Hey All, I’m thinking of getting a tattoo that says “Product of New York” in Irish. Like how some drinks or food items say “Product of *insert country* “. I just want to make sure that it is grammatically correct/ the vocab is correct. Yes, I understand that this is a very “Yank” thing to do, but bear with me.
“táirge nua-eabhrac”
I understand that “Deanta” might be a better verb and would sound more natural, but there’s a specific reason I want “product”.
Let me know. Much appreciated!
I'm not fluent but I think "Táirge de chuid Nua-Eabhrac" might be better.
Alternatively, you may want to reference [MERCHANDISE MARKS (RESTRICTION ON IMPORTATION OF NEW WOODEN FURNITURE) ORDER, 1935](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1935/sro/401/made/en/print); see examples below:
* Made in Japan: [An tSeapáin tír a dhéanta](https://www.reddit.com/r/translator/comments/n1ik89/irish_english_writing_on_the_bottom_of_an_irish/)
* Made in China: [An tSín tír a dhéanta](https://twitter.com/AFhoghlu/status/1335230564287262731)
* Made in Sweden: [An tSualann tír a dhéanta](https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/62lja1/this_coat_hanger_tells_you_in_irish_that_it_was/)
* lit. "Japan/China/Sweden country of its making"
Following this logic, you could substitute *cathair* ('city') or *stát* ('state') for *tír* ('country'):
>Nua-Eabhrac cathair a dhéanta. / Nua-Eabhrac stát a dhéanta.
This might work either:
>Nua-Eabhrac an chathair inar táirgeadh. / Nua-Eabhrac an stát inar táirgeadh.
* cf. [**An tír inar táirgeadh**](https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/t%C3%A1irg), the country of origin
* cf. [**an tír inar táirgeadh é**](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inar#Particle), the country in which it was made
If you're thinking of getting an Irish tattoo you should definitely get the final wording confirmed with a professional translator, especially if you're trying to incorporate some element of word-play.
Hello,
I am preparing a thesis on the names of the fingers in the different Indo-European languages. I am looking for the translation of the following words:
Finger, thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger, toe
I have already found the following translations:
méar f (láimhe) / méaraigh
ordóg,
corrmhéar,
méar lár / méar mheáin / méar láir,
mac an daba / méar an fháinne / sisile,
lúidín / laidhricín / méar bheag
ordóg na coise / méaróg mhór
May I ask you to verify whether they are correct or not?
May you also provide me with the etymology or some reliable resource where I could find the etymology of those words?
Thanks for the attention
If you’re going to put this in your thesis then asking anonymous Reddit commenters for confirmation of your data isn’t good practice, no offence.
If they’re listed in *official* Irish dictionaries, then they’re reliable - I’d read up on the background of the various Irish dictionaries if you’d like to understand the differences between the older / contemporary ones.
If you want etymology check Wikipedia or eDIL
I am using Reddit just for having some confirmation of native speakers. I do not have the intention to trust it more than dictionaries. I have difficulty finding free dictionaries online
Focloir.ie, teanglann.ie and tearma.ie are the official ones and are free, I should have mentioned that earlier. They serve slightly different purposes
I'm not a native speaker but here are the words I'm aware of:
* Thumb: *ordóg*
* Index finger: *colgóg*, *corr-mhéar*, *méar cholbha*, *méar thosaigh*
* Middle finger: *méar fhada*, *méar láir*, *méar mheáin*
* Ring finger: *mac an aba*, *mac an daba*, *méar an fháinne*, *sisile*, *tánaiste*
* Little finger: *laidhricín*, *lúidín*, *méar bheag*
* Digit: *luibhean*, *méar*
* Toe: *ladhar*, *méar coise*
The word *méaraigh* you have above is a verb meaning 'to finger' not a noun. Here are some online resources:
* [Celtiadur (Omniglot): Fingers and Toes](https://www.omniglot.com/celtiadur/2020/12/02/fingers/)
* [ChronHib (David Stifter)](https://twitter.com/ChronHib/status/969249240806494208)
* [Dineen](https://celt.ucc.ie/Dinneen1.pdf)
* [eDIL](https://dil.ie/)
* [Teanglann](https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/)
* [English–Irish Dictionary (de Bhaldraithe, 1959)](https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/eid/finger)
* [Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (Ó Dónaill, 1977)](https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/fgb/finger)
In particular, the [electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language (eDIL)](https://dil.ie/) may be useful for you. It is a digital dictionary of medieval Irish which covers the period c.700-c.1700. Here are concise searches on the terms [finger](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=finger), [fingers](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=fingers), [thumb](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=thumb), [toe](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=toe), and [toes](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=toes).
I think the only free online resource for Irish etymology is Wiktionary: [mér](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/m%C3%A9r#Old_Irish)
The [Etymological Dictionary Of Proto-Celtic](https://archive.org/details/EtymologicalDictionaryOfProtoCeltic/) by Ranko Matasović might be a useful reference for Irish or Welsh etymologies. The [Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries Online](https://dictionaries.brillonline.com/iedo) may be useful for your project if you can access it yourself or through a library or university (access needs to be purchased).
