{"id":5991,"date":"2014-12-06T21:31:34","date_gmt":"2014-12-06T21:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=5991"},"modified":"2014-12-07T21:43:04","modified_gmt":"2014-12-07T21:43:04","slug":"speaking-of-christmas-in-irish-does-it-end-with-ig-ag-or-igi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/speaking-of-christmas-in-irish-does-it-end-with-ig-ag-or-igi\/","title":{"rendered":"Speaking of Christmas in Irish — Does It End with ‘-ig,’ ‘-ag,’ or “ig\u00ed”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

OK, admittedly, we’re not going to use the last choice (‘-ig\u00ed<\/strong> [IG-ee]) all that often.\u00a0 But I added it to today’s discussion for two reasons.\u00a0 One is for a sense of completion.\u00a0 If we’re going to say “Christmas” (An Nollaig<\/strong>) and “of Christmas” (na Nollag<\/strong>), we might as well be prepared to use the plural “na Nollaig\u00ed<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

We use the form “Nollaig<\/strong>” in sentences or phrases like the following:<\/p>\n

T\u00e1 an Nollaig i m\u00ed na Nollag<\/strong>. (Christmas is in December)<\/p>\n

T\u00e1 an Nollaig ag teacht<\/strong>. (Christmas is coming)<\/p>\n

Nollaig na mBan<\/strong> ([… nuh mahn, silent “b”] Women’s Christmas)<\/p>\n

don Nollaig<\/strong>, for Christmas<\/p>\n

We use the form “Nollag<\/strong>” in sentences or phrases like the following:<\/p>\n

T\u00e1 an Nollaig i m\u00ed na Nollag<\/strong>. (with “m\u00ed na Nollag<\/strong>” meaning “December,” lit. month of Christmas)<\/p>\n

Daid\u00ed na Nollag<\/strong> OR Athair na Nollag<\/strong> (Daddy Christmas, Father Christmas)<\/p>\n

crann Nollag<\/strong>, a Christmas tree<\/p>\n

car\u00fal Nollag<\/strong>, a Christmas carol<\/p>\n

bronntanas Nollag<\/strong>, a Christmas gift<\/p>\n

stoca Nollag<\/strong>, a Christmas stocking<\/p>\n

Actually there are two possible forms for the plural (an fhoirm iolra<\/strong>), with “Nollaig\u00ed<\/strong>” the more standard one.\u00a0 Neither is used all that often online, according to my Google searches, compared to the forms “An Nollaig<\/strong>” (47,200 hits, unfiltered; 299 filtered) and “na Nollag<\/strong>” (a whopping 447,000, unfiltered, 345 filtered).<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Nollaig\u00ed<\/strong>, which gets 86 hits this year. Almost all are simply grammar, dictionary, or vocabulary sites. One of the few that actually uses the word in context is a short note, “An Nollaig mar a bh\u00ed<\/strong>” by M\u00e1ire Treasa U\u00ed Sh\u00failleabh\u00e1in, who uses it in the sentence ” Thug s\u00e9 ar ais ar bh\u00f3ithr\u00edn na smaointe me chuig na Nollaig\u00ed sin nach bhfillfidh ar ais cho\u00edche.”<\/strong>\u00a0 (http:\/\/www.gaelport.com\/nuacht?NewsItemID=3659#sthash.rSoanQcB.dpuf)<\/li>\n
  2. Nollaigeacha<\/strong>, which gets 18 hits this year, all but one of which are simply listings as in dictionaries, flashcards, glossaries, etc. The one example in a natural context is in a comment by patdad8 on mairemor’s fanfction, Dark Storm Rising, by Mairemor (n\u00f3ta tr\u00e1chta ag<\/strong>: https:\/\/m.fanfiction.net\/r\/5308521\/0\/1\/; an t\u00e9acs \u00e9 f\u00e9in<\/strong>: https:\/\/m.fanfiction.net\/s\/5308521\/1\/)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    On a much bigger scale, we see a similar pattern in English, not too surprisingly.\u00a0 “Christmases” gets a mere 756,000 hits compared to “Christmas” itself, which gets an ultra-whopping 1,650,000,000 hits.\u00a0 Those are unfiltered numbers, but I’m sure the numbers would be ginormous, even with duplicates, etc., removed.<\/p>\n

    So there you have it.\u00a0 Saying “Christmas” in Irish involves constant decision-making as to whether to use “Nollaig<\/strong>” or “Nollag<\/strong>,” and whether to include “an<\/strong>” or “na<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

    But here’s one bit of good news about the word “Nollaig<\/strong>,” as opposed to a word like, say, “C\u00e1isc<\/strong>” (An Ch\u00e1isc<\/strong>, Easter).\u00a0 The letter “n” doesn’t show lenition in writing, so you don’t have to worry about constantly deciding whether to add the letter “h” to show initial mutation.\u00a0 With “C\u00e1isc<\/strong>,” in contrast, we constantly have to decide whether it’s “c” or “ch” (ubh Ch\u00e1sca<\/strong>, but coin\u00edn C\u00e1sca<\/strong>; An Ch\u00e1isc<\/strong> but C\u00e1isc na nGi\u00fadach<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

    Sl\u00e1n go f\u00f3ill<\/strong>, and happy word endings! – R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

    PS: For a little more on this topic, you might want to check out an earlier blog on the subject: Nollaig n\u00f3 Nollag (How To Say \u2018Christmas\u2019 or \u2018of Christmas\u2019 in Irish)<\/a> Posted on 24. Dec, 2013 by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a> (https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/nollaig-no-nollag-how-to-say-christmas-or-of-christmas-in-irish\/)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    (le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) OK, admittedly, we’re not going to use the last choice (‘-ig\u00ed [IG-ee]) all that often.\u00a0 But I added it to today’s discussion for two reasons.\u00a0 One is for a sense of completion.\u00a0 If we’re going to say “Christmas” (An Nollaig) and “of Christmas” (na Nollag), we might as well be prepared to use…<\/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":[43,306294,6273,6274,306295],"class_list":["post-5991","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-christmas","tag-christmases","tag-nollag","tag-nollaig","tag-nollaigi"],"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