A chairde, I'll take this in English since I know everybody doesn't understand Irish yet.

After having been away for a while, I've recently returned to this site. From what I've seen, the user Fearn appears to be a troll. His posts are often aimed at being annoying and are deliberately (I hope) stupid. In the discussion about Dracula, he has been presenting the most absurd theories, going against common knowledge. Instead of presenting any evidence, he wants evidence that the common knowledge is true. Fortunately, that is not hard to provide.

When he gets evidence, he complains about the evidence not being what he wanted. I would assume that the Romanian census is a pretty standard reference when talking about Romania, that Hungarian and Romanian dictionaris provide the correct Hungarian and Romanian words and that Hungarian and Romanian native speakers can speak their own languages.

In other words, it's hard to take his complaints seriously, especially as he refuses to give any evidence himself, always repeating his whining about more references and making fun out of my Eastern European colleagues. (That is the only part of his writing that actually irritates me.) When he is asked direct questions, he avoids them and try to get around by posting still more nonsense-questions about new things.

It's not that I dislike him, he's at time funny and I don't mind him being here at all, quite the opposite. He contributes in Irish and that's all I want, so this is in no way a suggestion to exclude him. It's just that I want to know if there's any point in discussing with him or if he is making his argument stupid just for the fun of it. Either way, I don't mind, but it of course has an impact on the amount of time I spend on his posts.

(Message edited by jonas on October 20, 2006)

I tuned out of the Dracula discussion quite a while ago (mórán teasa, beagán solais) so I won't comment on what has or hasn't been happening there. I can say, though, that his behavior on other threads hasn't seemed at all trollish to me.

In particular, one thing I've noticed is that when talking to learners like me, Fearn tends to keep his Irish at a simpler level, and perhaps a bit less dialectual, than what I see him using in discussions with the likes of you. It's not always necessary - I can read a lot better than I write - but still it's a courtesy, and one I should be very surprised to see from a troll.

With that said - if you want to ignore him, or feel that doing so is your best chance of keeping things civil, then it's probably a reasonable measure for you to take.

Abigail

Dála an scéil, cén fáth aríst gur thug tú an cheist seo trí Bhéarla? I nGaeilge a bhí an mhórchuid (nó an t-iomlán fiú?) den achrann eadraibh. Ní dóigh liom go mbeadh daoine gan Ghaeilge ábalta do cheist a fhreagairt go cóir mar sin...

Bhuel, is fíor é sin. Mar a scríobhas, ní rabhas anso le fada agus ní raibh a fhios agam an scríobhann sé as Gaeilge gach aon uair nó ná scríobhann. Má dheineann sé, bheadh sé níos fearr é seo a scríobh as Gaeilge, mar a deireann tú.

Thugas féin fé ndeara gur féidir le Fearn deas a bheith ach mar gheall ar an Dracula-rud, táim cinte go dtuigeann sé go maith ná fuil an ceart aige ach is maith leis an argóint a lean agus ní thuigim cad 'na taobh. Nuair a thug sé ar ionsaigh ar mo chairde, bhuel, ní rabhas ró-shásta agus is é an post sin aige an réasún a scríobhas an chéad phost anso.

(Message edited by jonas on October 20, 2006)

quote:

I tuned out of the Dracula discussion quite a while ago

D'éirigh mé as tamall ó shin chomh maith. Ní troll é Fearn, ach crosán. Níl neart aige air! Seo comhairle duit ón duine aosta:

Is báeth nech conid- fri robaíth -ruici.

http://www.sengoidelc.com/node/261

quote:

Ní troll é Fearn, ach crosán.

hmm... According to Foclóir Póca, "crosán" is a razorbill or a starfish ... I had no idea, Fearn!

the trickster....wandering bawdy actor

Tá foclóir níos mó ag teastáil uait, Wee. Iarr Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (aka Ó Dónaill's) ar Shanta. Idir an dá linn, bain úsáid as an idirlíon: cuardach Google le "crosán" atá mé a rá. Is suimiúil an focal é.

Ag an tAthair Duinnín

crosán, -áin pl. id., m., a cross bearer; represents the praeco of the Latin lives of the Irish Saints; a scurra, a satirist; a buffoon, a comedian; a cheat, a villain; razorbill (creasán)

crosána¥t, -a f., a sort of versification. See F.F. III. p. 218, for a specimen.

Sílim gur fiú an Crosán a chur i gcomparáid leis an gKoyaala, aka "koshare", saghas "clown" atá le feiceáil, má tá an t-ádh ort, ag damhsaí de chuid na Hopi agus daoine dúchasacha eile sna Four Corners:

http://www.sfaol.com/life/koshares.html

Is féidir pictiúir díobh a fháil le Google Íomhánna ag baint úsáide as an bhfocal "koshares".

quote:

Iarr Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (aka Ó Dónaill's) ar Shanta.

Is maith an cuimhneamh é sin, a Dhennis!

Actually, I already have Ó Dónaill's Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla but I am in the middle of moving house and it's put away in a box - so I reached for the Foclóir Póca which is the only dictionary that has not been packed away yet. Thanks for filling me in, Dennis (also kudos to déiridh, and the venerable Aonghus). Dála an scéil, the "koshare" that you mentioned are quite common in this neck of the woods.

an raibh crosán ag Harry Lillis (Mac An Chrosain)?

one of the features of An Crosántacht is the mixture of poetry and prose, amhrán is 'seachrán.'
it flourished in the (minor)bardic schools 13th-17th/18th cent., in the courts...usually a mocking tone...bawdy,vulgar...low-level humour, not 'high' art...w/ dancing,singing, hoping for heavy belly laughs.

prob. the best known example is Seachrán Chearbhaill. others of this 'style' would include the fairytale An Cat is an Luch,
Bimse Fein ag Iascaireacht w/ its sexual overtone, the seemingly innocent kids song, Haigh Didil Dum,and the classic Cuach Mo Lon Dubh Buí.

An Poc ar Buille, freisin

A Wee Fallory Man,

Are you moving far from whare you live now or is it a move to a different house in the same town or city?

Beir bua agus beannacht

Go raibh míle maith agat for asking, a Riona!
Actually, we are moving just a few blocks away from where we live now.

The Good News: We will still be living very close to my favourite neighbourhood "The Student Ghetto"!

The Bad News: There are no Gaeileoirí anywhere around here, alas (nor anywhere in this state as far as I know - sigh).

If all goes well, the days of giving most of my money to landlords will finally be over.

The words to an old song come to mind:
"Fareweel to the landlord and cold tyranny,
The life o' a laird for my lassie and me... "

"Is duine deas é Fearn, agus é ina chodladh" Teistiméireacht mháthair Fhirn sa chúirt an uair deireannach a chuireadh an dlí air.