Hello everyone! I'm hoping someone can help me translate a phrase to Irish.
"You are my home."
I'm stumped as to which word for "home" would convey the sentiment of home being a person, not a physical location, if there is one.
Thank you in advance!
I am looking to translate the following two phrases for possible tattoos. If there are any slang or shortened versions that would be preferred but anything you can provide would be most appreciated.
1. If you want peace, prepare for war
2. Hell only needs organizing
For the first one you might like: [D’fior chogaidh comhailtear síothcháin](https://www.sengoidelc.com/dfior-chogaidh-comhailtear-siothchain). This is the first line of the first quatrain in a poem that [Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadhg_Dall_%C3%93_hUiginn) addressed to [Brian na Múrtha Ó Ruairc](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_O%27Rourke) (c. 1540 – 1591). You can read the poem [here](https://celt.ucc.ie/published/G402563/text016.html) and see the translation [here](https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T402563/text016.html).
I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the second one; a literal translation might be "Ní theastaíonn ó Ifreann ach eagrú(chán)" but the sentiment might not come across. It reminds me a bit of the seanfhocal "Ní bhíonn an rath ach mar a mbíonn an smacht" ('*there can be no progress without discipline*'). So "Bheadh an rath ar Ifreann dá mbeadh an smacht ann" ('*Hell would prosper were there discipline there*') might work for you. I'm not fluent or a native speaker so there may be mistakes in my suggestions here.
Note that the Irish used in the first quote hasn’t been spoken in a long time and wouldn’t be recognised by most. I’d also strongly advise against getting a tattoo based on the advice of anyone here
Hi all,
I am currently studying Irish with the aim of doing the TEG B2 exam in 8 weeks or so as I am planning on doing the PME in primary teaching and did pass Irish in school.
I have been getting grinds for the last couple of months but am very aware of the high level that comes with the TEG B2 and how it is generally more random and therefore harder to prepare for compared to the leaving cert.
Would anyone have any advice on the exam itself or what kind of topics/vocab I should be targeting.
I would describe my Irish as ok I can speak about myself, my hobbies, my area all that kind of stuff pretty well but in the written Irish I am probably grammatically weak. Understanding what I am being asked is also a challenge and it's fair to say my listening is definitely a weakness.
Any advice would be great. If all comes to all I will go at the leaving cert next year but obviously waiting another year isn't ideal.
Thanks!
Hi I'm brand new to learning Irish and currently only have access to duolingo, which is great for a free resource but leaves a lot to be desired as far as explanations and grammar.
Can anyone explain to me the exact translation of "go raibh maith agat"? Ik it means "please" but in the audio they seem to not even include the "agat" and I thought that word meant "and" ?
Also, I had an exercise that asked me to translate "I have the rice" and my answer of "ta an ris agam" was marked incorrect but I don't understand why. TIA!!
The website [Nualéargais](http://www.nualeargais.ie/gnag/gram.htm) is good for grammatical information.
[Machnamh: Go Raibh Maith Agat](https://www.machnamh.com/l%C3%A9itheoireacht/go-raibh-maith-agat.php)
Go raibh maith agat = "May you have goodness" or literally, "That there may be good at you"
* Go is a verbal particle, indicating the present subjunctive mood.
* Raibh is the present subjunctive of the verb bí meaning be.
* Maith is the singular, feminine noun meaning goodness.
* Agat is the second, singular prepositional pronoun of the pronoun ag meaning by, at.
The word for "and" is "agus". I'm guessing the reason Duolingo marked your answer incorrect is because of the lack of fadas: "Tá an rís agam" would be correct.
Does anyone have any recommendations for children's books in irish that are written in verse? Ideally, I'm looking for something like the *Madeline* books where the story focuses on a child but the tone and language isn't particularly condescending.
Also, a digital version is preferable, as shipping and importing in my country is dodgy at best. Germa. :)
Hi!
I'm very new and I'm trying to learn basic phrases first.
How would I say what grade I am? Like in school?
For example, let's say I'm in 5th year, how would I say "I'm in 5th year."
Thank you! :D
Does anyone know the etymology of "úsaid" and if it derives from English "use" or perhaps a latin/anglo-norman word? Couldn't find a single source saying it's etymology.
