{"id":671,"date":"2011-02-20T18:09:44","date_gmt":"2011-02-20T18:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=671"},"modified":"2015-02-04T11:05:33","modified_gmt":"2015-02-04T11:05:33","slug":"cinealacha-%e2%80%9c-philes%e2%80%9d-i-ngaeilge-leis-an-iarmhir-%e2%80%9c-bhach%e2%80%9d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/cinealacha-%e2%80%9c-philes%e2%80%9d-i-ngaeilge-leis-an-iarmhir-%e2%80%9c-bhach%e2%80%9d\/","title":{"rendered":"Cine\u00e1lacha \u201c-philes\u201d i nGaeilge (leis an iarmh\u00edr \u201c-bh\u00e1ch\u201d)"},"content":{"rendered":"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A couple of blogs ago, I mentioned the suffix \u201c-bh\u00e1ch,\u201d <\/strong>which is used to create compound words like English \u201cFrancophile\u201d and \u201cbibliophile.\u201d\u00a0 Since we\u2019re finished with the more romantic Valentinesy love for a while, at least until L\u00e1 Vailint\u00edn seo chugainn<\/strong>, this topic could segue us back from \u201clove\u201d in general into some other arenas of discussion, perhaps even back to nationalities and ethnonyms.\u00a0 In English, all of these \u201c-phile\u201d words are based on the Greek root, \u201cphilos,\u201d (\u03c6\u03af\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2<\/a> beloved, friend).\u00a0 In Irish, they use the suffix \u201c-bh\u00e1ch<\/strong>\u201d (\u201caffectionate\u201d or \u201cloving\u201d).<\/p>\n

Here are some of the \u201c-phile\u201d words I\u2019ve found in use in Irish.\u00a0 Can you match them up with the definitions, which are offered at the bottom of this blog?<\/p>\n

1. Eurabh\u00e1ch<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. focalbh\u00e1ch<\/strong> (that one\u2019s review from a few blogs back, so I hope it\u2019s familiar!)<\/p>\n

3. Francabh\u00e1ch<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. Gallbh\u00e1ch<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. leabharbh\u00e1ch<\/strong><\/p>\n

I thought I\u2019d find more examples online of \u201cGaelbh\u00e1ch\u201d<\/strong> (\u201cGaelophile\u201d), but in fact, I only find a glaic\u00edn <\/strong>(little handful).\u00a0 One appears to be somebody\u2019s screen name, writing mostly i mblaganna i bhFraincis!\u00a0 Fair play d\u00f3 n\u00f3 di! <\/strong>\u00a0Another is a single reference in the genitive plural (\u201coidhreacht liteartha \u2026 na nGaelbh\u00e1ch<\/strong>,\u201d from www.ealain.ie\/nuachtlitir\/NuachtlitirEanair2011.html<\/a>), and the last is from a book review in the journal Foinse<\/em>.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure there are at least a few more examples, but they\u2019re not showing up in my search.<\/p>\n

Finally, by extension, the city of Philadelphia (the \u201cCity of Brotherly Love\u201d), should sort of qualify for discussion here, since it has the \u201cphilos<\/em>-\u201c element. \u00a0In Irish, \u201cPhiladelphia\u201d is spelled \u201cFilideilfia<\/strong>,\u201d at least according to An B\u00edobla Naofa<\/strong>, where it appears in \u201cApacailipsis Eoin<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 So, the same approach has been taken here as with place names like \u201cThe Republic of the Philippines\u201d (Poblacht na nOile\u00e1n Filip\u00edneach<\/strong>), that is, replacing the Greek-based \u201cph-\u201c sound with the \u201cf-,\u201c which would be the logical representation of the sound in Irish.\u00a0 The \u201cphilos-<\/em>\u201c connection may be less apparent with the Irish spelling, but at least the place name makes sense within the Irish spelling tradition.<\/p>\n

