Hmmm...

What is the difference between "bealach" and "bóthar"?

I know they both mean road, but are there rules to their uses? Or are they just two words that mean road and can be used interchangeably?

"Bóthar" (which originally mean a cow road) is generally the most complete match to English "road". "Bealach" often translates better as "way", including various less concrete/more conceptually abstract uses.

I was always told that "slí" should be used for way?

I hate words like bealach because when I go to look them up I feel like I am on a wild goose chase.

If you look up road you get "bealach, bóthar"...but when you look up bealach you get "channel (television), way, path, road."

Usually, the further down the list the further from the actual meaning.



(Message edited by do_chinniúint on April 01, 2007)

"Slí" (which orignally meant a path cut through a forest) can also mean "way", including quite abstract applications. Don't expect a one-to-one mapping of English vocabulary onto Irish and vice versa.

GRMA A Dennis...

In truth, I have come to expect very little in the way one to one translations...where I get into trouble is when I run into two or more word that appear to mean the same thing but don't.

For instance, bóthar seems to be one of the first words that most people learn these days. And I know it is the word for "road," however, I come across words like bealach where it is being used in an abstract way like "An Bealach Mór." So when I looked it up the first thing I see is:

bealach (pl bealaí) nm1 road, thoroughfare, pathway, way, (of bus) route, (TV) channel....

So my first impression is that bealach means something along the lines of "road, path, way." But looking at this enty in the dictionary my first guess would be that bealach means "road."

Which then leads me to a whole series of thoughts:

1. There is more than one word for road.
2. This might be another dialect thing.
3. There might be some historical importance.
4. This might be a word with specific uses.

I know...I am a nerd and I am thinking too deep in such things, it is a character flaw and I am working on it :0)

"Way" is one of these words in English which has 101 similarities As Gaeilge..

Nós, slí, bealach, treo &rl..