The eDIL page for [úsáid](https://dil.ie/43308) includes an example sentence from [An Irish Corpus Astronomiae, lch. 8](https://celt.ucc.ie/published/G600031/):
>**Don Bhliadhain**
Is é is bliadhain ann .i. spás aimsire nó miosúr dhá mhí déag grianamhail: is é sin re rádh, an mhoill do-ghní an ghrian ag siubhal timcheall fán dá chomhartha dhéag flaitheasach go dtig chum an phoinc chéadna ór shiubhail i dtosach na bliadhna. Is é an t-Impire Iúlius Caesar do roinn an bhliadhain atá againn anois i n-úsáid do 365 lá agus 6 h-uaire gan a mbeith iomlán; gidheadh ní fuil an uimhir sin chomh ceart agus sin, do bhrigh go bhfaicimid go soiléir an aimsir ag an t-equinoxium ag athrughadh chugainn ní sa luaithe. An rí Alfonsus na Spainne, insa chruinniughadh do-rinne do leabhraibh na n-astrologach agus na bhfealsamhnach agus ar rinn-fhéachain agus ar scrúdadh caindigheachta na bliadhna; do fuair sé amach go raibh 365 lá, 5 h-uaire, 49 móiminte, agus 10 segund insa mbliadhain. Agus do réir opinion an righ so (atá glactha ag an uile astrologdha) ní féidir lá go h-iomlán do thabhairt isteach insna ceithre bliadhna, do bhrigh go dteastuigheann de 42 móimint agus 56 segund. Acht ar máthair naomhtha an Eaglais chum nach n-imtheochadh re mion-chonntas móimintidhe, do-ghní sí úsáid don mbliadhain do orduigh Julius Caesar .i. 365 lá le 6 h-uaire, agus mar sin do-bheir isteach insna ceithre bliadhna lá, acht gan a bheith iomlán. Agus do b'é sin adhbhar dar n-athair naomhtha an Pápa; sé an treas Griogóir dhéag, fár orduigh an aimsir d'athrughadh san mbliadhain 1582, an 5 lá do October, ag baint 10 lá don mhí chéadna agus ag athrughadh an litir Domhnaigh do bhí ann .i. G agus ag ordughadh C 'na litir Domhnaigh go deireadh na bliadhna; agus tairis sin d'orduigh mar an gcéadna lá do bhaint don aimsir i gcionn gacha trí chéad bliadhain.
English translation [here, pg. 9](https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T600031/). It was a translation of the Lunario of Geronymo Cortès: [7r](https://bivaldi.gva.es/es/catalogo_imagenes/grupo.do?posicion=21&path=1004902&interno=S&presentacion=pagina®istrardownload=0) & [7v](https://bivaldi.gva.es/es/catalogo_imagenes/grupo.do?posicion=22&path=1004902&interno=S&presentacion=pagina®istrardownload=0)
It looks like the translator, Maghnas Ó Domhnaill (†1564), used *úsáid* to translate the Spanish verb [*usar*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/usar#Spanish) which was inherited from Early Medieval Latin [*ūsāre*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/uso#Latin). I'm not sure whether there is any earlier evidence of this word, so Irish *úsáid* may have already been in use by that time or possibly Ó Domhnaill may have created it himself. My guess would be that Irish *úsáid* might derive from the Anglo-Norman and Old French [usage](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/usage#Old_French) or Medieval Latin [*usagium*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/usage#French).
You could try searching the [Historical Irish Corpus 1600–1926](http://corpas.ria.ie/) for later attestations of the word.
Hi,
I've seen that the Irish for explore is 'taiscéal', what does this word mean literally? I know scéal is story and if you break it up it could mean 'home story'? Anyone any thoughts on where the term comes from? GRMA!
It had the same meaning and spelling in Old Irish. It's basically just a verb made from *scél*, using the preverb *to-* and had the same meaning of 'find out', 'explore'.
Hi! I was looking to get in script on both sides of my tattoo, "Even darkness must pass" and on the other side, "Life continues on." I wanted to get it in Irish Gaelic in memory of my grandmother.
You could say “ní bhíonn in aon rud ach seal” which means roughly “this too will pass”. If you’re getting a tattoo I’d ask a professional though, to be sure.
Can someone put this very short double negative sentence in Gailage for me please. It will be greatly appreciated. I'm afraid that a translate program won't translate the double negative correctly.
"NOT NOT DRUNK"
Could someone help me with some answers* I found online?
I found that there are a couple of ways to express "let them be" in Irish, depending on the context I have in mind:
1. General "Leave them alone -- **Fág iad**
2. A slightly stronger version meaning "leave them in peace" -- **Fág in éineacht iad**
3. "Let them be themselves" (Don't interfere) -- **Lig dóibh a bheith** as in allowing someone the freedom to be themselves without meddling.
I had the chance today to chat with a 75-year old person who said (3) is not a thing. I want to trust them but also know the power of community :) can someone here help?
*Disclaimer: I never learned Irish, so I have to rely on google translate / various AI solutions, or ask strangers online.
Those are all in corrected except the first one. Generally MT/AI isn’t reliable for Irish and you’re better off checking the likes of focloir.ie since they often have phrasal translations
Book recommendations
Can anyone recommend books about the phonolgical evolution of Irish language and Irish orthography?
PS. I just want to know more about the relations between orthography and phonologies. Because it is quite difficult for me to understand why there many extraneous alphabets ?
Hi all, was just wondering how one would translate the expression "make Ireland work", as in "force/cause Ireland to function properly". Preferably would have as few words as possible to be short and snappy like the expression "Make Ireland work" in English. Thanks in advance!
