I have to give a lecture next week and need to know how to pronouce the following:

"An ag iarraidh dul I bhfolach ar mo thó ín."
(Is it trying to hide behind my back side you are - the place you came from.")

Also, I need the Gaelic spelling, but more importantly, the pronounciation for the following:
"May you be seven times worse this day twelve months, who cannot do without me for one day."

Many, many thanks for the help!

Dan

Is it trying to hide behind my back side you are - the place you came from.

Is that a quote from a baby learning to talk?

First give us it in English, then we might have a chance of giving you it in Gaeilge.

-Phil

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the response!

These are quotes from the female seafaring clan chieftain, Grace O'Malley. I'm not sure I can give it to you in English, other than what I have already provided. The first quote is Grace telling her son to stop hiding behind her during battle (her son was acting cowardly). I got this quote (and the Gaelic spelling) from some history books. Is it correct? Just to clarify. I posted the Gaelic spelling and the the English translation.

The second quote deals with her scolding her crew for losing a battle with pirates without her help. Almost as if to you, "can't you guys do anything without me?" I didn't have the Gaelic spelling, so I only posted the English version. It sure sounds like a Gaelic syntax, doesn't it? I appreciate any help. Cheers!

Dan

Is it trying to hide behind my back side you are - the place you came from.

Phil,

I think this is an example of what Lady Gregory called Hiberno-English which is an attempt to capture the rhythmns and syntax of Gaeilge in English. Members of the disapora, especially in America are familiar with such caricatures of the so-called Irish brogue. Every stand-up commedian and character actor who lacks an understanding of the true Irish humor thinks he sounds Irish if he talks that way.

I'm sure no harm was intended. I think the straight forward English would be:

"Are you trying to hide behind my rear end which is where you came from?" Put that way, it's quite an insult.

Slán,
D.

[sez Dan]

"An ag iarraidh dul I bhfolach ar mo thó ín."
(Is it trying to hide behind my back side you are - the place you came from.")

I don't see anything here that would mean "the place you come from."

It should probably be "thóin", not "thó in". Then it would just mean "are you trying to go into hiding behind my backside," which seems to make sense.

Pronunciation, something like:

"unuh GEERuh dullih WOALek airma HOON"

That should work if you're Amurkin, anyway! :-)

--Al Evans

And the second half of the phrase is missing.

"An ag iarraidh dul i bhfolach i mo thóin atá tú!"
Are you trying to hide in my backside?

The "where you came from" is missing
"An ag iarraidh dul i bhfolach i mo thóin, as a dtáinig tú, atá tú!"


"May you be seven times worse this day twelve months, who cannot do without me for one day."

Gura seacht measa sibh bliain ó innniu, sibhse nach féidir libh déanmah gan mé ar feadh lae amháin.

Note however that Irish has changed since the sixteenth century! So what Gráinne Ní Mháille said may have been different