I'm from San Diego, California - and recently picked up an Irish Dictionary that had Mexico spelled as "Mecciccino". I'm stumped with a very strange question.

Should someone speaking Irish - just leave the Spanish version of a placename as intended when doing coorespondance ?

I'm wondering exactly - if there is some textbook or atlas done in Irish language where it gives the Placenames. Usually a World Atlas would present that.

Thanks

Irish, like every other language, has its own place names.

Spain's name is "España", but we call it "Spain". Similarly, "Deutschland" and "Germany". Most languages tend to make their own names for the countries, but when it comes to cities, there's just too many of them, but still we'll have our own name for the odd one or two. For instance the town of "Malaga" in Spain has the same name in both Spanish, English and Irish.

But then again, in Irish, we call "New York", "Nua Eabhrach".

So look up the name in a dictionary or some sort of atlas dictionary. If it isn't there, use it's Spanish name.

By the way, if you intend to write the Irish language on an envelope and post it to Spain, you may aswell write it in Klingon, coz it ain't gonna arrive. But if the actual letter itself is written in Irish, then speak Irish!

I don't know of any Atlas type dictionary... although I do have a dictionary at home that has an entire section with all the country names, it might have city names too. I'll post the name of it here when I get home.

What name do you want to translate? It depends on how long Irish speakers have been in touch with a place. Most countries have Irish versions of their names, which you will find in the dictionary. Some cities do. New York became Nua Eabhrac because York has been called Eabhrac since the Vikings founded the place.
You might call San Diego "San Séamais" but it would be unusual.

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quote:

Should someone speaking Irish - just leave the Spanish version of a placename as intended when doing coorespondance ?

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Here is an official list of country names in Irish
http://www.acmhainn.ie/tearmai/tiortha.htm

Mexico is Meicsiceo

If the dictionary has "Mecciccino" something is very wrong indeed. Not only is it wrong, those combinations are of letters are impossible in Irish. Just as impossible as a word like "ftrovrciti" would be in English.