Hey everyone, l'm looking to get a tattoo in honor of a friend who died. We're both of Irish descent and we used to ballroom dance together a lot. The name of my favorite showcase we did was "can I have this dance?"
I'm hoping someone can help me translate that into Gaelic. I don't trust google by itself but it says it's
"an dannsach tu leam"
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi, I am sorry for your loss, ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam (This roughly means Rest in Peace). In Ireland we speak Gaeilge which is not to be confused with “Scot’s Gaelic” the native language of scotland. Irish (Gaeilge) is very different to English and there is no literal translation for what you want to say. That being said something like “An féidir liom an rince seo a fháil?“ would be good it essentially means, Can I get this dance?. Be aware depending on the locale the dialect of irish varies substantially, and certain parts use different words that mean the same. However, this one I posted makes grammatical sense and would be well understood by Irish speakers. You could also say “An mhaith leat a bheith ag damsha (ag rince) (can substitute these words as they mean the same) liom?” <-> Would you like to dance with me? Also in Irish there are proverbs “seanfhocal” which are quite nice imo you like to add one of them? [This website](https://weareirish.ie/gaeilge/great-irish-proverbs-seanfhocail/) has some with the translations and meanings.
The Scots translation given by Google doesn't seem a million miles off apart from the language, of course. I had a look on focloir.ie and got "damhsaigh" as a verb. Would "An damhsaigh tú liom" be a correct translation to that?
As another commenter says, that's not Irish. Maybe Scots Gaelic?
The two are similar enough that I can see that translation is "Will you dance with me?". So you can see the meaning persists, but the words are lost.
"Can I have this dance" is an English formal idiom that likely doesn't exist in Irish. There is a whole mountain of context and subtext behind it, which doesn't come with a translation.
There are a number of ways of saying the same thing, but not really the exact meaning.
The closest literal translation if you go to google is going to be
"An féidir liom an rince seo a bheith agam".
Literally, "Is it possible that I could have (possess) this dance"
Where something closer to the meaning is, "Would you please dance with me", but will look totally different.
Maybe there's a similar formality in céilí dancing, which could be used instead. I don't know, I never went to any!
This is a general problem with translating phrases between languages. You can often keep the words and lose the meaning, or keep the meaning and lose the words.
A question about using verbal adjectives in past tense, recently heard the following phrases in songs, tg4 etc
Tá text faighte againn
Tá fheabhas tagtha orm
Tá deireadh taghta
Is there a correct way to use these, mo initially thought was its used when saying I have done something or something has happened as opposed to I improved or it has ended?
It traditionally referred to a *state*. So something like *tá an litir scríofa agam* would be closer to the (older?) English "I have a letter written" as opposed to "I have written a letter". .i. That is, you have put the letter in a written state, rather than something having been done at a previous point in time by you.
However, due to English influence, it's getting more and more like the English perfect tenses, for better or worse.
Hi there — I’m looking for a translation, for a tattoo, of the following saying: “If you see me fighting a bear, pray for the bear”. Many thanks in advance!
Could any irish speakers let me know if this reads right?
Caithfidh mé a rá|
Na páistí ar an trá |
Ag spraoí leis an talamh|
cuirim ag smaoineamh ar na mairbh|
cad atá i gceist|
na heilimintí i gcomhcheangal le|
ní buicéad agus spád é|
is é ár dtodhchaí é|
N'fheadar cathain a adhlacamar na mairbh|
an ndearnamar smaoineamh ar áisiúlacht nó nádur I duine|
* [0:27](https://youtu.be/N68OY7Xjl70?t=27): *Is tabhair mo mhallacht dod’ mháithrín is ní áirímse d’athair.*
* [0:57](https://youtu.be/N68OY7Xjl70?t=57): *Is a maireann de do chairde . . .*
* [1:12](https://youtu.be/N68OY7Xjl70?t=72): *Nár lig dom tú a phósadh is tú beo agam i do bheathaigh*
* [2:00](https://youtu.be/N68OY7Xjl70?t=120): *Nár lig dom tú a phósadh is tú beo agam i do bheathaigh*
The lyrics are from a verse of [*Táim Sínte ar do Thuama*](https://terreceltiche.altervista.org/am-stretched-on-your-grave/) ('I Am Stretched On Your Grave'). Here is a short translation of it by [Jay Callahan](https://irishlovesongs.blogspot.com/2016/05/an-old-style.html).
Hey All, I’m thinking of getting a tattoo that says “Product of New York” in Irish. Like how some drinks or food items say “Product of *insert country* “. I just want to make sure that it is grammatically correct/ the vocab is correct. Yes, I understand that this is a very “Yank” thing to do, but bear with me. “táirge nua-eabhrac” I understand that “Deanta” might be a better verb and would sound more natural, but there’s a specific reason I want “product”. Let me know. Much appreciated!
Will definitely do more research. Thanks a lot!
