I am surprized that this being Valentine's Day this forum isn't full of Valentine's Day requests and posts...

I am curious, what are some of the Irish terms of endearment? I can find on the web and in the books different phrases and stuff, what I a would like to know is what are some of the words and phrases people here may actually use with their other, or if they had others would like to use with them?

I recently got to see Turas Teanga, and I saw the episode of that that fake reality TV show where the two ladies are talking about love in different languages. I thought the nun brings up a very good point. That it doesn't matter what the language is, it is how you say it that matters ;0)

Also, I am curious if there is a good word for "tease" in Irish? Not the verb "to tease" but what you might call a very flirty person? There is a girl from Dublin at my university who has a very "flirty" nature to her and I am always calling her tease. I can't really find a word for it anywhere, however, I have come across the word "cliúsaí" but I haven't been brave enough to use it with her because I do not know if it is nagetive term or not???

I am assuming it is, but how negative is it?

The wrong word even in a playful manner can be a dangerous thing, especially if she's Irish as I have come to find the hard way...;0)

"I am surprized that this being Valentine's Day this forum isn't full of Valentine's Day requests and posts... "

Well, I ain't been feeling the love here for quite some time; then again, when nuns are dispensing luuv advice, one might just want to go elsewhere!

A Do_chinniúint, by coincidence, I had just copied "Lá Naomh Valentín shona daoibh go léir" from another forum when you posted here. I am using the phrase on a card to give to my wife after work. Valentine's Day for me means that I can now start decorating and planning for St. Patrick's Day!

I hope you find the way to approach the girl you talked about and the answers you are looking for.

Maidhc

I am surprized that this being Valentine's Day this forum isn't full of Valentine's Day requests and posts.

Valentine not being one of the popular saints, I don't expect there'll be a lot of call for greetings/blessings on this, his feastday.

Here in the U.S. his day has been besmirched/co-opted by a commercial holiday in much the same way poor St. Patrick's feastday is now synonymous with green beer. But even worse than that, people in North American have taken to leaving the "Saint" off poor Valentine -- what's next, posthumous excommunication? What an ungrateful lot modern man is.

Lá (firinscneach)...SONA daoibh go léir.

quote:

"Lá Naomh Valentín shona daoibh go léir"

Sea, tá "lá" firinscneach. Agus tugtar "Lá Fhéile Vailintín" air. (Tá súil agam nár scríobh tú an cárta fós, a Mhaidhc!)

quote:

I am curious, what are some of the Irish terms of endearment?

Tabhair súil ar "Focail Mhuirneacha - Terms of Endearment" faoi "Features" ag:

http://w3.lincolnu.edu/~focal/

Ní scríobh mé an cárta fós, a chairde! Go raibh maith agaibh. Anyway, I decided to write: Happy St. Valentine's Day in English. It's enough to make me stick with English when even those with more expertise on these forums disagree about how to write something in Irish.

Le meas,

Maidhc

Bíonn an ceart ag Dennis.

P.S. Níor scríobh. Ní scríobhaim, ní scríobhfaidh mé.

(Message edited by Séamas_Ó_neachtain on February 14, 2007)

quote:

I had just copied [...] from another forum...
... even those with more expertise on these forums disagree

Ná habair go dtaithíonn tú fóraim eile, a Mhaidhc! Nach bhfuil a fhios agat gur mór an peaca é sin? Is muidne an t-aon fhíor-fhóram ceartchreidmheach. Is eagal liom go mbeidh ort peannaid nach beag a dhéanamh.

I regularly follow Gaeilge-L, Gaeilge-B, gaeilictranslator, this site, and a half dozen others. I am amazed at how many different people state slightly different ways in which Irish should be written when talking about the same concept, such as how to say something as minute as "Happy St. Valentine's Day." The posts usually evolve into discussions such as we see here. My readings on the development of the Irish language over the last one hundered years indicate that these issues are ongoing. This is most likely true of all languages that evolve as new users come into the fold. I have not yet finished reading the collection of essays in "Who Needs Irish?," which came in out in 2004, but I am enjoying what the writers have to say concerning the state of Irish in these times.

