I have modernised the spelling and put it at http://www.corkirish.com/wordpress/archives/1481 . It is from his Seanmóin is Trí Fichid.

You may be thinking, "why a New Year's Day sermon?" But the beginning of the year was traditionally Lady-day (March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation), and January 1st was not the New Year. January 1st was the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ. [Ouch!] So that is addressed in the sermon!

I have 2 queries on the sermon:

1. Ansan d’fhéadfadh duine a dh’fhiafraí dhe féin cad é an brí, nó cad é an bun, a bhí ag ár Slánaitheoir le teacht ar an saol so chomh dealbh, chomh suarach cóir, chomh gearrtha amach ón saibhreas saolta so ina mbíonn oiread san dúil ag daoine ann.

What is "suarach cóir"? Does cóir here mean "provisions"? Insignificantly attired and provided for?

2. Is bocht an scéal é, a Chríostaithe, má théann obair ár Slanaitheora in aistear uainn.

Why uainn? "Because of us? through our own actions?"

I think the whole sentence more-or-less means, "It would be a bad job, Christians, if the Saviour's work is lost on us."as in "if the Saviour's work is all in vain".

"Turas in aistear" means something done in vain.

"má théann obair ár Slanaitheora in aistear uainn." literally means "if the Saviour's work goes on a journey from us."

Correct me someone if I'm wrong.

cóir can mean preparations and provisions: so I th ink that here "ill provisioned" is meant.

Dinneen lists i n-aistear as in vain.

quote:

chomh suarach cóir

Why not consider "so lowly (but) honest"? "so poor [but/and] honest"

Among the meanings for "suarach" in Ó Dónaill are "of little consequence" and "wretched".

Franz Fanon did not disparage the poor by referring to "The Wretched of the Earth". I am sure an tAthair Peadar is reassuring those in his congregation whom he knew to be poor and honest.

It is customary in Irish not to use a conjunction between two adjectives: "Tá sé lúfar láidir" not "lúfar agus láidir".

Is fíor sin nuair atá na haidiachtaí ag tacú le chéile, ach n'fheadar faoi tátal atá tú ag baint as.

Ní bheadh aon cheist faoi cóire Mhic Dé ag an tAthair Peadar ná ag a a lucht éisteacha.

Here is the passage that the sermon refers to:

San am sin d’imigh na haoirí anonn go Beithil go deifreach, agus fuair siad Muire agus Iósaef, agus an naíonán ina luí sa mhainséar. Agus ar a fheiceáil dóibh, d’inis siad an ní a dúradh leo mar gheall ar an leanbh seo. Agus cách a chuala, b’ionadh leo na nithe a dúirt na haoirí leo. Agus thaiscigh Muire ina cuimhne na nithe seo uile, ag machnamh orthu ina croí. Agus chuaigh na haoirí ar ais ag glóiriú agus ag moladh Dé faoinar chuala siad agus a bhfaca siad, de réir mar a bhí ráite leo.

Nuair a bhí ocht lá caite agus é le timpeallghearradh, tugadh Íosa mar ainm air, mar
a thug an t-aingeal air sular gabhadh sa bhroinn é.

quote:

Ansan d’fhéadfadh duine a dh’fhiafraí dhe féin cad é an brí, nó cad é an bun, a bhí ag ár Slánaitheoir le teacht ar an saol so chomh dealbh, chomh suarach cóir, chomh gearrtha amach ón saibhreas saolta so ina mbíonn oiread san dúil ag daoine ann.

Tá trí cinn de cháilíochtaí luaite ag an Athair Peadar leis an leanbh Íosa: é bheith "dealbh" (bocht, é bheith "suarach cóir", agus é bheith "gearrtha amach ón saibhreas".

Is dóigh liom go mbaineann an focal "cóir" an ghoimh as an bhfocal "suarach". Muna mbeadh ann ach an focal "suarach" féin bheadh sé droch-mheasúil.

Tharlódh gur nath calcaithe ab ea "suarach cóir" agus é coitianta sa Ghaeilge agus sa Bhéarla, "poor but honest".

D'fhéadfaí smaoineamh ar nath eile a chiallaíonn "almost" -- cóir a bheith ?? de chomhair a bheith?? Ní úsáidfinn féin é (i.e. níl sé ar eolas go maith agam) ach dá bhféadfaí é sin a shamhlú anseo bhainfeadh sé an ghoimh as an bhfocal "suarach" chomh maith céanna.

Suarach cóir - well adjectives can be concatenated in Irish, but cóir can be a noun too, and the adjective can govern the noun in a way that I caused a rumpus once for describing as "accusative".

Eg:

ba ghéire caint: the most quickwitted with respect to speech
ba threise aigne: the strongest with respect to the mind
is áirde clú: the highest with respect to fame

The trouble is these are normally comparatives, but it seemed to me that "chomh suarach cóir" might be a similar usage (so insignificant in terms of provisions/material conditions), as it would be odd for PUL to be describing the baby Jesus as honest. Yes, I think Christians would say Jesus was honest, but still it sounds odd in context...

