{"id":7057,"date":"2015-08-28T11:57:52","date_gmt":"2015-08-28T11:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=7057"},"modified":"2015-09-02T01:05:06","modified_gmt":"2015-09-02T01:05:06","slug":"irish-bits-bytes-and-lenition-giotain-bearta-agus-seimhiu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/irish-bits-bytes-and-lenition-giotain-bearta-agus-seimhiu\/","title":{"rendered":"Irish Bits, Bytes and Lenition (Giot\u00e1in, Bearta, agus S\u00e9imhi\u00fa)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"A<\/a>

A n\u00e1id, a n\u00e1id, a haon, a n\u00e1id … go h\u00e9igr\u00edoch (https:\/\/pixabay.com\/en\/digital-zeros-ones-woman-stylish-388075\/, CC0 Public Domain)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

In several recent blogs, we’ve looked at the word “beart<\/strong>” in its many meanings.\u00a0 Remember the four different basic meanings (freagra\u00ed th\u00edos<\/strong>) as they apply to phrases such as:<\/p>\n

a)\u00a0<\/strong>Oifig na mBeart <\/strong><\/p>\n

b)\u00a0<\/strong>bl\u00e9inbheart <\/strong><\/p>\n

c)\u00a0<\/strong>i mbearta crua <\/strong><\/p>\n

d)\u00a0<\/strong>beart curtha in \u00e1irithe<\/strong><\/p>\n

And for a total semantic workout, try:<\/p>\n

e) i mbeart<\/strong>. This phrase could have three, possibly four, meanings, depending on which “beart<\/strong>” is “i gceist<\/strong>” but context should tell them apart. Hmm, come to think of it, with blagmh\u00edr an lae inniu<\/strong>, it’s really up to five basic strands of meaning. \u00a0(Freagra\u00a0th\u00edos freisin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, what constitutes “beart a c\u00faig<\/strong>“?\u00a0\u00a0Sometime, probably about 25 years ago, the Irish word “beart<\/strong>” took on the additional meaning of “byte.”\u00a0 1995 is the earliest dictionary entry I have for “byte” as “beart<\/strong>” in a general Irish dictionary, so I assume this usage of “beart<\/strong>” started maybe late eighties, early nineties.\u00a0 If anyone knows of earlier usage, I’m sure we’d all be interested to know–please write in and tell us.\u00a0 The term in English actually dates to earlier than I thought (O! the f\u00edor\u00f3id<\/strong>\u00ed<\/strong> one finds out when researching a blog like this–the term “byte” was coined in 1956 by IBM computer scientist Werner Buchholz).\u00a0 So there’s a 40-ish year stretch in which the Irish term could have evolved, but so far I haven’t found any really early examples of it.<\/p>\n

It seems that every time I turn around, there’s a new type of “byte” and a new abbreviation to learn.\u00a0 Some seem to be reserved for “computers in the future,” even more powerful than what we have today, but at least we’ve got the terminology.\u00a0 Heads up, a gheocacha r\u00edomhaire<\/strong>, so far I haven’t found “exabyte” (perhaps “eas-<\/strong>” + “beart<\/strong>” with something in between?) or “yottabyte” (mh’anam, n\u00edl a fhios agam–an bhfuil rud ar bith mar ” *gheota” ann?<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Anyway, here’s the list, with the English “exabyte” and “yottabyte” entered as placeholders.\u00a0 Note that all of the compound words involve lenition, changing “beart<\/strong>” to “bheart<\/strong>” (pronounced “vy<\/sup>art” with the “v” like English “view,” not like English “voodoo”).\u00a0 They’re in size order.\u00a0 If anyone has any additions or suggestions, please do let me know.<\/p>\n

leathbheart <\/strong>– nibble, nybble (in computing; otherwise it’s “gr\u00e1inse\u00e1il<\/strong>” or “miot\u00fa<\/strong>” or “piocaireacht a dh\u00e9anamh<\/strong>, if we’re talking luch\u00f3ga agus c\u00e1is<\/strong>, or, errmm, maybe cluasa<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

beart<\/strong><\/p>\n

cilibheart<\/strong><\/p>\n

meigibheart <\/strong><\/p>\n

gigibheart \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

teiribheart<\/strong><\/p>\n

peitibheart <\/strong><\/p>\n

(exabyte)<\/p>\n

zeitibheart<\/strong><\/p>\n

(yottabyte)<\/p>\n

These forms of “bearta<\/strong>” (except the “leath-<\/strong>” version, I suppose) are all “decimal.”\u00a0 So far, I’m not even tackling the binary prefixes (kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi, pebi, exbi, zebi, yobi).\u00a0 Am \u00e9igin eile, b’fh\u00e9idir<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As for “bits,” that’ll mostly have to wait for blagmh\u00edr \u00e9igin eile<\/strong> also, but the nutshell version is:<\/p>\n

