00a0 The basic word for “mackerel” is “ronnach<\/strong>,” which has even made it heavenward, in the phrase “sp\u00e9ir ronnach<\/strong>” (a mackerel sky), but not into the horsy set.\u00a0 Instead, “bolm\u00e1n<\/strong>,” a completely different word , is used for horse- or jack mackerel in general , for “mackerel scad” (!) and various other types of scad, such as “big-eyed scad” (bolm\u00e1n m\u00f3rsh\u00faileach<\/strong>), Indian scad (bolm\u00e1n Indiach<\/strong>), and even “false scad” (br\u00e9agbholm\u00e1n<\/strong> [BRzhAYG-WOL-uh-mawn].\u00a0 At least one species of horse mackerel, the Atlantic, was named from the belief that other fish could ride on its back.\u00a0 <gn\u00fasacht d\u00edchreidimh!><\/strong>.\u00a0 I assume that was when \u00a0the smaller fishes’ fins needed a rest (!).<\/p>\n

binse s\u00e1bha\u00f3ireachta<\/strong>, saw-horse, lit. bench of sawing<\/p>\n

cliath \u00e9ada\u00ed<\/strong>, clothes horse, lit. latticed frame of clothes (for drying clothes on)<\/p>\n

D) To wrap up, here’s one example, at any rate, of a term associated with horses by analogy and which can be found both with “capall<\/strong>” and without it — a reminder of how flexible language can be!\u00a0 There are two phrases in Irish for “white horses,” referring to breakers or waves, as used, to great effect, in the Lord of the Rings movie (all Arwen\/Glorfindel controversies notwithstanding):<\/p>\n

capaill bh\u00e1na<\/strong>, lit. white horses, with “bh\u00e1na<\/strong>” [WAW-nuh] as the plural form of “b\u00e1n<\/strong>” (white); this rarely occurs in the singular (IMThF, ar a laghad<\/strong>), but if it did, it would be “capall b\u00e1n<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

brist\u00ed b\u00e1na <\/strong>or bristeacha b\u00e1na<\/strong>, lit. white breakers, based on the verb “briseadh”<\/strong> (to break).\u00a0 This would probably be even less likely to be used in the singular, but if needed, it would be “bristeach b\u00e1n<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

So that’s four degrees of “horseness” with some reasonably common Irish vocabulary words.\u00a0\u00a0 Suimi\u00fail, nach ea?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next rainy day project?\u00a0 A translation of the Marx Brothers film, Horse Feathers?\u00a0 Cleit\u00ed Capaill?<\/strong> \u00a0Hmmm, any relation to or use in feathering the proverbial “nead gearr\u00e1in<\/strong>.”\u00a0 That’s considered the Irish equivalent to a “mare’s nest.”\u00a0 But I have to admit, I’m stumped there.\u00a0 \u00a0A “mare” is actually “l\u00e1ir<\/strong>” in Irish. \u00a0“Nead gearr\u00e1in<\/strong>” literally means “a gelding’s nest” (say what now?), so I’m sure thereby must have hung some sort of tail, or at least an explanation.\u00a0 And even if there isn’t, it’ll give us a reason to keep talking horses.\u00a0 \u00a0Next blog — horses, from searraigh<\/strong> to staig\u00edn\u00ed?\u00a0 Sl\u00e1n go <\/strong>“foal”, R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gluais: d\u00edchreideamh<\/strong>, disbelief; focl\u00f3ir\u00ed<\/strong>, a lexicographer; gn\u00fasacht<\/strong>, a grunt; searrach<\/strong>, a foal; staig\u00edn<\/strong>, a worthless creature, especially an old horse or nag.\u00a0 Actually, I don’t like calling any animal, young or old, “worthless,” but thus sayeth an t-ollfhocl\u00f3ir\u00ed<\/strong><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) In the last blog, discussing the “Horse Latitudes” (Criosanna na gCalm), we also briefly addressed the “horselessness” of the Irish term “raidis fhi\u00e1in” (horse-radish) and the inclusion of the word “horse” in the term “cn\u00f3nna capaill” (horse-chestnuts). \u00a0Neither the radishes nor the chestnuts \u00a0really involve actual horses, even though “cn\u00f3nna capaill” refers to…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":3061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3898],"tags":[229704,229716,229713,229695,229689,229705,229712,229693,229694,229724,229690,229692,229714,229718,229717,229697,229680,229708,229706,229707,229709,229719,207286,229711,229691,229696,229720,229723,229701,229722,229702,229703,229721,229710,229698,229699,229725,229700,111217,229715,229726],"class_list":["post-3038","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-armoracia","tag-arwen","tag-breakers","tag-capaill","tag-capall","tag-chestnut","tag-clothes-horse","tag-cno-capaill","tag-cnonna","tag-cran-de-bretagne","tag-each","tag-each-chumhacht","tag-foamy-waves","tag-frodo","tag-glorfindel","tag-horse-feathers","tag-horse-latitudes","tag-horse-mackerel","tag-horse-chestnuts","tag-horseradish","tag-jack-mackerel","tag-lord-of-the-rings","tag-luna-lovegood","tag-mackerel-scad","tag-marc","tag-marc-chlaiomh","tag-marx-brothers","tag-poeth","tag-radish","tag-radishes","tag-radys","tag-raifort","tag-sawhorse","tag-scad","tag-searrach","tag-searraigh","tag-staigin","tag-umar","tag-velar-fricative","tag-white-horses","tag-worthless-creature"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3038"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3059,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3038\/revisions\/3059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}