By the way, in case you were looking for \u201cfiles,\u201d as in \u201ccomputer files,\u201d the word is \u201ccomhad<\/strong>,\u201d completely different, but perfectly useful.\u00a0 What were the ancient Gaels doing with \u201cfiles,\u201d computer or otherwise, you might wonder?\u00a0 Well, \u201ccomhad<\/strong>\u201d also means \u201ccover\u201d or \u201cprotection,\u201d so that was no doubt its original context.\u00a0 Some how I can\u2019t quite imagine Cathbhadh the druid consulting his Pendaflex Portafile to drum up some genealogical recitations.\u00a0 But, curiously, \u201ccomhad,<\/strong>\u201d as a \u201cclosing,\u201d also originally meant the last two lines of a d\u00e1n d\u00edreach<\/strong> (poem written in the d\u00edreach<\/strong> style,\u00a0a specific type of fixed meter).\u00a0 So the bardic reference is not too far off!<\/p>\n

How \u2018bout a nail file or other type of metal file?\u00a0 Reasonable question, really, but unrelated to the \u201c-philes\u201d and the computer or paper files.\u00a0 A metal file would be a \u201cl\u00edomh\u00e1n\u201d<\/strong> or an \u201coighe chuimilte\u201d <\/strong>(lit. a rubbing file or rasp).\u00a0 That last one also hints at one way to say \u201cnail file\u201d in Irish, \u201craspa ingne<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freagra\u00ed:<\/strong> 1. Europhile, 2. logophile (word-lover), 3. Francophile, 4. anglophile, 5. bibliophile (book-lover).\u00a0 Number 4, Gallbh\u00e1ch<\/strong>, is based on \u201cgall,<\/strong>\u201d which has a variety of meanings, depending on the historical time period (a Gaul, a Frank, a Dane, a Norman, an Anglo-Norman, or an Englishman, or a foreigner in general). \u00a0The usual prefix for \u201cAnglo-\u201c is \u201cAngla<\/strong>-\u201c as in \u201cAngla-Shacsanach\u201d<\/strong>).\u00a0 The usual words for England (Sasana<\/strong>) and Englishman (Sasanach<\/strong>) derive from \u201cSaxons,\u201d not from the Angles or from the Gauls-Franks-Danes sequence. \u00a0So, in theory, our word \u201cGallbh\u00e1ch<\/strong>\u201d could have other meanings, like a \u201cGaulophile,\u201d in the ancient sense, that is.<\/p>\n

N\u00f3ta: l\u00edomh\u00e1n<\/strong>, a metal file, is based on the verb l\u00edomhadh<\/strong> (to grind, sharpen, or polish).\u00a0 That\u2019s \u201cpolish\u201d in the sense of grinding or smoothing, not applying a liquid or paste to something \u2013 that would be \u201csnasaireacht<\/strong>,\u201d which has its own family of related words and phrases, like \u201csnas\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d (a polish) and \u201cGaeilge shnasta<\/strong>\u201d (polished Irish, i.e. well-spoken or well-written Irish)<\/p>\n

Maybe in the next blog we can get back to the ethnonyms, starting with any readers who identify themselves as \u201cGaill<\/strong>\u201d (aka Gailligh<\/strong>).\u00a0 Calling all Gauls!\u00a0 Or, ar a laghad, ag glaoch ortsa, a Asterix<\/strong>!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SGF,\u00a0 \u00f3 R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn)\u00a0 A couple of blogs ago, I mentioned the suffix \u201c-bh\u00e1ch,\u201d which is used to create compound words like English \u201cFrancophile\u201d and \u201cbibliophile.\u201d\u00a0 Since we\u2019re finished with the more romantic Valentinesy love for a while, at least until L\u00e1 Vailint\u00edn seo chugainn, this topic could segue us back from \u201clove\u201d in general into some…<\/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":[374867,374865,374860,374861,374862,374868,374857,20902,374869,374859,374871,374872,374864,374863,5339,5437,374870,20006,374866,374858],"class_list":["post-671","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-bhach","tag-philes","tag-anglophile","tag-bibliophile","tag-book-lover","tag-eurabhach","tag-europhile","tag-focalbhach","tag-francabhach","tag-francophile","tag-gaelbhach","tag-gaelophile","tag-gall","tag-gallbhach","tag-gaul","tag-greek","tag-leabharbhach","tag-logophile","tag-philos","tag-word-lover"],"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