{"id":376,"date":"2010-08-28T13:57:27","date_gmt":"2010-08-28T13:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=376"},"modified":"2010-08-31T02:06:29","modified_gmt":"2010-08-31T02:06:29","slug":"ag-caint-faoi-bhia-hunger-hungry-etc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/ag-caint-faoi-bhia-hunger-hungry-etc\/","title":{"rendered":"Ag Caint faoi Bhia (hunger, hungry, etc.)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Agus m\u00e9 ag \u00e9isteacht leis an raidi\u00f3 le d\u00e9ana\u00ed, chuala m\u00e9 cl\u00e1r faoi neamhshl\u00e1nd\u00e1il bia.\u00a0 Bh\u00ed an cl\u00e1r i mB\u00e9arla ach shocraigh m\u00e9 ag an am go scr\u00edobhfainn blag faoi th\u00e9arma\u00ed Gaeilge a bhaineanns le bia.\u00a0 N\u00edl m\u00e9 ag caint anseo faoi chine\u00e1lacha \u00e1irithe bia mar thr\u00e1ta\u00ed grianthromaithe n\u00f3 vaif\u00e9il, ach go ginear\u00e1lta, faoi bhia agus ocras agus a leith\u00e9id. <\/strong><\/p>\n

While I was listening to the radio recently, I heard a program about food insecurity.\u00a0 The program was in English but I decided at the time that I would write a blog about Irish terms pertaining to food.\u00a0 I\u2019m not talking here about specific types of food, like sun-dried tomatoes or waffles, but generally, about food, hunger, and the like.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So here are the basics:<\/p>\n

T\u00e1 ocras orm<\/strong> [taw OK-russ OR-um], I\u2019m hungry, lit. hunger is on me.<\/p>\n

Hunger, like many other feelings (tart<\/strong>, thirst; br\u00f3n<\/strong>, sadness, srl<\/strong>.), is \u201con you\u201d in Irish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There is an adjective \u201cocrach<\/strong>\u201d (hungry), but it is reserved more for saying someone has a \u201chungry appearance\u201d (cuma ocrach<\/strong>) or for being abstract (na blianta ocracha<\/strong>, the hungry years; talamh ocrach<\/strong>, hungry soil, srl<\/strong>.).\u00a0 \u201cOcrasach<\/strong>\u201d is a variation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You might be asked, \u201cAn bhfuil ocras ort<\/strong>?\u201d (Are you hungry, lit. Is there hunger on you?)<\/p>\n

Possible answers could be:<\/p>\n

T\u00e1, t\u00e1 ocras orm<\/strong>: Yes, I\u2019m hungry.<\/p>\n

N\u00edl, d\u2019ith m\u00e9 tamaill\u00edn \u00f3 shin<\/strong>: No, I ate a little while ago.\u00a0 But don\u2019t try turning down a cup of tea in Ireland \u2013 somehow it\u2019s just not done.\u00a0 Actually, let me revise that.\u00a0 Often what\u2019s done is that you politely decline the tea the first time it\u2019s offered.\u00a0 Then it will probably be offered again, so turn it down again but sounding a little more hesitant.\u00a0 But you\u2019re still saying you don\u2019t want to put your host to any trouble and your host is insisting it\u2019s no trouble at all at all.\u00a0 But the tea will probably be offered a third time, at which time most people will acquiesce and accept the tea.\u00a0 Which everyone knew all along would be the likely outcome.\u00a0 I know that\u2019s a bit of a sc\u00e9al thairis <\/strong>(digression), so let\u2019s get back to hunger.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re really hungry, you could say:<\/p>\n

T\u00e1 m\u00e9 sti\u00fagtha leis an ocras<\/strong> [\u2026 SHTY<\/sup>OOG-huh lesh un OK-russ], I\u2019m perished with hunger (famished).\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, \u201cocras<\/strong>\u201d is the word most commonly used to describe hunger that an individual feels.\u00a0 Turning to the more somber side of the issue though, and to the reason why \u201csl\u00e1nd\u00e1il bia<\/strong>\u201d is such an important topic these days, we have the word \u201cgorta<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 In fact, this word has pretty much entered the vocabulary everyone should know to discuss even the basics of Irish history, when speaking English, since the phrase \u201cAn Gorta M\u00f3r<\/strong>\u201d (The Great Hunger) appears to have largely replaced the term \u201cpotato famine\u201d referring to the 1845 to 1851 time period. \u00a0<\/p>\n

