I am starting to get really confused about a simple saying. I have seen it so many different ways and I need to make sure I have it correct. Mo Anam Cara, Friend of my soul. I have also seen it Anam Mo Cara and M'Anam Cara. Which is correct? What are examples in English for the difference between Mo Anam Cara and M'Anam Cara. This phrase is going to be with me for a very long time and I need to have it correct. If anyone can help me I would appreciate it. Thank you

Randi

For starts, "anamchara" is a compound noun meaning "soul-friend = spiritual advisor" composed of "anam" (soul) + cara (friend), with second element lenited as is usual in compounds in Irish.

my spiritual advisor = m'anamchara -or- mo anamchara, although the first form is generally used

It is frequently (although no less incorrectly) used by jewelers-with-dictionaries to approximate "soul mate," but the definition of the term given by Dennis is correct.

I don't think you'll ever find a "mo" or "do" not ran into a vowel, unless we're talking about the prepositions "de" and "do".

Beidh suim agat sa mhéid a scríobh Tomás de Bhaldraithe faoi seo:

http://www.showhouse.com/uaschama.html

Tá "do athair" (your father) agus a leithéid le feiceáil i dtéacsanna ó ré na Sean-Ghaeilge anuas go dtí an lá inniu.

Thank you very much for responding so quickly. I only have two more questions, why is there a "H" in cara now and just to be certain, M'anamchara is how you would see it written generally. According to Antaine, Mo Anam Cara is a jewelry company just using a dictionary to translate for there jewelry, correct?

Nach féidir "anamchara" a úsáid le "soulmate" a rá, a Dhennis? Chonaic mé sin i bhfoclóir ar líne, ach níl ’s agam an bhfuil sé ceart (agus go háiríd, an úsáideann an pobal é!)

Is núáil í an úsáid sin, ar feadh m'eolais. Déarfadh a lán daoine a bhfuil dea-Ghaeilge acu gur meancóg í.

Randimac: m'anamchara is correct, but again, just to be clear: it does not mean "soulmate" in a romantic sense, although it has been popularly misinterpreted that way of late (which is what Antaine meant about jewellers).

Unless you know some Irish, it would be hard to explain the 'h' to you.

Sin a' rud a shíl mé. Ach cad é mar a déarfá soulmate ansin?

Ón bhfocalóir Gaoidhilge Sax Bhéarla (1768):

Anamchara - Bosom friend, penitentiary.

Bheadh orm léamh mór chun an eolais eile faoi "soulmate" a ghabháil.

quote:

Ach cad é mar a déarfá soulmate ansin?

Céard faoi:

mo shíorghrá

m'fhíorghrá

leathbhreac m'anama

leathbhreac? Sin "a half trout" ? ;-)

céard faoi "sonuachar" ?
that's been offered before ... I believe it's along the lines of "true spouse"