{"id":40,"date":"2009-06-08T00:01:54","date_gmt":"2009-06-08T04:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=40"},"modified":"2016-05-13T22:28:04","modified_gmt":"2016-05-13T22:28:04","slug":"dogs-and-daideonna-grandads-in-direct-address-%e2%80%9ci-ngaeilge%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-agus-mamonna-freisin-and-grandmoms-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/dogs-and-daideonna-grandads-in-direct-address-%e2%80%9ci-ngaeilge%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-agus-mamonna-freisin-and-grandmoms-too\/","title":{"rendered":"Dogs and Daideonna (Grandads) in Direct Address \u201ci nGaeilge\u201d \u2013 agus Mam\u00f3nna Freisin (and Grandmoms too)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

This is mostly for active Irish-speakers and learners, but might be of interest more broadly, given how many people write on the Internet about how kids can say \u201cgrandmother\u201d and \u201cgrandfather\u201d in a less formal way (pop-pop, meemaw, etc.).\u00a0 Also, more than a few people talk to their dogs!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re talking directly to\u00a0Mam\u00f3<\/strong>, for example, you\u2019d say \u201cGo raibh maith agat, a Mham\u00f3<\/strong>.\u201d (Thanks, grandma) [say: uh: wahm-OH].<\/p>\n

If you call your grandmother\u00a0M\u00f3ra\u00ed<\/strong>, you could say, \u201cC\u00e1 bhfuil na briosca\u00ed, a Mh\u00f3ra\u00ed<\/strong>?\u201d [say: uh WOR-ee].\u00a0 The question is \u201cWhere are the cookies (biscuits)?\u201d<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s Grand(d)ad, you could try, \u201cSeo do shlat iascaireachta, a Dhaideo<\/strong>\u201d [uh\u00a0GH<\/em>AD-joh], for \u201cHere\u2019s your fishing rod, Granddad\/Grandad.\u201d \u00a0Or to thank him for something, “Go raibh maith agat, a Dhaideo<\/strong>.” \u00a0For want of a better symbol here, I\u2019ll use the \u201cgh<\/em>\u201d symbol to represent the voiced dialect sounds which Irish shares with\u00a0Spanish \u201cagua<\/em>\u201d and German \u201csagen<\/em>.\u201d There\u2019s no real equivalent in English.\u00a0 This is the same sound that you would need to pronounce the name of one of Ireland\u2019s leading Irish-medium poet today, \u201cNuala N\u00ed Dhomhnaill\u201d [NOO-uh-luh nee\u00a0GH<\/em>OH-nill]. The good news about this guttural sound is that once you have it mastered, you\u2019ll use it over and over again, in phrases like \u201cDia dhaoibh<\/strong>,\u201d \u201ca Dh\u00f3nail<\/strong>,\u201d \u201ca Ghr\u00e1inne<\/strong>,\u201d \u201csp\u00e9ir ghorm<\/strong>,\u201d and \u201cB\u00e1 Dh\u00fan na nGall<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cPointe Dh\u00fan na nGall<\/strong>.\u201d The same sound can be spelled \u201cdh\u201d or \u201cgh\u201d and is always next to broad vowels (a, o, u).<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re talking to a dog in Irish, lenite the dog\u2019s name if it begins with b, c, d, f, g, m, p, s, or t (i.e. add an “h” after the consonant and “soften” the sound). \u00a0\u00a0Below are some famous dogs\u2019 names as they would appear in direct address (Irish-speaking or not).\u00a0 Of course, the final choice to call to them following the Irish rules, or not, would depend on the dog-owners, and maybe on the dogs themselves.<\/p>\n

Bo -> a Bho<\/strong>, which hopefully wouldn\u2019t be mistaken for \u201ca bh\u00f3<\/strong>,\u201d which would call a cow!\u00a0 This \u201cbh\u201d sounds like a \u201cw\u201d so the phrase sounds like \u201cuh woh.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Tar anseo, a Bho<\/strong>.\u00a0 Come here, Bo. (That would be for “Bo,” the Obamas’ Portuguese water dog, or, of course, any other dog named “Bo”)<\/p>\n

Bran -> a Bhrain<\/strong>, the initial \u201cbh\u201d becomes \u201cv\u201d sound and there\u2019s a change at the end as well, causing the \u201cn\u201d to become slender, a little like the \u201cn\u201d in the middle of \u201conion\u201d or \u201cminion\u201d but without the following vowel sound.\u00a0\u00a0Bran<\/strong>, being the dog of legendary Irish warrior\u00a0Fionn Mac Cumhaill<\/strong>, would definitely have known Irish.\u00a0 Sounds like \u201cuh vran\u201d in direct address.\u00a0\u00a0Rith, a Bhrain!<\/strong>\u00a0 Run, Bran!<\/p>\n

