{"id":5686,"date":"2014-09-18T16:17:23","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T16:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=5686"},"modified":"2014-09-18T16:18:26","modified_gmt":"2014-09-18T16:18:26","slug":"spleachas-vs-neamhspleachas-hotting-up-in-scotland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/spleachas-vs-neamhspleachas-hotting-up-in-scotland\/","title":{"rendered":"Sple\u00e1chas vs. Neamhsple\u00e1chas Hotting Up in Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

A timely time to look at the Irish word for \u2018independence\u2019 as the \u201cv\u00f3t\u00e1il<\/strong>\u201d for the Scottish Referendum comes down the home stretch.<\/p>\n

Much like the English word \u201cindependence,\u201d the Irish equivalent, \u201cneamhsple\u00e1chas<\/strong>,\u201d is also a compound word. Knowing that probably makes it a lot easier to pronounce, and, as it were, digest. Otherwise, for a typical English speaker, looking at a consonant cluster like \u201c-mhspl-\u201d might seem a little baffling.<\/p>\n

The \u201c-mh-\u201c is actually the ending of the prefix \u201cneamh<\/strong>-\u201c (un-, in-, ir-, il-, im-, non-, sometimes \u201c-less\u201d), pronounced by some as \u201cny<\/sup>ow\u201d and by others\u00a0as \u201cny<\/sup>av.\u201d You might recognize it from words like \u201cneamhrialta\u201d (irregular) and \u201cneamh-mheisci\u00fail\u201d (non-alcoholic, non-intoxicating, etc.). In the second example, the hyphen is included so we don\u2019t have two \u201cMHs\u201d in a row (-mhmh-); that is the standard punctuation rule in Modern Irish today. \u00a0 A double \u201cmh\u201d would be a bit eye-boggling even for those accustomed to Irish consonant clusters. Similarly, we have \u201cdrochubh\u201d (and \ud83d\ude09 \u201cdroch\u00e9an\u201d), but \u201cdroch-chuma\u201d or \u201cdroch-charr,\u201d with the \u201cchch\u201d separated.<\/p>\n

Removing the prefix \u201cneamh-\u201c leaves us with the core noun, \u201csple\u00e1chas<\/strong>\u201d ([SPLy<\/sup>AW-khuss] dependence, dependency). Examples include: sple\u00e1chas ar dhruga\u00ed, sple\u00e1chas pH (which I couldn\u2019t define scientifically but I can translate into Irish!), and what must be a fairly new-fangled term in Irish, sple\u00e1chas gl\u00e9is (device dependence \u2013 is that just the computers or all us device-dependent carbon-based organisms as well?).<\/p>\n

A parallel set of words is:<\/p>\n

sple\u00e1ch<\/strong>, dependent, as in \u2013 oh, here\u2019s a goody \u2013 friot\u00f3ir solas-sple\u00e1ch (aistri\u00fach\u00e1n th\u00edos)<\/p>\n

neamhsple\u00e1ch<\/strong> \u2013 independent<\/p>\n

\u201cImsple\u00e1chas\u201d <\/strong>and \u201cidirsple\u00e1chas\u201d<\/strong> are additional related words, both meaning \u201cinterdependence.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also intriguing to consider the very root of the word \u201csple\u00e1chas,\u201d since the \u201c-chas\u201d ending is a suffix, usually creating an abstract noun out of something more concrete, though not necessarily tangible (m. sh. B\u00e9arlachas, cumannachas, ailb\u00edneachas, srl.<\/strong>). So far, I\u2019ve gotten to the noun \u201csple\u00e1<\/strong>,\u201d which, even without the suffix, also means \u201cdependence.\u201d \u00a0 It also means \u201csubservience,\u201d and has a secondary set of meanings (obsequiousness, flattery), not very widely used today, at least in my experience. In fact, I\u2019ve rarely ever seen \u201csple\u00e1\u201d as such, mostly just \u201csple\u00e1chas.\u201d \u00a0 Another topic for a rainy day investigation. \u00a0And what words do<\/em> we see more frequently for obsequiousness and flattery. C\u00fapla moladh th\u00edos!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also interesting to ponder the difference between \u201cneamhsple\u00e1chas<\/strong>\u201d and \u201csaoirse<\/strong>\u201d ([SEER-shuh] freedom, liberty), but mostly I\u2019ll leave that to the feals\u00fanaithe, the eolaithe polait\u00edochta, and, well, other interested parties. From a language viewpoint, I\u2019ll simply note that \u201csaoirse\u201d is based on the word \u201csaor, which has many meanings, including, as an adjective, \u201cfree,\u201d and as a noun, a free person. It is related to the phrase \u201car saoire\u201d (on holiday\/vacation). The American Declaration of Independence<\/em> is \u201cFor\u00f3gra Saoirse<\/em> Mheirice\u00e1.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sple\u00e1chas n\u00f3 neamhsple\u00e1chas? \u00a0T\u00e1 mise ar b\u00eds ag fanacht ar thortha\u00ed an Reifrinn \u2013 R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aistri\u00fach\u00e1n: f<\/strong>riot\u00f3ir solas-sple\u00e1ch,<\/strong> a light-dependent resistor (LDR), t\u00e9arma leictreachais agus\/n\u00f3 leictreonaice n\u00e1r bhain m\u00e9 \u00fas\u00e1id as riamh go dt\u00ed seo!<\/p>\n

Molta\u00ed chun<\/strong> \u201cobsequiousness\u201d agus<\/strong> \u201cflattery\u201d a r\u00e1 i\u00a0nGaeilge<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Obsequiousness: l\u00fait\u00e9is, l\u00fastar, l\u00fat\u00e1il<\/strong>. Dare I say it \u2013 what a \u201clulu\u201d of a trio! Is there something about the sound \u201cl\u00fa-\u201d here that contributes to the meaning. I wonder!<\/p>\n

Flattery: bladar, pl\u00e1m\u00e1s, b\u00e9al b\u00e1n<\/strong>. Overall, I\u2019d say I\u2019ve heard these three much more than the words for obsequiousness. \u00a0 But then, I\u2019ve probably heard the word \u201cflattery\u201d in English more often than \u201cobsequiousness\u201d as such. \u00a0 \u201cObsequiousness will get you nowhere\u201d mar sheanfhocal? Somehow, n\u00ed cheapaim!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) A timely time to look at the Irish word for \u2018independence\u2019 as the \u201cv\u00f3t\u00e1il\u201d for the Scottish Referendum comes down the home stretch. Much like the English word \u201cindependence,\u201d the Irish equivalent, \u201cneamhsple\u00e1chas,\u201d is also a compound word. Knowing that probably makes it a lot easier to pronounce, and, as it were, digest…<\/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":[4041,4042,358975,12703,358978,5470,8972,2211,6230,358982,7777,358980,192252,358976,358977,358979,7243],"class_list":["post-5686","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-alba","tag-albain","tag-dependence","tag-flattery","tag-h-alba","tag-halban","tag-in","tag-independence","tag-neamh","tag-neamh-prefix","tag-non","tag-obsequiousness","tag-referendum","tag-reifreann","tag-reifrinn","tag-splea","tag-un"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5686","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=5686"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5686\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5687,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5686\/revisions\/5687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}