{"id":9492,"date":"2017-07-24T11:30:23","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T11:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=9492"},"modified":"2017-08-17T10:37:02","modified_gmt":"2017-08-17T10:37:02","slug":"an-bhfuil-peata-agat-talking-about-pets-in-irish-hamstair-hamsters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/an-bhfuil-peata-agat-talking-about-pets-in-irish-hamstair-hamsters\/","title":{"rendered":"An bhfuil peata agat? Talking about Pets in Irish: Hamstair (hamsters)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Continuing with our ongoing “peata\u00ed<\/strong>” theme, the “hamstar<\/strong>” is today’s “ainmh\u00ed an lae<\/strong>.”\u00a0 We’ve actually discussed hamsters (hamstair<\/strong>) previously in this blog, and even had a comhr\u00e1<\/strong> between “Hamalt\u00fan an Hamstar<\/strong>” and “Searbh\u00e1n an tSeirbil<\/strong>” (naisc th\u00edos<\/strong>). \u00a0Given t\u00e9ama an bhlag<\/strong>, it seemed like a good time to revisit these popular “creimir\u00ed<\/strong>” (rodents, lit. “eroders” or “gnawers”).<\/p>\n

The Irish word “hamstar<\/strong>” is a relatively straightforward word to deal with, in terms of mutations and endings, since it is simply an adaptation from the English “hamster,” which itself is believed to derive from the Old Church Slavonic word “chomestoru<\/em>,” meaning “hamster.”<\/p>\n

The first slight change to notice is that the “e” of “hamster” has changed to an “a” (the second “a” of “hamstar<\/strong>“).\u00a0 The reason is vowel harmony, a rule that governs the spelling of, I’d say, over 99% of Irish vocabulary (but not quite every single word!).\u00a0 With the vowel harmony rules, a broad vowel \u00a0(guta leathan<\/strong>) like “a” must be followed by a syllable with another broad vowel \u00a0(a, o, u).\u00a0 So “hamster” borrowed exactly as such from English wouldn’t fit because we have “a” followed by “e.”\u00a0 Of course, some words are borrowed from other languages with the original spelling left intact (Gestalt, alleluia, intaglio<\/em>, although the latter also has an Irish equivalent, “inghearradh<\/strong>“) \u00a0but these would be considered “borrowed words,” not words that have been “adapted” into the Irish system like “nirbhe\u00e1na<\/strong>” or “caif\u00e9in<\/strong>.”\u00a0 The spellings “nirvana” and “caffeine” would break Irish vowel harmony rules.<\/p>\n

Next point: since “hamstar<\/strong>” belongs to that small group of Irish words beginning with the letter “h,” it can’t undergo initial mutation (unlike many other adapted words, like “m\u00f3ideim<\/strong>,” which can, for example, become “mh\u00f3\u00eddeim<\/strong>“).\u00a0 So, no worrying about “b’s” becoming “bhf’s” or “c’s” becoming “ch’s.”\u00a0 Osna faoisimh<\/strong>!\u00a0 “Hamstar<\/strong>” in Irish will always start with the letter “h” — alleluia<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Third point: “hamstar<\/strong>” has relatively few changes to show plural and possession.\u00a0 Here’s the pattern — note where the letter “i” is inserted:<\/p>\n

an hamstar<\/strong>, the hamster<\/p>\n

an hamstair<\/strong>, of the hamster (c\u00e1s an hamstair<\/strong>, the cage of the hamster)<\/p>\n

na hamstair<\/strong>, the hamsters<\/p>\n

na hamstar<\/strong>, of the hamsters (c\u00e1sanna na hamstar<\/strong>, the cages of the hamsters)<\/p>\n

As for the hamster in the “grianghraf<\/strong>” above, he’s probably tired of being cooped up “ina ch\u00e1s<\/strong>” (in his cage), unlike Hamalt\u00fan, who as you may remember had the following in his cage: tig\u00edn<\/strong> (a little house), dr\u00e9imire dreapad\u00f3ireachta<\/strong> (a climbing ladder), giomn\u00e1isiam beag d\u00e9anta as adhmad<\/strong> (a wooden gym), cranda\u00ed bogada\u00ed<\/strong> (a seesaw), roth hamstair<\/strong> (a hamster wheel) and c\u00fapla toll\u00e1n<\/strong> (a couple of tunnels).<\/p>\n