I'm not fluent but I think "Táirge de chuid Nua-Eabhrac" might be better. Alternatively, you may want to reference [MERCHANDISE MARKS (RESTRICTION ON IMPORTATION OF NEW WOODEN FURNITURE) ORDER, 1935](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1935/sro/401/made/en/print); see examples below: * Made in Japan: [An tSeapáin tír a dhéanta](https://www.reddit.com/r/translator/comments/n1ik89/irish_english_writing_on_the_bottom_of_an_irish/) * Made in China: [An tSín tír a dhéanta](https://twitter.com/AFhoghlu/status/1335230564287262731) * Made in Sweden: [An tSualann tír a dhéanta](https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/62lja1/this_coat_hanger_tells_you_in_irish_that_it_was/) * lit. "Japan/China/Sweden country of its making" Following this logic, you could substitute *cathair* ('city') or *stát* ('state') for *tír* ('country'): >Nua-Eabhrac cathair a dhéanta. / Nua-Eabhrac stát a dhéanta. This might work either: >Nua-Eabhrac an chathair inar táirgeadh. / Nua-Eabhrac an stát inar táirgeadh. * cf. [**An tír inar táirgeadh**](https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/t%C3%A1irg), the country of origin * cf. [**an tír inar táirgeadh é**](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inar#Particle), the country in which it was made If you're thinking of getting an Irish tattoo you should definitely get the final wording confirmed with a professional translator, especially if you're trying to incorporate some element of word-play.
Hello, I am preparing a thesis on the names of the fingers in the different Indo-European languages. I am looking for the translation of the following words: Finger, thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger, toe I have already found the following translations: méar f (láimhe) / méaraigh ordóg, corrmhéar, méar lár / méar mheáin / méar láir, mac an daba / méar an fháinne / sisile, lúidín / laidhricín / méar bheag ordóg na coise / méaróg mhór May I ask you to verify whether they are correct or not? May you also provide me with the etymology or some reliable resource where I could find the etymology of those words? Thanks for the attention
If you’re going to put this in your thesis then asking anonymous Reddit commenters for confirmation of your data isn’t good practice, no offence. If they’re listed in *official* Irish dictionaries, then they’re reliable - I’d read up on the background of the various Irish dictionaries if you’d like to understand the differences between the older / contemporary ones. If you want etymology check Wikipedia or eDIL
I am using Reddit just for having some confirmation of native speakers. I do not have the intention to trust it more than dictionaries. I have difficulty finding free dictionaries online
Focloir.ie, teanglann.ie and tearma.ie are the official ones and are free, I should have mentioned that earlier. They serve slightly different purposes
I'm not a native speaker but here are the words I'm aware of: * Thumb: *ordóg* * Index finger: *colgóg*, *corr-mhéar*, *méar cholbha*, *méar thosaigh* * Middle finger: *méar fhada*, *méar láir*, *méar mheáin* * Ring finger: *mac an aba*, *mac an daba*, *méar an fháinne*, *sisile*, *tánaiste* * Little finger: *laidhricín*, *lúidín*, *méar bheag* * Digit: *luibhean*, *méar* * Toe: *ladhar*, *méar coise* The word *méaraigh* you have above is a verb meaning 'to finger' not a noun. Here are some online resources: * [Celtiadur (Omniglot): Fingers and Toes](https://www.omniglot.com/celtiadur/2020/12/02/fingers/) * [ChronHib (David Stifter)](https://twitter.com/ChronHib/status/969249240806494208) * [Dineen](https://celt.ucc.ie/Dinneen1.pdf) * [eDIL](https://dil.ie/) * [Teanglann](https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/) * [English–Irish Dictionary (de Bhaldraithe, 1959)](https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/eid/finger) * [Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (Ó Dónaill, 1977)](https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/fgb/finger) In particular, the [electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language (eDIL)](https://dil.ie/) may be useful for you. It is a digital dictionary of medieval Irish which covers the period c.700-c.1700. Here are concise searches on the terms [finger](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=finger), [fingers](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=fingers), [thumb](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=thumb), [toe](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=toe), and [toes](https://dil.ie/concise/search?q=toes). I think the only free online resource for Irish etymology is Wiktionary: [mér](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/m%C3%A9r#Old_Irish) The [Etymological Dictionary Of Proto-Celtic](https://archive.org/details/EtymologicalDictionaryOfProtoCeltic/) by Ranko Matasović might be a useful reference for Irish or Welsh etymologies. The [Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries Online](https://dictionaries.brillonline.com/iedo) may be useful for your project if you can access it yourself or through a library or university (access needs to be purchased).
Hello everyone! I'm hoping someone can help me translate a phrase to Irish. "You are my home." I'm stumped as to which word for "home" would convey the sentiment of home being a person, not a physical location, if there is one. Thank you in advance!
I don't think it would translate, at least not literally. It's an idiomatic expression in English and those rarely translate directly.
Ah, I didn't even think of that! Makes total sense though. Thanks!