If one is very new to learning the Irish language, but has read in general on Irish history, one might well have encountered the word \u201cgorta<\/strong>\u201d before learning the word \u201cocras<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 In that case, it might seem surprising that there\u2019s this shift in vocabulary, that one can\u2019t just take the word \u201chunger\u201d from the phrase \u201cAn Gorta M\u00f3r<\/strong>\u201d and drop it into the everyday question, \u201cAre you hungry?\u201d\u00a0 But this kind of thing happens regularly with languages, one word for one context and another word, meaning almost the same thing, for another context.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So how else is the word \u201cgorta<\/strong>\u201d used, aside from the phrase \u201cAn Gorta M\u00f3r<\/strong>\u201d?\u00a0 Here are some samples:<\/p>\n

bliain ghorta<\/strong>, a year of famine<\/p>\n

b\u00e1s den ghorta<\/strong>, death from starvation or famine<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the phrase, \u201cBh\u00ed gorta air<\/strong>\u201d meaning \u201cHe was weak with hunger.\u201d\u00a0 In my experience, however, that\u2019s not used in everyday situations, even when one feels starving simply because it\u2019s been some hours since one\u2019s last meal.\u00a0 In that case, the phrase with \u201csti\u00fagtha<\/strong>\u201d would be more likely.\u00a0 In fact, for any of us in a country or region where \u201csl\u00e1nd\u00e1il bia<\/strong>\u201d is not an active concern, I think we tend to use the phrase \u201cstarving\u201d even when we\u2019re nowhere near the medical definition.<\/p>\n

And having said all of this, yes, there is some overlap.\u00a0 For example, there are at least two ways to say someone starved to death: \u201cFuair s\u00e9 b\u00e1s den ocras<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cFuair s\u00e9 b\u00e1s den ghorta<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 In both cases, the more literal translation is \u201che got death from (the) hunger.\u201d<\/p>\n

To end on a more upbeat note, there\u2019s also the well-known seanfhocal, \u201cIs maith an t-anlann an t-ocras<\/strong>\u201d (Hunger is the best sauce).\u00a0 Nice for the thought and nice also as a reminder about inserting the letter \u201ct-\u201c after the definite article (\u201can<\/strong>\u201d) when dealing with an \u201cainmfhocal<\/strong>\u201d which is both \u201cfireannach<\/strong>\u201d (masculine) and \u201cuatha<\/strong>\u201d (singular) and which starts \u201cle guta<\/strong>\u201d (with a vowel).\u00a0 <\/strong>Had to end on a grammar note, didn\u2019t I?\u00a0 Bhuel, t\u00e1 m\u00e9 ag dul amach le haghaidh br\u00f3inse.\u00a0 T\u00e1 ocras orm anois agus is d\u00f3cha go gcuirfidh sin anlann ar an mbia!<\/strong><\/p>\n

