I come from Denmark please excuse my English.
I am waiting for an "Irish softcoated wheaten terrier", a female puppy. I want to give her a beautyfull irish name, and after severel hours seaching the web, i found the name "Alma" witch meens "all good" and i very much like sound and meaning.
However this litter has to start their names with the letter B...
I then thought maybe just "Being Alma" or something like "Bébhinn Alma" meaning "Fair lady Alma".
And here I need some help: Another name could be "Little flower who/witch is all good" "Bláthín ???? Alma".
I hope someone can help me with this difficult but lovely language.

Hi Joan

I don't think Alma is a name of Irish origin, although it is in use in Ireland. My understanding that it is of Latin origin and means nourishing.

The Latin term Alma Mater is used by grduates to describe their University (their Nourishing Mother)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_mater

Hi Joan

I don't think Alma is a name of Irish origin, although it is in use in Ireland. My understanding that it is of Latin origin and means nourishing.

The Latin term Alma Mater is used by grduates to describe their University (their Nourishing Mother)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_mater

Hi Suaimhneas
Thank you for answering my question...

I have found the name on "irelandseye.com" under firstnames. here is a copy/paste

Irish First Names

Alma (f) 'all good'.
An early Irish name; but its modern usage can be traced to diverse origins - it is the feminine of Latin almus, 'loving' or 'good' and as such, it is applied to the Blessed Virgin. St Alma, the mother of St Tudwal, may derive her name from this source. Alma, as used by Spenser in The Faerie Queene (1590/6), comes from the Italian meaning 'soul', though Spenser may have heard the Irish name during his stay in Ireland. In later times, Alma was used in England after the Battle of Alma (1854) in the battle was fought, may have been Celtic in origin.


Perhaps you can help me with the words "who/witch is"
Bláthín......Alma

Alma doesn't mean "all good" at least in Modern Irish (dunno about Old Irish).
So it cannot be used in phrases as "which is all good"
If you like this name (Irish or not) and want to use it, just put it in apposition to "bláithín":
Bláithín Alma. (bláithín, not bláthín)

BTW: There are much better sites about Irish given names (i.e. names in the Irish language) on the web than irelandseye.com.

Lars

quote:

(dunno about Old Irish)

There is the word "alma" in Old Irish, but it means "herd". It's not very common, but it is found in the Táin, where Cú Chulainn says:

"Imdíusa Mag Murthemne uile noco mberthar uaimse êit nâ alma ass manip aúrderg limsa." (Lebor na hUidre 5028-9)

"I will protect all Mag Muirthemne so that neither flock nor herd shall be taken away without my knowing."