{"id":4160,"date":"2013-06-17T00:50:32","date_gmt":"2013-06-17T00:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=4160"},"modified":"2016-07-05T21:00:40","modified_gmt":"2016-07-05T21:00:40","slug":"an-dearg-an-ban-agus-an-gorm-the-red-white-and-blue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/an-dearg-an-ban-agus-an-gorm-the-red-white-and-blue\/","title":{"rendered":"An Dearg, An B\u00e1n, agus An Gorm (The Red, White, and Blue)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

The time has come to talk … of bratacha<\/strong> (flags).\u00a0 In the United States, at this time of year, we segue from L\u00e1 Cuimhneach\u00e1in (Luan deireanach mh\u00ed\u00a0<\/strong>na Bealtaine)<\/strong> to L\u00e1 na Brata\u00ed (14 Meitheamh)<\/strong> to L\u00e1 (na) Saoirse (4 I\u00fail)<\/strong>.\u00a0 All three offer up an abundance of sraoille\u00e1in de rib\u00edn\u00ed<\/strong> (ribbon-streamers) and stiallbhratacha<\/strong>\u00a0 (that’s “bunting” as in “flags,” not “bunting” as in all those “geal\u00f3g<\/strong>“-type birds, like the geal\u00f3g bhuachair<\/strong>, geal\u00f3g dh\u00facheannach<\/strong>, and the bu\u00ed\u00f3g,<\/strong> which, though “bu\u00ed<\/strong>,” not “geal<\/strong>” as such, is still more or less a geal\u00f3g, ball den gh\u00e9ineas <\/strong>Emberiza<\/em>).\u00a0 Not to mention (if you’ll indulge my apophasis), the t-l\u00e9inte, bal\u00fain, caip\u00edn\u00ed, c\u00edst\u00edn\u00ed cupa, ingne p\u00e9inte\u00e1ilte<\/strong> (ingne l\u00e1imhe<\/strong>, that is) and other venues for maisi\u00fach\u00e1n<\/strong> (decoration), and, of course, na bratacha iad f\u00e9in<\/strong>.\u00a0 And what colors do we find on all these festive favors?\u00a0 Seo iad<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

dearg<\/strong> {DJAR-ug], red (NB: two syllables, with an “uh” sound between the “r” and the “g”, so not<\/em> like English “borg” or Klingon “targ<\/em>,” which are one syllable; the same process occurs in the Irish English pronunciation of “film” as “FILL-um,” and in some American English pronunciations of “acme,” as “ACK-uh-me”)<\/p>\n

b\u00e1n<\/strong> [bawn], white, with fairly straightforward, almost foolproof pronunciation, but with the lips a little puffier than similar-sounding English words like “bawl” or, to get even closer, “bawn” itself, an English word derived from Irish “b\u00e1bh\u00fan<\/strong>” [BAW-oon], \u00a0meaning the defensive wall around a tower-house<\/p>\n

gorm<\/strong> [GOR-um], blue.\u00a0 As with “dearg<\/strong>,” this word has two syllables, with the “uh” sound between the “r” and the “m.” \u00a0In case anyone’s wondering, it’s not related to or pronounced like the “gorm” of English “gormless,” which is based on Old Norse and literally means “without understanding.” \u00a0\u00a0At least that would be true for the standard British pronunciation of the word, which barely has any “r” sound; Americans rarely use the word “gormless.”<\/p>\n

So there they are, the three colors of the American flag, and of several others around the world.\u00a0 Each color has an interesting further tale to tell.\u00a0 For example, “dearg<\/strong>” is used for any brightish, Clifford-the-dog-ish red, but not for a coppery red, red hair, or, in the case of most dogs, coppery-brownish-red fur.\u00a0 That would be “rua<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