What of "just"?

quote:

What is "suarach cóir"? Does cóir here mean "provisions"? Insignificantly attired and provided for?

"so poorly provisioned"

quote:

2. Is bocht an scéal é, a Chríostaithe, má théann obair ár Slanaitheora in aistear uainn.

Why uainn? "Because of us? through our own actions?"

Literally, "from us". You will find "in aistear" instead of "in aisce" in a number of texts and in speech. "Aistear" in this phrase "in aistear" probably emerged out of confusion with "in aisce" under the t replacing c (and vice versa) rule, found throughout Gaeldom. "If the Saviour's work be lost upon us/go to waste from us"

I am learning. I knew the word "cóir" from "iascairí na Gaillimhe ag teacht anoir le cóir" in the song Peigín Leitir Móir where it means "a favourable wind" but "suarach cóir = so poorly provisioned" adds to my knowledge.

Regarding "t" replacing "c" I heard "stian" for "scian" in Cill Ghallagáin, Iorras, and thought it a particular feature of the speaker's speech.

Go raibh maith agaibh.

Taidhgín, this is the entry for cóir in my dictionary of Cork Irish as re-edited today:

cóir, f. (gs. córach/córa, npl. córacha) (ko:rʹ, ko:rəxə)

1. proper provision. Cóir do chur ar dhuine, to provide for someone: do cuireadh gach aon chóir orm, they treated me very well [PUL1915]. Cóir bídh agus dí a chur ar dhuine, to provide someone with food and drink. Tá cóir mhaith air, he is well-off. Suarach cóir, poorly provisioned.

2. proper equipment. Is cóir orm chun siúil, I am ready, equipped to walk. Tá cóir orm chun, I am ready for (something). Gach aon chóir a bhí riachtanach chun gach díobhála d’ár dhein na Lochlanaigh do leigheas, everything needed to put right all the destruction of the Vikings [PUL1907]. Dá mbéadh na h-airm acu, agus an chóir ortha, agus an stiúrughadh ceart ortha, dhéanfaidís obair a bhainfeadh cuid de'n mhóráil de'n "Times", had they had the arms and the proper equipment and proper direction, they would have achieved something that would have robbed The Times of some of its pride [PUL1915].

Cóir iompair, means of transport: do ghluais an Legáid agus Colla agus an gabha, chómh tiugh agus d’fhéadadar cóir iompair a dh’fhághail, the Legate, Colla and the blacksmith set out, as soon they were able to get transport for the journey [PUL1907].

3. a favourable wind. Do bhí cóir againn, we had a fair wind (while sailing).

4. right, justice. Déanfad cóir duit, I will do right by you. Cóir nó éagóir, right or wrong.

(Message edited by corkirish on January 03, 2011)

Cóir as an adjective is listed as follows:

cóir, adj. (comp. córa~córtaisí, pl córa) (ko:rʹ, ko:rə~ko:rtiʃi:) right, just, proper.

A dhuine chóir, my good sir!

Is cóir duit, you ought to, you should. Often conditional: ba chóir duit, you ought to. Is cóir go, there ought to: ba chóir go mbeadh áthas ar Cháitlín, Cáitlín ought to be delighted/ought to have been delighted; ba chóir go mbeadh ciall agat, don’t be so silly! Ba chóir go, one would have thought that: agus gur chóir go mbéadh 'fhios ag aoinne go mbéadh aon chiall aige gur b'usa go mór rud a ghlacadh do ghlan mheabhair nuair a tuigtear é 'ná sar a dtuigtear é, and you would have thought that anyone with any sense would realise that it is much easier to learn something by heart when it has been understood than before it has been understood [PUL1915].

Mar is cóir, properly.

Cóir cam díreach, doing your level best to do something, at all costs, whether right or wrong: cheap sé, cóir cam díreach, Séadna do thabhairt leis anuas ar chúl cinn agus é phósadh, láithreach bonn baill, le Sadhbh, he intended to do his best to bring Séadna by the scruff of his neck and marry him on the spot to Sadhbh [PUL1904].

Corkirish, thank you for that. Your work is hugely impressive and I compliment you on it. I hope you succeed in your objectives.

Two examples from the Christian Brothers on the same lines as "chomh suarach cóir":

níl sé chomh mór sin eolas; chomh brúite aigne leis (9.6)

quote:

Cóir cam díreach, doing your level best to do something, at all costs, whether right or wrong: cheap sé, cóir cam díreach, Séadna do thabhairt leis anuas ar chúl cinn agus é phósadh, láithreach bonn baill, le Sadhbh, he intended to do his best to bring Séadna by the scruff of his neck and marry him on the spot to Sadhbh [PUL1904].

cóir máireach - another way of saying the same thing