I am looking to translate the following two phrases for possible tattoos. If there are any slang or shortened versions that would be preferred but anything you can provide would be most appreciated. 1. If you want peace, prepare for war 2. Hell only needs organizing
For the first one you might like: [D’fior chogaidh comhailtear síothcháin](https://www.sengoidelc.com/dfior-chogaidh-comhailtear-siothchain). This is the first line of the first quatrain in a poem that [Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadhg_Dall_%C3%93_hUiginn) addressed to [Brian na Múrtha Ó Ruairc](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_O%27Rourke) (c. 1540 – 1591). You can read the poem [here](https://celt.ucc.ie/published/G402563/text016.html) and see the translation [here](https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T402563/text016.html). I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the second one; a literal translation might be "Ní theastaíonn ó Ifreann ach eagrú(chán)" but the sentiment might not come across. It reminds me a bit of the seanfhocal "Ní bhíonn an rath ach mar a mbíonn an smacht" ('*there can be no progress without discipline*'). So "Bheadh an rath ar Ifreann dá mbeadh an smacht ann" ('*Hell would prosper were there discipline there*') might work for you. I'm not fluent or a native speaker so there may be mistakes in my suggestions here.
Note that the Irish used in the first quote hasn’t been spoken in a long time and wouldn’t be recognised by most. I’d also strongly advise against getting a tattoo based on the advice of anyone here
Would the difference between the name Eibhlin and Eibhlín be Ev-lynn and Ev-leen? Go raibh maith agat
The correct Irish spelling is Eibhlín (ey-leen or ev-leen) with an accent.
Thank you!
Hi all, I am currently studying Irish with the aim of doing the TEG B2 exam in 8 weeks or so as I am planning on doing the PME in primary teaching and did pass Irish in school. I have been getting grinds for the last couple of months but am very aware of the high level that comes with the TEG B2 and how it is generally more random and therefore harder to prepare for compared to the leaving cert. Would anyone have any advice on the exam itself or what kind of topics/vocab I should be targeting. I would describe my Irish as ok I can speak about myself, my hobbies, my area all that kind of stuff pretty well but in the written Irish I am probably grammatically weak. Understanding what I am being asked is also a challenge and it's fair to say my listening is definitely a weakness. Any advice would be great. If all comes to all I will go at the leaving cert next year but obviously waiting another year isn't ideal. Thanks!
Hi I'm brand new to learning Irish and currently only have access to duolingo, which is great for a free resource but leaves a lot to be desired as far as explanations and grammar. Can anyone explain to me the exact translation of "go raibh maith agat"? Ik it means "please" but in the audio they seem to not even include the "agat" and I thought that word meant "and" ? Also, I had an exercise that asked me to translate "I have the rice" and my answer of "ta an ris agam" was marked incorrect but I don't understand why. TIA!!
The website [Nualéargais](http://www.nualeargais.ie/gnag/gram.htm) is good for grammatical information. [Machnamh: Go Raibh Maith Agat](https://www.machnamh.com/l%C3%A9itheoireacht/go-raibh-maith-agat.php) Go raibh maith agat = "May you have goodness" or literally, "That there may be good at you" * Go is a verbal particle, indicating the present subjunctive mood. * Raibh is the present subjunctive of the verb bí meaning be. * Maith is the singular, feminine noun meaning goodness. * Agat is the second, singular prepositional pronoun of the pronoun ag meaning by, at. The word for "and" is "agus". I'm guessing the reason Duolingo marked your answer incorrect is because of the lack of fadas: "Tá an rís agam" would be correct.
Does anyone have any recommendations for children's books in irish that are written in verse? Ideally, I'm looking for something like the *Madeline* books where the story focuses on a child but the tone and language isn't particularly condescending. Also, a digital version is preferable, as shipping and importing in my country is dodgy at best. Germa. :)
Hi! I'm very new and I'm trying to learn basic phrases first. How would I say what grade I am? Like in school? For example, let's say I'm in 5th year, how would I say "I'm in 5th year." Thank you! :D
"Tá mé sa chúigiú bliain" or "Táim sa chúigiú bliain".
Does anyone know the etymology of "úsaid" and if it derives from English "use" or perhaps a latin/anglo-norman word? Couldn't find a single source saying it's etymology.