“B\u00e1n<\/strong>” has a lot of extended meanings, including “pale” (aghaidh bh\u00e1n<\/strong>, a pale face), “clear” (l\u00e1 b\u00e1n<\/strong>, a clear day), “empty” (T\u00e1 an tsr\u00e1id b\u00e1n<\/strong>, The street is empty), “fallow” (talamh b\u00e1n<\/strong>, fallow land), and one of my favorites, “idle” (\u00f3ganaigh ag imeacht b\u00e1n<\/strong>, youths becoming wastrels).\u00a0 Two other words with overlapping, but not identical, meanings are “fionn<\/strong>” (generally “pale” or “fair,” sometimes “white”) and “geal<\/strong>” (“bright,” sometimes “white”).<\/p>\n

“Gorm<\/strong>” also has lots of extended meanings and derived words, one of the most recent being “Na Gormacha\u00ed<\/strong>” (the Blues).\u00a0 In addition to “blue,” the word “gorm<\/strong>” can mean “livid,” “blue-tinted” (bl\u00e1thach ghorm<\/strong>, bluish, i.e. inferior, buttermilk), “noble,” and “black,” regarding skin color (fear gorm<\/strong>, a black man).\u00a0 That last usage was highlighted in the 2002 movie,\u00a0In America<\/em>, as some of you may remember.\u00a0 One of the most interesting of these gorm<\/strong>-derived words \u00a0is “gormaireacht<\/strong>,” which means “seeking warmth” or “staying close to the fire,” or, really literally, “being a ‘gormaire<\/strong>,’ i.e. a livid\/bluish-faced, lethargic person.”<\/p>\n

And incidentally, speaking of the word “saoirse<\/strong>,” which is becoming increasing popular as a girl’s name, it’s worth noting the difference between a phrase like “L\u00e1 Saoirse<\/strong>” (Day of Freedom) and “breithl\u00e1 Shaoirse<\/strong>” (birthday of Saoirse).\u00a0 I use “breithl\u00e1<\/strong>” here, instead of simply “l\u00e1<\/strong>,” since I think it’s more likely that we’d be talking about a girl’s birthday than naming a commemorative event after her.\u00a0 One never knows, though!<\/p>\n

Anyway, you probably noticed the difference in the two phrases with “saoirse<\/strong>” above.\u00a0 As a generic noun, “saoirse<\/strong>” means \u00a0“freedom,” based on the adjective “saor<\/strong>” (free, independent).\u00a0 \u00a0When it functions attributively (i.e. like an adjective), there’s no reason to lenite it after a masculine singular noun like “l\u00e1<\/strong>,” hence “L\u00e1 Saoirse<\/strong>” ([law SEER-shuh], Independence Day).\u00a0\u00a0 However, “saoirse<\/strong>” has been growing in popularity as a girl’s name, and in that case, we’d have lenition when it shows possession. \u00a0The lenited form is “Shaoirse”<\/strong> [HEER-shuh], as in phrases like “c\u00f3ta Shaoirse<\/strong>,” carr Shaoirse<\/strong>,” and “breithl\u00e1 Shaoirse<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

Probably the most widely cited example of the name “Saoirse<\/strong>” today is Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Atonement, Hanna; <\/em>and a 2016 Broadway update: The Crucible)<\/em>.\u00a0 It first came to my attention as a name, though, with Saoirse R\u00f3is\u00edn Hill, daughter of Courtney Kennedy and Paul Hill, and granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy. \u00a0\u00a0Paul Hill’s life story is the basis for the 1993 movie, In the Name of the Father<\/em>, based on the trial and imprisonment of the “Guildford Four,” charged with, but innocent of, an IRA bombing in Guildford in 1974.<\/p>\n