In the graphic (thuas<\/strong>), the hamster is saying “Spring me!\u00a0 Spring me!” (more literally: Release me free!\u00a0 Release me free!).\u00a0 In fact, the Irish expression “duine a scaoileadh saor”<\/strong> (to spring \/ free \/ or release someone) really is more literal than “Spring me!,” which is much more idiomatic.\u00a0 It sometimes does concern me that dictionaries may suggest equivalents, but that the two phrases involved may be quite difference in context or innuendo.\u00a0 Ach sin \u00e1bhar blag eile<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Now if we were to have a “mionhamstar<\/strong>” (a dwarf hamster), there would be one additional type of change to the word, because of the prefix.\u00a0 But just one — lenition.\u00a0 So the forms are:<\/p>\n

an mionhamstar<\/strong><\/p>\n

an mhionhamstair (mionch\u00e1s an mhionhamstair)<\/strong><\/p>\n

na mionhamstair<\/strong><\/p>\n

na mionhamstar (mionch\u00e1sanna na mionhamstar)<\/strong><\/p>\n

BTW, “mion<\/strong>-” more literally means “mini-.”\u00a0 The usual word for “dwarf” in Irish is “abhac<\/strong>,” but for whatever reason, “dwarf hamster” in Irish is “mionhamstar<\/strong>,” not “abhac hamstair<\/strong>” or “abhac-hamstar”<\/strong> or “hamstar abhacach<\/strong>.” \u00a0At least not “de r\u00e9ir an chaighde\u00e1in<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

Ar aon chaoi, sin an focal “hamstar” i n Gaeilge.\u00a0 C\u00e9n peata eile don ch\u00e9ad bhlagmh\u00edr eile?\u00a0 Do mholadh?\u00a0 SGF\u00a0 — R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blagmh\u00edreanna faoi hamstair:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Which Celtic Language Has 5 Words for \u2018Hamster\u2019 (Leid: N\u00ed h\u00ed an Ghaeilge \u00ed!)<\/strong>?<\/a>Posted by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0on Jan 28, 2016 in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a><\/p>\n

Comhr\u00e1: Searbh\u00e1n an tSeirbil agus Hamalt\u00fan an Hamstar ag caint faoina gc\u00e1sanna<\/a> <\/strong>Posted by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0on Jan 31, 2016 in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a><\/p>\n

Irish Vocabulary Round-up for \u2018Comhr\u00e1 idir Hamstar agus Seirbil\u2019<\/a> <\/strong>Posted by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0on Feb 6, 2016 in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a><\/p>\n

Naisc <\/strong>(previous pet-themed blogposts): cait agus madra\u00ed agus pear\u00f3id\u00ed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aghaidheanna Cat (Faces of Cats) \u2014 Their Main Features in Irish<\/a><\/strong> Posted by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0on Jun 25, 2017 in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a>; An bhfuil peata agat? \u00a0Talking about Pets in Irish: Pisc\u00edn\u00ed (Kittens)<\/a> <\/strong>Posted by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0on Jun 16, 2017 in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

An bhfuil peata agat? \u00a0Talking about Pets in Irish: Madra\u00ed (Dogs)<\/strong><\/a> Posted by r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a> on Jul 18, 2017 in\u00a0<\/span>Irish Language\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

An bhfuil peata agat? Talking about Pets in Irish: Pear\u00f3id\u00ed (parrots)<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>Posted by\u00a0r\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0on Jul 21, 2017 in\u00a0Irish Language<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) Continuing with our ongoing “peata\u00ed” theme, the “hamstar” is today’s “ainmh\u00ed an lae.”\u00a0 We’ve actually discussed hamsters (hamstair) previously in this blog, and even had a comhr\u00e1 between “Hamalt\u00fan an Hamstar” and “Searbh\u00e1n an tSeirbil” (naisc th\u00edos). \u00a0Given t\u00e9ama an bhlag, it seemed like a good time to revisit these popular “creimir\u00ed” (rodents…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":9493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3898],"tags":[3958,5023,411125,359296,359297,6112],"class_list":["post-9492","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-abhac","tag-dwarf","tag-hamstair","tag-hamstar","tag-hamster","tag-mion"],"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