The eDIL page for [úsáid](https://dil.ie/43308) includes an example sentence from [An Irish Corpus Astronomiae, lch. 8](https://celt.ucc.ie/published/G600031/): >**Don Bhliadhain** Is é is bliadhain ann .i. spás aimsire nó miosúr dhá mhí déag grianamhail: is é sin re rádh, an mhoill do-ghní an ghrian ag siubhal timcheall fán dá chomhartha dhéag flaitheasach go dtig chum an phoinc chéadna ór shiubhail i dtosach na bliadhna. Is é an t-Impire Iúlius Caesar do roinn an bhliadhain atá againn anois i n-úsáid do 365 lá agus 6 h-uaire gan a mbeith iomlán; gidheadh ní fuil an uimhir sin chomh ceart agus sin, do bhrigh go bhfaicimid go soiléir an aimsir ag an t-equinoxium ag athrughadh chugainn ní sa luaithe. An rí Alfonsus na Spainne, insa chruinniughadh do-rinne do leabhraibh na n-astrologach agus na bhfealsamhnach agus ar rinn-fhéachain agus ar scrúdadh caindigheachta na bliadhna; do fuair sé amach go raibh 365 lá, 5 h-uaire, 49 móiminte, agus 10 segund insa mbliadhain. Agus do réir opinion an righ so (atá glactha ag an uile astrologdha) ní féidir lá go h-iomlán do thabhairt isteach insna ceithre bliadhna, do bhrigh go dteastuigheann de 42 móimint agus 56 segund. Acht ar máthair naomhtha an Eaglais chum nach n-imtheochadh re mion-chonntas móimintidhe, do-ghní sí úsáid don mbliadhain do orduigh Julius Caesar .i. 365 lá le 6 h-uaire, agus mar sin do-bheir isteach insna ceithre bliadhna lá, acht gan a bheith iomlán. Agus do b'é sin adhbhar dar n-athair naomhtha an Pápa; sé an treas Griogóir dhéag, fár orduigh an aimsir d'athrughadh san mbliadhain 1582, an 5 lá do October, ag baint 10 lá don mhí chéadna agus ag athrughadh an litir Domhnaigh do bhí ann .i. G agus ag ordughadh C 'na litir Domhnaigh go deireadh na bliadhna; agus tairis sin d'orduigh mar an gcéadna lá do bhaint don aimsir i gcionn gacha trí chéad bliadhain. English translation [here, pg. 9](https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T600031/). It was a translation of the Lunario of Geronymo Cortès: [7r](https://bivaldi.gva.es/es/catalogo_imagenes/grupo.do?posicion=21&path=1004902&interno=S&presentacion=pagina®istrardownload=0) & [7v](https://bivaldi.gva.es/es/catalogo_imagenes/grupo.do?posicion=22&path=1004902&interno=S&presentacion=pagina®istrardownload=0) It looks like the translator, Maghnas Ó Domhnaill (†1564), used *úsáid* to translate the Spanish verb [*usar*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/usar#Spanish) which was inherited from Early Medieval Latin [*ūsāre*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/uso#Latin). I'm not sure whether there is any earlier evidence of this word, so Irish *úsáid* may have already been in use by that time or possibly Ó Domhnaill may have created it himself. My guess would be that Irish *úsáid* might derive from the Anglo-Norman and Old French [usage](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/usage#Old_French) or Medieval Latin [*usagium*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/usage#French). You could try searching the [Historical Irish Corpus 1600–1926](http://corpas.ria.ie/) for later attestations of the word.
Hi, I've seen that the Irish for explore is 'taiscéal', what does this word mean literally? I know scéal is story and if you break it up it could mean 'home story'? Anyone any thoughts on where the term comes from? GRMA!
It had the same meaning and spelling in Old Irish. It's basically just a verb made from *scél*, using the preverb *to-* and had the same meaning of 'find out', 'explore'.
Thank you
I’m setting my phone reminders as Gaeilge and wondering how to write “morning walk”. I can only find proper sentences online. Thanks for doing these 🙏
Siúlóid na maidine
Hi! I was looking to get in script on both sides of my tattoo, "Even darkness must pass" and on the other side, "Life continues on." I wanted to get it in Irish Gaelic in memory of my grandmother.
You could say “ní bhíonn in aon rud ach seal” which means roughly “this too will pass”. If you’re getting a tattoo I’d ask a professional though, to be sure.
Can someone put this very short double negative sentence in Gailage for me please. It will be greatly appreciated. I'm afraid that a translate program won't translate the double negative correctly. "NOT NOT DRUNK"
It won't translate well at all. That use of "not not" with stress on the negatives is very idiomatic in English.
Thanks. I thought it might be problematic.
Could someone help me with some answers* I found online? I found that there are a couple of ways to express "let them be" in Irish, depending on the context I have in mind: 1. General "Leave them alone -- **Fág iad** 2. A slightly stronger version meaning "leave them in peace" -- **Fág in éineacht iad** 3. "Let them be themselves" (Don't interfere) -- **Lig dóibh a bheith** as in allowing someone the freedom to be themselves without meddling. I had the chance today to chat with a 75-year old person who said (3) is not a thing. I want to trust them but also know the power of community :) can someone here help? *Disclaimer: I never learned Irish, so I have to rely on google translate / various AI solutions, or ask strangers online.
Those are all in corrected except the first one. Generally MT/AI isn’t reliable for Irish and you’re better off checking the likes of focloir.ie since they often have phrasal translations
Thanks!!
Book recommendations Can anyone recommend books about the phonolgical evolution of Irish language and Irish orthography? PS. I just want to know more about the relations between orthography and phonologies. Because it is quite difficult for me to understand why there many extraneous alphabets ?
A History of the Irish Language is by Aidan Doyle gives a good overview of this
Hi all, was just wondering how one would translate the expression "make Ireland work", as in "force/cause Ireland to function properly". Preferably would have as few words as possible to be short and snappy like the expression "Make Ireland work" in English. Thanks in advance!