Bhuel, sin iad na dathanna, dearg, b\u00e1n, gorm<\/strong>, and a little background on the word “saoirse<\/strong>” itself.\u00a0 Below you’ll find a fairly complete nascliosta<\/strong> of previous blogs in this series that have discussed the flag (and also the Irish flag) and the American National Anthem, “An Bhratach Gheal-R\u00e9altach<\/strong>.”\u00a0 Last year, a series of four Transparent Language Irish blogs presented all four verses of the American National Anthem in Irish (links below).\u00a0 SGF, R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nascliosta do V\u00e9arsa\u00ed Amhr\u00e1n N\u00e1isi\u00fanta S.A.M. (ceithre bhlag, ceithre v\u00e9arsa)<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/o-abair-an-leir-dhuit-oh-say-can-you-see-amhran-naisiunta-na-stat-aontaithe\/<\/a> 18 Meitheamh 2012)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/o-abair-an-leir-dhuit-oh-say-can-you-see-2nd-verse-amhran-naisiunta-na-stat-aontaithe-vearsa-2\/<\/a> (21 Meitheamh 2012)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/o-abair-an-leir-dhuit-vearsa-3-oh-say-can-you-see-3nd-verse-amhran-naisiunta-na-stat-aontaithe\/<\/a> (24 Meitheamh 2012)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/o-abair-an-leir-dhuit-vearsa-4-oh-say-can-you-see-4th-and-final-verse-amhran-naisiunta-na-stat-aontaithe\/<\/a> (27 Meitheamh 2012)<\/p>\n

Nascliosta Ginear\u00e1lta (an bhratach, L\u00e1 na Brata\u00ed, dathanna na brata\u00ed, srl.):<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/amhran-naisiunta-agus-bratach-stait-aontaithe-mheiricea-agus-brateolaiocht-go-ginearalta-the-american-national-anthem-and-flag-and-vexillology-in-general\/<\/a> (2 I\u00fail 2009)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/la-na-bratai-flag-day-i-meiricea\/<\/a> (14 Meitheamh 2010)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/stella-etoile-estrella-stea-%E2%80%A6-realta\/<\/a> (20 Meitheamh 2011)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/agus-riabha-cuid-a-do-de-%E2%80%9Crealtai-agus-riabha%E2%80%9D\/<\/a> (23 Meitheamh 2011)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/ce-mhead-realta-ce-mhead-riabh\/<\/a> (26 Meitheamh 2011)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/ag-comhaireamh-aris-ce-mhead-realta\/<\/a> (28 Meitheamh 2011)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/dha-bhratach-bratach-na-heireann-agus-bratach-mheiricea\/<\/a> (2 I\u00fail 2011)<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/which-came-first-o-sagt-konnt-ihr-sehen-o-abair-an-leir-dhuit-aue-sei-e-vaai\/<\/a> (30 Meitheamh 2012)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) The time has come to talk … of bratacha (flags).\u00a0 In the United States, at this time of year, we segue from L\u00e1 Cuimhneach\u00e1in (Luan deireanach mh\u00ed\u00a0na Bealtaine) to L\u00e1 na Brata\u00ed (14 Meitheamh) to L\u00e1 (na) Saoirse (4 I\u00fail).\u00a0 All three offer up an abundance of sraoille\u00e1in de rib\u00edn\u00ed (ribbon-streamers) and stiallbhratacha\u00a0…<\/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":[290018,87397,290009,9477,9517,229450,101974,4268,255702,4352,229594,4435,229500,290010,48,290007,290015,290025,290026,4923,290022,290021,5256,290023,5419,290024,290019,290020,290017,2211,96680,5776,2327,290014,11,229593,290016,6686,290013,290012,290011,229464,32950],"class_list":["post-4160","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-290018","tag-4u","tag-abair-an-leir-dhuit","tag-american-flag","tag-amhran-naisiunta","tag-amhran-naisiunta-na-stat-aontaithe","tag-anthem","tag-ban","tag-bhan","tag-bhratach","tag-blue","tag-bratach","tag-bratacha","tag-bunting","tag-color","tag-colour","tag-courtney-kennedy","tag-dath","tag-dathanna","tag-dearg","tag-dhearg","tag-fear-gorm","tag-freedom","tag-ghorm","tag-gorm","tag-guildford-four","tag-i993","tag-in-america","tag-in-the-name-of-the-father","tag-independence","tag-iuil","tag-july-4th","tag-national-anthem","tag-paul-hill","tag-pronunciation","tag-red","tag-robert-f-kennedy","tag-saoirse","tag-saoirse-roisin-hill","tag-saoirse-ronan","tag-shaoirse","tag-star-spangled-banner","tag-white"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4160","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=4160"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8091,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4160\/revisions\/8091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}