Hi, I was recommended to this forum in hopes I could get some wording help. I'm looking to design a piece of jewelry for my husband which will be from our daughter. Since my husband is of Irish descent and we were there just before I got pregnant, I thought it would be nice to have a saying in Irish/Gaelic. So I was thinking of something along the lines of "beloved father" or "wonderful dad" although I'm not decided on those exact endearments. It could be there is a prettier phrase in Irish/Gaelic that is of the same sentiment. In any event, I would appreciate translations to English of the above two phrases and of course, any additional or better suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance for your time :)

Marissa
New York

M'athair dhíl (my dear father)
M'athair iontach (my wonderful father)

wait for 2nd opinions, and proof readers!

A Aonghuis, Cúpla rud: Tá guta gairid in "dil", sa Chaigdeán ar aon nós. Níl gaol aige le "díleas". Nach mbeadh "a athair" níos fearr ná "m'athair" sa tuiseal gairmeach? Tá an cheist seo seanphléite againn, ar ndóigh, agus níl a fhios agam anois cár stad muid! ;-)

In the famous poem "Donncha Bán", his sister affectionately addresses him as:

A Dheartháir Dhílis

A = (This word doesn't mean anything, it just indicates that you're addressing someone)

Deartháir = Brother (The "h" is there because it's to do with Irish grammar)

Dílis = devote, genuine, faithful, loyal (Again there's a "h" because of Irish grammar)

You could modify it to yield:

A Athair Dhílis

Athair = father


Furthermore, if you want to write it in "authentic" Irish script, it would be written as:

A Atair Dílis

But there would be a dot on top of the "t" and the "d", which was the old way of putting in a "h".

Féach ar amhrán de chuid Mhaighréad Ní Dhomhnaill "A mháithrín dhílis" fosta...

(Message edited by lughaidh on November 28, 2005)

Níor cheap mé go raibh an tuiseal gairmeach i gceist. Tiomnú atá ann seachas gairm -

(Do) m'athair dhílis

Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil gá ag an aidiacht le séimhiú anseo -- ní sa Chaighdeán ná i nGaeilge Uladh -- cé go ndeir Dónall Ó Baoill go bhfuil "claonadh ag cainteoirí áirithe séimhiú a chur ar an aidiacht [fhirinscneach] fosta sna cásanna ina gcuirtear séimhiú ar an ainmfhocal." Caithfidh go raibh tú ag éisteacht leosan. ;-)

Do m'athair dílis.

Ceist: an féidir é seo a aistriú go Béarla mar "for my own dear loyal father", ag baint feidhm iomlán as semantic range na haidiachta?

Sooo.... Ag fanacht le cinneadh an choiste...

Hang in there, Marissa! Just waiting to hear whether the jury is satisfied with

Do m'athair dílis

Grá duit a dhaid

Love to you dad.

Simplí. And i presume Duit is right instead of Leat?

I NGRA LEAT
ach,
Grá don Ghaeilge....

Do m'a÷air dílis

This shows the sort of font and spelling that Fear na mBróg mentioned.

If your daughter is young enough not to have another man in her life yet, Marissa, perhaps also:

an fear is ansa liom = my favorite man, the man I love best

Do you want this to be a dedication ("To my..., For the...") or a "label", like on a t-shirt ("World's Greatest Dad")?