giot\u00e1n<\/strong>, bit (based on “giota<\/strong>,” a bit or small piece; totally unrelated to “bridle-bit” which is “b\u00e9albhach<\/strong>” or “b\u00e9almh\u00edr<\/strong>“)<\/p>\n

cilighiot\u00e1n<\/strong> (with lenition, the “gh” sound is now “y,” like “YIT-awn”)<\/p>\n

meigighiot\u00e1n<\/strong> (a “bit” eye-boggling, if I do say so myself), srl.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All of which is sort of making my head swim, that is to say “meadhr\u00e1n<\/strong>” is entering my brain pan or whatever’s in there, so I’ll wrap up and say “goodby(te)” for now. — R\u00f3isl\u00edn <\/strong><\/p>\n

Freagra\u00ed<\/strong><\/p>\n

a) Oifig na mBeart<\/strong>, Parcels’ Office, lit. Office of the Parcels. This “beart<\/strong>” could also be translated “bundle,” etc., but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a “Bundles Office”!<\/p>\n

b) bl\u00e9inbheart<\/strong>, jock strap, lit. groin-garment\/groin-covering. This “beart<\/strong>” on its own can mean “garment” or “covering” but in my experience (not with bl\u00e9inbhearta<\/strong> per se, mind you!), we usually see some version of “\u00e9adach<\/strong>” for “garment” (ball \u00e9adaigh, mar shampla<\/strong>) and either “cumhdach<\/strong>” or “cl\u00fadach<\/strong>” for “covering.” “Beart<\/strong>” in this sense is usually part of a compound word (coisbheart, ceannbheart, dallbheart, srl.<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

c) i mbearta crua<\/strong>, in evil plight (technically plural, but that doesn’t work in translation, though we could say “in dire straits,” which, afaik, is never singular in English). This is based on yet another “beart<\/strong>” (move, plan, action, proceeding, etc.).<\/p>\n

d) beart curtha in \u00e1irithe<\/strong>, a reserved berth (on a boat or ship)<\/p>\n

e) i mbeart <\/strong>(five possibilities):<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. i mbeart<\/strong>: in a package, in a bundle (“package” and “bundle” are within one “strand” of meaning for current purposes)<\/li>\n
  2. i mbeart<\/strong> (this is the one that I think is least likely to occur in real life, probably being replaced by “ball \u00e9adaigh<\/strong>,” “cumhdach<\/strong>,” or “cl\u00fadach<\/strong>“): in a garment, in a covering<\/li>\n
  3. i mbeart<\/strong>: in a plan (more typically, “i bplean<\/strong>,” I’d say), in an action (also, “in aicsean<\/strong>” or “i ngn\u00edomh<\/strong>, etc.)<\/li>\n
  4. i mbeart<\/strong>: berthed (i gcomhth\u00e9acs muir\u00ed<\/strong>), or simply “in a berth” (also in a nautical context, but generally regarding people, not the vessel itself)<\/li>\n
  5. 5. i mbeart<\/strong> (i gcomhth\u00e9acs r\u00edomhaireachta<\/strong>, as per today’s blog post): in a byte (as in “T\u00e1 ocht ngiot\u00e1n i mbeart<\/strong>,” There are eight bits in byte.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

    (le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) In several recent blogs, we’ve looked at the word “beart” in its many meanings.\u00a0 Remember the four different basic meanings (freagra\u00ed th\u00edos) as they apply to phrases such as: a)\u00a0Oifig na mBeart b)\u00a0bl\u00e9inbheart c)\u00a0i mbearta crua d)\u00a0beart curtha in \u00e1irithe And for a total semantic workout, try: e) i mbeart. This phrase could…<\/p>\n

    Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":7059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3898],"tags":[315963,390369,390393,390394,390389,390386,390400,390390,390387,390397,390398,390403,390402,390392,390388,390391,254968,5873,5878,390395,390396,6758,390399],"class_list":["post-7057","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-beart","tag-bearta","tag-bheart","tag-bhirt","tag-bit","tag-bits","tag-buchholz","tag-byte","tag-bytes","tag-dire-straits","tag-evil-plight","tag-factoid","tag-fioroid","tag-ghiotan","tag-giotain","tag-giotan","tag-ibm","tag-lenite","tag-lenition","tag-mbeart","tag-mbearta","tag-seimhiu","tag-werner"],"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