Balto -> a Bhalto<\/strong>.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure the heroic Balto didn\u2019t know Irish, but all names can make good practice.\u00a0\u00a0Sounds like \u201cuh WAHL-toh.\u201d Maith th\u00fa, a Bhalto<\/strong>. Well done, Balto (for ensuring that the diphtheria serum safely reached Nome by dog team in 1925 despite the raging weather). He\u2019s remembered today\u00a0\u00f3 Alasca go Nua-Eabhrac<\/strong>, where there is a\u00a0dealbh\u00a0<\/strong>(statue) of him\u00a0i bP\u00e1irc L\u00e1rnach<\/strong>\u00a0(in Central Park).<\/p>\n

Marley -> a Mharley<\/strong>\u00a0[say: uh WAHR-lee],\u00a0\u00f3n scann\u00e1n<\/strong>\u00a0(from the movie)<\/p>\n

Pongo -> a Phongo<\/strong>\u00a0[say: uh FONG-oh],\u00a0ceann de na \u201cDalm\u00e1tach agus C\u00e9ad\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(101 Dalmatians)<\/p>\n

Snoopy -> a Shnoopy<\/strong>\u00a0[say: uh HNOOP-ee], needs no explanation.<\/p>\n

Some dog names wouldn\u2019t change, depending on what letters they start and end with.\u00a0 \u201cTar anseo, a Astro!<\/strong>\u201d (Come here, Astro!).\u00a0\u00a0Mar a gc\u00e9anna<\/strong>\u00a0(likewise)\u00a0le<\/strong>\u00a0Lad, Lassie (“Abhaile, a Lad!” n\u00f3 \u00a0“Is t\u00fa mo ‘Lassie-come-home,’ a Lassie!”<\/strong>),\u00a0agus<\/strong>\u00a0Rin-Tin-Tin (“Y\u00f3-\u00f3, a Rinty!<\/strong>“) .\u00a0D\u00e1 mbeadh na t\u00e9acsanna i nGaeilge<\/strong>, that is.<\/p>\n

You may have noticed the plurals in the title for this blog:\u00a0Daideonna<\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a0Daideo<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Mam\u00f3nna<\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a0Mam\u00f3<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The plural of \u201cM\u00f3ra\u00ed<\/strong>\u201d is \u201cM\u00f3raithe<\/strong>,\u201d following the same pattern as in \u201cr\u00fana\u00ed<\/strong>\u201d (secretary), plural:\u00a0r\u00fanaithe<\/strong>, and \u201camhr\u00e1na\u00ed<\/strong>\u201d (singer), plural \u201camhr\u00e1naithe<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 In all these words, the letter \u201ct\u201d is silent, meaning that there\u2019s just a breathy \u201ch\u201d sound to make the plural.<\/p>\n

Quite coincidentally, \u201cMoraithe\u201d is a fictitious place name in an imaginary world, Carador, apparently created by the team, \u201cK and R.\u201c\u00a0 Although their invented place names show a strong Celtic influence (Maelmuire, Gwynned [sic]), it is unclear if they realize that, except for a long mark, the place name \u201cMoraithe\u201d means \u201cGrannies.\u201d\u00a0 At any rate, it\u2019s all part of their website,\u00a0www.carador.org<\/a><\/p>\n

P\u00e9 sc\u00e9al \u00e9, sl\u00e1n go dt\u00ed an ch\u00e9ad bhlag eile<\/strong>.\u00a0 Anyway, farewell till the next blog. -_\u00a0R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) This is mostly for active Irish-speakers and learners, but might be of interest more broadly, given how many people write on the Internet about how kids can say \u201cgrandmother\u201d and \u201cgrandfather\u201d in a less formal way (pop-pop, meemaw, etc.).\u00a0 Also, more than a few people talk to their dogs! If you\u2019re talking directly…<\/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":[4040,390668,390674,460264,315866,390670,65808,229548,390659,4620,366804,4889,384313,384312,460262,172902,4981,460263,460250,460252,111204,390669,5423,5424,5425,5426,5427,390662,460265,390666,229567,460266,460251,390661,5985,390672,390663,460253,390673,460257,390671,6138,390660,460260,2351,460259,460256,390664,2410,390667,460267,460261,460255,390665,2560,460254,460269,460268],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-alaska","tag-astro","tag-balto","tag-bhalto","tag-bho","tag-bhrain","tag-bo","tag-bran","tag-carador","tag-celtic","tag-central-park","tag-daideo","tag-daideonna","tag-dhaideo","tag-diphtheria","tag-direct-address","tag-dog","tag-dog-sled","tag-dogs-names","tag-finn","tag-fionn","tag-grandad","tag-granddad","tag-grandfather","tag-grandma","tag-grandmother","tag-grandpa","tag-gwynned","tag-k-and-r","tag-lad","tag-lassie","tag-lassie-come-home","tag-mac-cumhaill","tag-maelmuire","tag-mamo","tag-mamonna","tag-marley","tag-mccool","tag-mhamo","tag-mharley","tag-mhorai","tag-morai","tag-moraithe","tag-nome","tag-obama","tag-pairc-larnach","tag-phongo","tag-pongo","tag-portuguese","tag-rin-tin-tin","tag-rinty","tag-serum","tag-shnoopy","tag-snoopy","tag-team","tag-water-dog","tag-yo-rinty","tag-yo-o-rinty"],"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