{"id":9870,"date":"2017-11-23T17:39:29","date_gmt":"2017-11-23T17:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=9870"},"modified":"2017-11-29T18:03:13","modified_gmt":"2017-11-29T18:03:13","slug":"ainmneacha-crann-irish-names-for-trees-native-and-non-native-to-ireland-cuid-pt-2-ainm-crainn-sna-logainmneacha-__-__-__-cinn-tra-agus-maigh-__-__","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/ainmneacha-crann-irish-names-for-trees-native-and-non-native-to-ireland-cuid-pt-2-ainm-crainn-sna-logainmneacha-__-__-__-cinn-tra-agus-maigh-__-__\/","title":{"rendered":"Ainmneacha Crann: Irish Names for Trees (native and non-native to Ireland), cuid\/pt. 2: Ainm crainn sna logainmneacha\u00a0 ‘__ __ __ Cinn Tr\u00e1’ agus ‘Maigh __ __’ \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/1\/12\/Bignor_Church_yew_tree.JPG<\/a>, By Charlesdrakew (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons; t\u00e9acs Gaeilge le R\u00f3isl\u00edn, 2017<\/p><\/div>Today’s tree figures prominently in at least two place names in Ireland, perhaps more.\u00a0 Curious thing, though, is that even though it’s the same tree, it has two different names in Irish, one much more commonly used today, at least in my experience.\u00a0 That’s why, in the title of today’s post, the same tree had three blanks spaces for one phrase and two blank spaces for the other phrase, both referring to the same tree.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Did you recognize either of the “logainmneacha<\/strong>” (place names)?\u00a0 The first is “I\u00far Cinn Tr\u00e1<\/strong>,” aka “An I\u00faraigh<\/strong>” or “An tI\u00far<\/strong>” or Newry.\u00a0 The Irish names have slightly different translations: “I\u00far Cinn Tr\u00e1” means “Yew-tree (at the) head (of the) strand).\u00a0 “An I\u00faraigh” comes from “An I\u00farach,” a grove of yew-trees, and “An tI\u00far” simply means “the yew-tree.” \u00a0“Cathair an I\u00fair,” lit. the City of the Yew-tree,” is also sometimes used.\u00a0 Within the local area, at least one additional place name. a townland, refers to yew-trees: Baile an Iubhair, which uses the old spelling.\u00a0 The “bh” is more or less like a “w” in this word.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The second place name is “Maigh Eo<\/strong>” (Contae Mhaigh E<\/strong>o, County Mayo), which means “plain of yew trees,” using “eo” for “yew-tree.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These days, “i\u00far” seems to be used much more than “eo.”\u00a0 Its forms are quite standard:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

an t-i\u00far, the yew<\/p>\n

an i\u00fair, of the yew (aois an i\u00fair, the age of the yew)<\/p>\n

na hi\u00fair, the yews<\/p>\n

na n-i\u00far, of the yews (aoiseanna na n-i\u00far, the ages of the yews)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To really emphasize that we’re saying “yew-tree<\/em>,” we can say “crann i\u00fair<\/strong>.”\u00a0 It’s about the same as choosing to say “yew” or “yew-tree” in English.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The word “eo<\/strong>” is considered a literary usage today, and the word no longer seems to have a plural form.\u00a0 It’s just “an eo,” the yew, and “na heo,” of the yew.\u00a0 I’ve really never used it in any ordinary conversation.\u00a0 Its use in the place name “Maigh Eo” is kind of interesting, because the phrase is usually translated as plural (plain of yew-trees) .\u00a0 So maybe “eo” was once a plural form as well, or at least a genitive plural form.\u00a0 Similar patterns occur in a few other Irish words where the possessive singular and plural forms are the same, except, sometimes for some initial consonant changes (s\u00faile b\u00f3, a cow’s eyes; s\u00faile b\u00f3, cows’ eyes; s\u00faile na b\u00f3, the cow’s eyes, re: one cow; s\u00faile na mb\u00f3, the cows’ eyes, re: more than one cow)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As for the crann i\u00fair<\/strong> in the graphic above, it’s in the churchyard of Bignor Church in West Sussex.\u00a0 I wonder why so many of these yew trees are in churchyards.\u00a0 Bar\u00falacha agaibh?\u00a0 I’ve also included a link below (nasc th\u00edos<\/strong>) on “aoiseanna i\u00far<\/strong>” (ages of yews, in general, i.e., without the “na n-<\/strong>“, which you may find interesting.\u00a0 This series will probably continue intermittently and molta\u00ed (suggestions) are welcome for trees to cover, native to Ireland or not.\u00a0 But meanwhile, we’ll be starting soon on themes like “An Geimhreadh<\/strong>” and “An Nollaig<\/strong>.”\u00a0 SGF — R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/p>\n

Nasc<\/strong>:\u00a0http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-2683383\/Europes-oldest-yew-tree-discovered-Welsh-churchyard-FIVE-THOUSAND-years-old.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

\u00a0(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) Today’s tree figures prominently in at least two place names in Ireland, perhaps more.\u00a0 Curious thing, though, is that even though it’s the same tree, it has two different names in Irish, one much more commonly used today, at least in my experience.\u00a0 That’s why, in the title of today’s post, the same…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":9874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3898],"tags":[4020,442057,474727,4813,508644,508643,508645,508646,7183,508647],"class_list":["post-9870","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-ainm","tag-cinn","tag-crainn","tag-crann","tag-eo","tag-iur","tag-maigh","tag-tra","tag-tree","tag-yew-tree"],"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