{"id":4566,"date":"2013-10-31T03:58:35","date_gmt":"2013-10-31T03:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=4566"},"modified":"2013-11-11T14:29:23","modified_gmt":"2013-11-11T14:29:23","slug":"arbhar-indiach-toradh-glasra-no-gran-or-all-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/arbhar-indiach-toradh-glasra-no-gran-or-all-three\/","title":{"rendered":"Arbhar (Indiach): Toradh, Glasra, n\u00f3 Gr\u00e1n — or all three?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

We’ve just been discussing whether pumpkins and other edible plants are fruits or vegetables.\u00a0 Another seasonal item is “arbhar Indiach<\/strong>,” as it is referred to in Irish, or simply “corn” in American English.<\/p>\n

\"arbhar<\/a>

arbhar Indiach (ildathach)
Grianghraf: Keith Weller, USDA<\/p><\/div>\n

Let’s look first at the term “arbhar Indiach<\/strong>,” which literally means “Indian corn.”\u00a0 But “Indian corn” means different things in American and Irish\/British English.\u00a0 As for B\u00e9arla Cheanada<\/strong>, hmm, so often it incorporates elements of English from both sides of the “loch\u00e1n<\/strong>” that I’d have to ask na Ceanadaigh<\/strong> what the usage is in their country.<\/p>\n

And curiously, corn is technically a fruit (toradh<\/strong>), treated and cooked as a vegetable (glasra<\/strong>), and when ground, it’s considered a grain (gr\u00e1n<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

But getting back to the different meanings of “Indian corn” (arbhar Indiach<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

In the US, the general consensus is that Indian corn is a) dried, b) varied in color (ildathach<\/strong>), c) inedible (at least, it’s very bitter), and it’s used for decoration, not for eating.\u00a0 It’s often hung on doors as a harvest symbol, usually in an arrangement of 3 or 4 cobs, typically one yellow, one a dark brownish red, and one blue, or some variation on that theme.\u00a0 So if you use the term “arbhar Indiach<\/strong>” in the U.S., be aware that many Meirice\u00e1naigh<\/strong> may not realize that you are talking about a food.<\/p>\n

In Irish, the term “arbhar Indiach<\/strong>,” means “maize” or ‘edible sweet corn.’ \u00a0When ground, it is referred to as “min bhu\u00ed<\/strong>,” lit. “yellow meal” and known as “Indian meal.”<\/p>\n

As far as I know there’s no tradition in Ireland of hanging multi-colored corn cobs on doors as Fall decorations.\u00a0 I wouldn’t expect there to be, since maize is a New World plant.\u00a0 True, there are harvest ornaments called “corn dollies,” in both Ireland and the UK, but these are made of rushes or straw. \u00a0\u00a0In other words, don’t mistake a “corn dolly” for a “corn husk doll”!<\/p>\n

In the US, ‘corn” is understood to refer to maize, and it may be eaten as “corn on the cob” or removed from\u00a0 the cob and cooked in a variety of ways (boiled, creamed, popped, etc.).\u00a0 It is used to make succotash and corn pudding and may be added to chowder and other soups.\u00a0 When ground, it is referred to as ‘corn meal” or “corn meal flour,” and used in cornbread, corn fritters, and corn pones, etc. \u00a0“Corn meal flour” isn’t the same as “cornstarch,” which in UK English may be called “cornflour.”<\/p>\n

If you’re speaking Irish in America, this does present a bit of a dilemma.\u00a0 Do you say “arbhar Indiach<\/strong>” when you actually mean the edible stuff?\u00a0 If you include “Indiach<\/strong>,” it doesn’t sound like you’re talking about a food item.\u00a0 But if you don’t add “Indiach<\/strong>,” you simply have the word “arbhar<\/strong>,” which means “corn” in the UK\/Irish sense (edible grain) and can refer to cruithneacht<\/strong> (wheat), coirce<\/strong> (oats), eorna<\/strong> (barley), and seagal<\/strong> (rye).<\/p>\n

One suggestion would be to specify to how the ‘corn’ has been prepared.\u00a0 If you say you’re having “arbhar sa dias<\/strong>” (corn on the cob), I don’t think anyone would think you’re eating wheat fresh after harvesting.\u00a0 Note that “arbhar sa dias<\/strong>” literally means “corn in the ear,” not “corn on the cob.”\u00a0 I’ve only occasionally seen another word for “corn cob” used (coba arbhair<\/strong>).\u00a0 “Dias<\/strong>” can also be used for ears of wheat and barley, but that usage would typically be specified (dias chruithneachta, dias eorna<\/strong>, etc.).\u00a0 And that’s “ear” strictly for agriculture, not the ear of a human or animal, which would be “cluas<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

Let’s wrap up with the various forms of the phrase “arbhar Indiach<\/strong>“:<\/p>\n

arbhar Indiach<\/strong>, Indian corn, maize<\/p>\n

an t-arbhar Indiach<\/strong>, the Indian corn, the maize<\/p>\n

(blas<\/strong>, etc.) an arbhair Indiaigh<\/strong>, (the taste, etc.) of the Indian corn, of the maize<\/p>\n

And, although I doubt it would be used much in the plural, except, perhaps, if discussing different varieties, here are the forms anyway:<\/p>\n

arbhair Indiacha, na harbhair Indiacha, na n-arbhar Indiach<\/strong><\/p>\n

What ever you do, don’t mistake the native Irish word ‘corn<\/strong>” for “arbhar Indiach<\/strong>,” since a “corn<\/strong>” in Irish is a horn, metal drinking cup, or a trophy as in “corn Francach<\/strong>” (French horn), “corn comh\u00f3il<\/strong>” (a quaich or loving cup, lit. co-drinking horn), and “An Corn Domhanda Rugba\u00ed<\/strong>.”\u00a0 Well, that’s one more fruit\/vegetable down.\u00a0 Scores more to go! – R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) We’ve just been discussing whether pumpkins and other edible plants are fruits or vegetables.\u00a0 Another seasonal item is “arbhar Indiach,” as it is referred to in Irish, or simply “corn” in American English. Let’s look first at the term “arbhar Indiach,” which literally means “Indian corn.”\u00a0 But “Indian corn” means different things in…<\/p>\n

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