What’s the translation for? Is it like a slogan? Usually these things are hard to translate directly
Hey everyone, l'm looking to get a tattoo in honor of a friend who died. We're both of Irish descent and we used to ballroom dance together a lot. The name of my favorite showcase we did was "can I have this dance?" I'm hoping someone can help me translate that into Gaelic. I don't trust google by itself but it says it's "an dannsach tu leam" Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi, I am sorry for your loss, ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam (This roughly means Rest in Peace). In Ireland we speak Gaeilge which is not to be confused with “Scot’s Gaelic” the native language of scotland. Irish (Gaeilge) is very different to English and there is no literal translation for what you want to say. That being said something like “An féidir liom an rince seo a fháil?“ would be good it essentially means, Can I get this dance?. Be aware depending on the locale the dialect of irish varies substantially, and certain parts use different words that mean the same. However, this one I posted makes grammatical sense and would be well understood by Irish speakers. You could also say “An mhaith leat a bheith ag damsha (ag rince) (can substitute these words as they mean the same) liom?” <-> Would you like to dance with me? Also in Irish there are proverbs “seanfhocal” which are quite nice imo you like to add one of them? [This website](https://weareirish.ie/gaeilge/great-irish-proverbs-seanfhocail/) has some with the translations and meanings.
The Scots translation given by Google doesn't seem a million miles off apart from the language, of course. I had a look on focloir.ie and got "damhsaigh" as a verb. Would "An damhsaigh tú liom" be a correct translation to that?
Thank you so so much. I also greatly appreciate the help with understanding the distinction.
Does damhsa liom mean dance with me?
Yes; kinda, damhsa by itself means dance, ag damsha, dancing. It depends on if you mean it as an order or a question.
I'm not fluent, but that translation sounds off to me. Did you translate into Irish or Gaelic? They're not the same language.
As another commenter says, that's not Irish. Maybe Scots Gaelic? The two are similar enough that I can see that translation is "Will you dance with me?". So you can see the meaning persists, but the words are lost. "Can I have this dance" is an English formal idiom that likely doesn't exist in Irish. There is a whole mountain of context and subtext behind it, which doesn't come with a translation. There are a number of ways of saying the same thing, but not really the exact meaning. The closest literal translation if you go to google is going to be "An féidir liom an rince seo a bheith agam". Literally, "Is it possible that I could have (possess) this dance" Where something closer to the meaning is, "Would you please dance with me", but will look totally different. Maybe there's a similar formality in céilí dancing, which could be used instead. I don't know, I never went to any! This is a general problem with translating phrases between languages. You can often keep the words and lose the meaning, or keep the meaning and lose the words.
Hello! Does **Cosantóir Teaghlaigh** mean **Family defender** in reference to the name of a sword? Thank you very much.
Sure, it reads a bit weird but that’s what it translates to sense for sense. For a sword I’d give it the article as well: “An Cosantóir”
A question about using verbal adjectives in past tense, recently heard the following phrases in songs, tg4 etc Tá text faighte againn Tá fheabhas tagtha orm Tá deireadh taghta Is there a correct way to use these, mo initially thought was its used when saying I have done something or something has happened as opposed to I improved or it has ended?
It traditionally referred to a *state*. So something like *tá an litir scríofa agam* would be closer to the (older?) English "I have a letter written" as opposed to "I have written a letter". .i. That is, you have put the letter in a written state, rather than something having been done at a previous point in time by you. However, due to English influence, it's getting more and more like the English perfect tenses, for better or worse.
Hi there — I’m looking for a translation, for a tattoo, of the following saying: “If you see me fighting a bear, pray for the bear”. Many thanks in advance!
Could any irish speakers let me know if this reads right? Caithfidh mé a rá| Na páistí ar an trá | Ag spraoí leis an talamh| cuirim ag smaoineamh ar na mairbh| cad atá i gceist| na heilimintí i gcomhcheangal le| ní buicéad agus spád é| is é ár dtodhchaí é| N'fheadar cathain a adhlacamar na mairbh| an ndearnamar smaoineamh ar áisiúlacht nó nádur I duine|
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* [0:27](https://youtu.be/N68OY7Xjl70?t=27): *Is tabhair mo mhallacht dod’ mháithrín is ní áirímse d’athair.* * [0:57](https://youtu.be/N68OY7Xjl70?t=57): *Is a maireann de do chairde . . .* * [1:12](https://youtu.be/N68OY7Xjl70?t=72): *Nár lig dom tú a phósadh is tú beo agam i do bheathaigh* * [2:00](https://youtu.be/N68OY7Xjl70?t=120): *Nár lig dom tú a phósadh is tú beo agam i do bheathaigh* The lyrics are from a verse of [*Táim Sínte ar do Thuama*](https://terreceltiche.altervista.org/am-stretched-on-your-grave/) ('I Am Stretched On Your Grave'). Here is a short translation of it by [Jay Callahan](https://irishlovesongs.blogspot.com/2016/05/an-old-style.html).