Gaelic (Irish) Language help

This Might Help - its simple and basic, but its free and its online.

Thank you, Timber. I'm glad we could be agreeable on at least this subject.

I'm rarely other than agreeable. Being not in agreement with a proposition does not entail that one express one's objections in disagreeable manner.

Agree to disagree, is the way to do it.

Hey pachelbel, I'm from Ireland and I can speak irish. Any help just ask me. :wink:

Hey Yoss83,

Thank you! I'm an Irish citizen as well as my grandfather was born in Ballyporeen. I've been to Eire 3 times, but never long enough to learn Gaelic. It's a very difficult language, I think. I've learned French but can't seem to get the hang of Gaelic. All I know is 'slan' and possibly 'me gra tu' which I'm not sure the meaning is.....how do you say 'good morning' for starters? And 'thank you'?

Haven't been to Eire since 1991. I guess it's changed a lot since then. I hope with all the affluence there, Ireland keeps that charm. I'm amazed at the prices of homes there!

Wicklow is a beautiful area. You're lucky to live there.

Good morning - Dia duit ar maidin (dee-ah ditch air modge-in) (literally God be with you this morning.)


Thank you - Go raibh maith agat. (guh rev moh a-gut)

I think this is meant to be 'Ta me in gra leat' (Taw may in graw lath) = 'I love you'.

Thanks Yoss83,

whoa, I think I'll need to take a class in Gaelic. It's quite a difficult language. Is Gaelic part of the curriculum in schools in Eire now?

How about counting from 1-10 in Gaelic? I don't want to wear you out, though! Appreciate your taking your time.

You learn gaelic in school from when you first start. That means most Irish people will have studied Irish (as it's known here) from the age of 4 until they finish school at about 18.

The numbers can be a bit tricky as the words change when you are counting objects. Here are the cardinal numbers. I don't want to confuse you by giving you too much at once!

0 náid (gnaw-dge)
1 aon (ain as in pain)
2 dó (doe)
3 trí (treee)
4 cathair (ca-her )
5 cúig (coo-ig)
6 sé (sha as in shade)
7 séacht (shocked)
8 ocht (oct as in octave)
9 naoi (nay as in knave)
10 deich (dea as in death)

When counting you need to say 'a' (pronounced 'uh') in front of each number. You say 'a dó', 'a trí' etc. However, you don't say 'a aon' for 1 but 'a haon' pronounced hay-n and 'a hocht' for 8 pronounced hocked.

:wink:

ok.....this should keep me busy for quite some time! So, tis known as Irish and not Gaelic. I'm glad the old language is coming back, and the culture has not been lost. It is something to treasure.

One more question: I have a plaque that says "Cead Mile Failte' with accents over the 'e' in Cead; the 'i' in Mile and the 'a' in Failte. I think it means One Hundred Thousand Welcomes? At least that's what I tell people.

Erin Go Bragh!

Yep a hundred thousand welcome's. Cead is a hundred. Mile is a thousand and failte is welcome. The accents over the letters are known as "fada's". Pronounced fod as in 'rod' and ah as in 'dad'.

Thanks, Yoss. Fada's, eh?
So, how would you pronounce Cead Mile Failte?
I don't think you want to hear my version!

Cead- as in decayed
Mile- meal-eh
Failte- fall-cha (as in challenge)

Basically, when there is a fada on 'i', the sound changes to 'eee'. With a fada on the 'e', the sound changes to ey as in hey.

Sorry to burst your bubble...

I'm in love with you is...

Tá mé i ngra leat... or... Táim i ngra leat..

The 'n' is úru and very necessary...

Wicklow? I just about live in Dublin near the 'border' of the garden of Ireland..

Ba mhaith liom dul go dtí an leithreas!
Phonically - Buh - wha.. - lum - dull - guh - dee - on - leh - rass..

I would like to go the the toilet!

hate to burst your bubble, mate, but I didn't ask Yoss what 'I'm in love with you' was in Irish - I asked what "I love you" was. Bit of a difference there.

Hope you made it to the toilet without an accident