Mike

Cad? Cá bhfuil mo Ghaeilge? Tá sé anseo. Sin é go fóill. Le meas, Maidhc.

1. There is always more than one way to say anything.
2. Dialect differences account for some grammatical differences. Ignorance accounts for most...no shame in that, just a learning opportunity.
3. I would say most things *devolve* into fussing over gramatical trivialities...
4. Because one thing is better, it doesn't *necessarily* mean the other thing is bad.
5. The web is notorious for a lot of incorrect Irish. Some of it is mine...
6. If in doubt, go with what Dennis says!

Beir bua,

Séamas

moladh eile ar fad....

http://aonghus.blogspot.com/2007/02/l-le-vailintn.html

Aontaím leatsa, a Shéamais. Scríobh tusa: 6. If in doubt, go with what Dennis says! Agus Aonghus freisin. Based on what I have seen across the great web divide, I follow the rule number 6, with the addition of a few other people, some of whom do not participate in these forums. Number 5 on your list definitely includes me as well. But then, I was not disagreeing with Dennis; I was only discussing what we all have witnessed.

I would like to see more content created at this site with more examples. I was hoping that the original post above was going to result in that. When I am in a "language is dying" mood, I lament that there are relatively few postings in the Irish Only section on this forum for us to analyze for learning. I often feel as if I am in room here where my parents over hear me say something and have this great need to correct what is said and yet they are sitting nearby in silence without giving me anything to listen in on.

That said, I am grateful for when the Irish is written about anything here so I can chew over it for a piece.
From time to time, I like to select the A-Z list at Pota Focal to review examples in usage. I do this with hard copy dictionaries too.

Le meas,

Maidhc

"Lá Naomh Valentin shona daoibh go leir" ? Do you have more than one wife?

Do you have more than one wife? An ghreannmhar!

Conas deirtear "Do you have more than one friend/wife/etc. as Gaeilge, le bhur dtoil.?

A Lucy,

Go raibh maith agat. Tá mé ag gáire. Scríobh mé "dhuit" agus leath a gháire uirthi. Scríobh mé i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla. "Happy St. Valentine's Day," arsa mise i mBéarla. Níl Gaeilge aici.

Le meas,

Maidhc

'Buachaill ón Éirne' tú, a Mhicheal? ... 'ag imirt is ag ól le hógmhná deasa fá shliabh...'

hm, I simply refer to it as "Singles Awareness Day" and wear a black ribbon on my lapel.

;-)

Is maith liom Buachaill ón Éirne! http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/8998/buachaill.html


D'fhéachaint ar an teilifís faoin "Singles Awareness Day" inniu. It is a movement gaining momentum in this country. Should we say Happy Anti-St. Valentine's Day?

Maidhc

Conas deirtear "Do you have more than one friend/wife/etc. as Gaeilge, le bhur dtoil.?

"An bhfuil mná agat seachas bean?" -- "Do you have 'wives' instead of 'a wife'?"

With this particular noun the singular and plural are so different that it makes the one/more-than-one distinction blindingly clear. You don't need to say it in so many words.


In general, probably
"Cé mhéid ban (capall, cairde, srl.) atá agat?" -- "How many wives do you have?"

Or if I really needed to know whether it was "one" or "more than one" (for a tax form or something?!) then perhaps
"An bhfuil níos mó ná bean amháin agat?" -- "Do you have more than one wife?"
But that sounds a bit forced (to me, anyway) and it's not what I'd think to use in a normal conversation.

Abigail

a Chionaoidh, a stór,
cad é do bharúil dá ndéanaimis seo...."Lá Fhéile hAonghuis Óg" in áit Vailintín?


dennis a rún,
an bhfuil fios agat an t-amhrán "mo vailintín" (sean monaghan)? cajun celtic, nach bhfuil?


agus...."an bhfaca tú mo vailintín
nó an bhfuil sí á cloí mar 'táim?

do chonaic mé do vailintín agus......?"


frc

quote:

dennis a rún,

Jerry, a chroí,

quote:

an bhfuil fios agat an t-amhrán "mo vailintín" (sean monaghan)? cajun celtic, nach bhfuil?