N\u00f3ta ginear\u00e1lta<\/strong>:\u00a0 It\u2019s at least another blog\u2019s worth, but there are dozens of other terms like \u201cAn Gorta M\u00f3r<\/strong>\u201d that are used when discussing Irish history (in English) that either have no English equivalent or for which the literal English translation doesn\u2019t have the same nuance as the Irish.\u00a0 The same is true, of course, for other languages around the world, with terms such as \u201craj,\u201d \u201cglasnost,\u201d or \u201cwampum.\u201d\u00a0 In fact, it\u2019s also true for some English terms that might be used in discussing American history in Irish, such as \u201cthe Pilgrim Fathers,\u201d for which the Irish term is \u201cna Pilgrim Fathers<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 One could always take \u201cpilgrim\u201d (oilithreach<\/strong>) and \u201cfather\u201d (athair<\/strong>) and construct a term, but in some cases, it\u2019s best just to leave the term in its original language.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Agus m\u00e9 ag \u00e9isteacht leis an raidi\u00f3 le d\u00e9ana\u00ed, chuala m\u00e9 cl\u00e1r faoi neamhshl\u00e1nd\u00e1il bia.\u00a0 Bh\u00ed an cl\u00e1r i mB\u00e9arla ach shocraigh m\u00e9 ag an am go scr\u00edobhfainn blag faoi th\u00e9arma\u00ed Gaeilge a bhaineanns le bia.\u00a0 N\u00edl m\u00e9 ag caint anseo faoi chine\u00e1lacha \u00e1irithe bia mar thr\u00e1ta\u00ed grianthromaithe n\u00f3 vaif\u00e9il, ach go ginear\u00e1lta, faoi bhia…<\/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":[1],"tags":[11045,11046,11070,3966,1875,11088,11087,11067,11094,11055,4236,11074,11066,11077,11012,4360,11072,11093,11034,11016,4763,11039,11050,11076,11075,3153,11059,11053,11063,5141,7401,11089,11052,70,11023,11017,11082,11081,11096,11065,11084,11078,11013,11031,11086,11014,11038,11043,11041,11030,2676,5665,5667,11071,11024,11085,11047,11091,11092,11057,11083,2993,11040,11099,11015,11054,11037,11022,11044,11101,11036,11062,11100,11098,11051,11069,11095,11060,11035,11058,6741,3404,11064,11080,11079,11061,11025,11029,11048,11042,11032,11068,11056,11033,11027,11019,11018,11090,11020,11021,7278,11026,11028,11097,11073,11049],"class_list":["post-376","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-an-bhfuil-ocras-ort","tag--are-you-hungry","tag-1845-to-1851","tag-abstract","tag-adjective","tag-ainmfhocal","tag-an","tag-an-gorta-mor","tag-anlann","tag-at-all","tag-athair","tag-bas-den-ghorta","tag-basics-of-irish-history","tag-bhi-gorta-air","tag-bhia","tag-bia","tag-bliain-ghorta","tag-broinse","tag-bron","tag-cinealacha-bia","tag-context","tag-cuma-ocrach","tag-cup-of-tea","tag-death-from-famine","tag-death-from-starvation","tag-definite-article","tag-digression","tag-dont-want-to-put-your-host-to-any-trouble","tag-famished","tag-father","tag-feelings","tag-fireannach","tag-first-time","tag-food","tag-food-insecurity","tag-food-security","tag-fuair-se-bas-den-ghorta","tag-fuair-se-bas-den-ocras","tag-glasnost","tag-gorta","tag-he-got-death-from-hunger","tag-he-was-weak-with-hunger","tag-hunger","tag-hunger-is-on-me","tag-hunger-is-the-best-sauce","tag-hungry","tag-hungry-appearance","tag-hungry-soil","tag-hungry-years","tag-im-hungry","tag-individual","tag-ireland","tag-irish","tag-irish-history","tag-irish-terms-pertaining-to-food","tag-is-maith-an-t-anlann-an-t-ocras","tag-is-there-hunger-on-you","tag-le-guta","tag-le-haghaidh-broinse","tag-likely-outcome","tag-literal-translation","tag-masculine","tag-na-blianta-ocracha","tag-na-pilgrim-fathers","tag-neamhshlandail-bia","tag-no-trouble-at-all-at-all","tag-ocrach","tag-ocras","tag-ocrasach","tag-oilithreach","tag-on-you","tag-perished-with-hunger","tag-pilgrim","tag-pilgrim-fathers","tag-politely-decline","tag-potato-famine","tag-raj","tag-really-hungry","tag-sadness","tag-sceal-thairis","tag-seanfhocal","tag-singular","tag-slandail-bia","tag-starved-to-death","tag-starving","tag-stiugtha-leis-an-ocras","tag-sun-dried-tomatoes","tag-ta-ocras-orm","tag-ta-ta-ocras-orm","tag-talamh-ocrach","tag-tart","tag-the-great-hunger","tag-third-time","tag-thirst","tag-tomato","tag-trata","tag-tratai-grianthromaithe","tag-uatha","tag-vaifeal","tag-vaifeil","tag-vowel","tag-waffle","tag-waffles","tag-wampum","tag-year-of-famine","tag-yes-im-hungry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376","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=376"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":381,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376\/revisions\/381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}