Tá sé agam ar an DD Ag an gCóisir: Réalta 2001 Is breá liom ceol Cajun! GRMA as é a lua -- tá mé ag éisteacht leis anois díreach a bhuí leatsa.

Scríobh Abigail: Or if I really needed to know whether it was "one" or "more than one" (for a tax form or something?!) then perhaps
"An bhfuil níos mó ná bean amháin agat?" -- "Do you have more than one wife?"

That's what I was looking for, how to say more than one "níos mó ná (fill in the blank) amháin" - go raibh céad míle maith agat, a Abigail.

I knew that one can get a larger tax deduction for having more than one child, but I didn't know one could get a bigger deduction for having more than one wife - that kind of information could come in handy some day!

quote:

I have come across the word "cliúsaí" but I haven't been brave enough to use it with her because I do not know if it is nagetive term or not???

I don't think I've ever come across the word in action. I think it's mainly supposed to refer to a man. A word you might use, in good fun agus le meangadh mór gáire, is "raiteog", which means a "tart, hussy, flirty woman".

(Message edited by dennis on February 14, 2007)

But my point is that I normally wouldn't say "more than one" in Irish at all - it sounds cumbersome and awkward. I would only say that if for some reason that was precisely the question I needed to ask. To raise a general did-you-mean-singular-or-plural? question I wouldn't bother with anything that awkward. "Cé mhéid" is a much easier, more straightforward way of making the same point.

Then again, I'm not fluent and my ear for what sounds natural and what sounds awkward is not always reliable. If this is for a tattoo, you really should get a second opinion. :)

quote:

"níos mó ná (fill in the blank) amháin"

And if you're starting out with a lot and adding to it, you might also say "tuilleadh agus ____" :

Tá tuilleadh agus dhá mhíle ainm againn anois.

If this is for a tattoo, you really should get a second opinion. :)

Thre are two things I cannot even think of ever happening to me: 1. Being called late for dinner, and 2: Getting a tatoo. Furthermore, if I ever did get a tattoo, I don't think it would be "Do you have more than one wife?" :)))

But I appreciate your re-iteration that you wouldn't say "more than one" in Irish at all. I think though that there would be times when "more than one" would be needed, as in this once-famous jingle:

“Schaefer Is the One Beer to Have When You’re Having More Than One”

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/schaefer_is_the_one_beer _to_have_when_youre_having_more_than_one_schaefer_b/

Sure and I think most singles are very aware of the fact of their singleness, especially on this day.

:)

Beir bua agus beannacht

"Cé mhéid ban -"How many wives do you have?"

I would just like to take the oppertunity to extend a warm 'fáilte' to all the Saudi visitors to this site, of whom I know there are many.

Did you know.......

that St Valentine's bones are held in a shrine in Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin

Is maith an rud é nach bhfuil breis agus bean amháin ag Mícheál. Bean amháin, sin a dhóthain d'aon fhear, i mo thuairim!
Lá Feasachta an Aonaráin? Singles' Awareness Day? Sea, is cuimhin liom sin, agus tuigim do chás. Tiocfaidh do lá. Bíodh misneach agat. Agus nuair a bheidh céile agat, bíodh misneach fós agat!

Scríobh Suaimhneas: Did you know....... that St Valentine's bones are held in a shrine in Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin

Looks like the friars at the Church of Blessed St John Duns Scotus in Glasgow, Scotland think otherwise.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/279285.stm

As far as I can see, neither house claims to have all the relics.

As far as I can see, neither house claims to have all the relics.

I wonder if anyone has done a cross check on parts. That is, are there any duplicate parts, say like the neck bone? If so, we're talking Controversy City.

Thanks Dennis...

I think "raiteog" sounds more playful than "cliúsaí." The second just didn't sit right with me...it looks and sounds like an artificial word for lack of better explaining. Like a word that doesn't really fit.

I will run it by her and see how it goes...she is actually a very funny person. She swears up and down that she doesn't speak a word of Irish and hated learning it in school, but she is the first person to correct me when I am say something incorrectly, and although she denies it I think I might have heard the "underground Irish" as she calls it slip out of her mouth a time or two ;0)