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Pronunciation Key for Gaelic (Irish) It is important not to let the pronunciation of words written in Irish Gaelic get in the way of your enjoyment of the literature and of the sounds of poetry. While one can become lost in the study of grammar, more immediate progress can be made by observing the following rules and general trends. Check 'good luck' translations into Scottish Gaelic. Look through examples of good luck translation in sentences, listen to pronunciation and learn grammar.
Welcome to Spike & Jamie's Irish Recipe Collection. Wonderful recipes from the Emerald Isle. Recipes for St. Patrick's Day and everyday!!
While most people choose to drink an Irish beer like Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, wine drinkers need not be left out of the celebratory fun. Wine lovers can pull a favorite bottle of white or red from their wine racks and offer up their favorite Gaelic toast. Sláinte!
Gaelic Toasts, Blessings & Greetings |
Sláinte Gaelach - An Irish Toast
Sláinte!
'To Your Health!'
Céad Míle Fáilte!
'One hundred thousand welcomes!'
Slainte go saol agat,
Bean ar do mhian agat.
Leanbh gach blian agat,
is solas na bhflaitheas tareis antsail seo agat.
(roughly pronounced: Slancha ga sheil agat
Ban ir da vian agat
Toluv gan kis agat
Lanov gach blean agat
Iss solas na vlahas taraish antail sha agat.)
'Health for life to you,
A wife of your choice to you,
Land without rent to you,
A child every year to you,
And the light of heaven after this world for you.'
Ni he la na gaofar la na scoilb.
'Don't make hay on a windy day'.
Croi follain agus gob fliuch.
'A healthy heart and a wet mouth!'
Go maire sibh bhur saol nua.
'May you enjoy your new life.'
Go raibh tú daibhir i mí-áidh
Agus saibhir i mbeannachtaí
Go mall ag déanamh namhaid, go luath a déanamh carad,
Ach saibhir nó daibhir, go mall nó go luath,
Nach raibh ach áthas agat
Ón lá seo amach.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
Slow to make enemies,
quick to make friends,
But rich or poor, quick or slow,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
Sliocht sleachta ar shliocht bhur sleachta.
'Blessings on your posterity.'
Fad saol agat.
'Long life to you.'
Fad saol agat, gob fliuch, agus bás in Eirinn.
'Long life to you, a wet mouth, and death in Ireland.'
Sláinte agus táinte.
'Health and wealth!'
Sláinte chuig na fír, agus go mairfidh na mna go deo.
'Health to the men and may the women live forever.'
Croí follain agus gob fliuch.
'A healthy heart and a wet mouth!'
If you cheat, may you cheat death.
If you steal, may you steal a woman's heart.
If you fight, may you fight for a brother.
And if you drink, may you drink with me.
Seo sláinte an tséitéara, an ghadaí, an trodaí, agus an óltóra!
Má dhéanann tu séitéireacht, go ndéana tú séitéireacht ar an mbás,
Má ghoideann tú, go ngoide tú croí mná;
Má throideann tú, go dtroide tú i leith do bhráthar,
Agus má ólann tú, go n-óla tú liom féin.
Fad saol agat, gob fliuch, agus bas in Eirinn.
'Long life to you, a wet mouth, and death in Ireland.'
Slainte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mna go deo.
'Health to the men and may the women live forever.'
Go n-eiri an t-adh leat.
'Good luck.'
May those who love us,
Love us.
And those who do not love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.
Go bhfana í ngrá linn,
Iad siúd atá í ngrá linn.
Iad siúd nach bhfuil,
Go gcasa Dia a gcroíthe.
Agus muna gcasann Sé a gcroíthe
Go gcasa Sé caol na coise acu
Go n-aithneoimid iad as a mbacadaíl.
Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo aris!
'May we be alive at this time next year.'
Beannachtam na Femle Padraig
'Happy St. Patrick's Day!'
Nollaig shona duit!
'Happy Christmas!'
Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo arís!
'May we be alive at this time next year.'
Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit!
'A prosperous New Year!'
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig
'Happy St. Patrick's Day!'
May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head.
be always strong.
May you be in heaven
a half hour before
the devil knows you're dead.
Go raibh do ghloine lán go deo.
Go raibh láidir go breá
an dion thar do cheann.
Go raibh tú í Neamh,
leathúair os comhair
a bhfuil a fhíos ag an diabhal
atá tú bás.
Sliocht sleachta ar shliocht bhur sleachta.
'Blessings on your posterity.'
Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit!
'A prosperous New Year
Here's to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking.
(Here's to the health of the cheater, the thief, the fighter, and the drinker!)
Greetings & RepliesMany different greetings are used in Ireland depending on the occasion, and the part of Ireland where the Irish is spoken. In the following examples the greeting is listed first, and then the appropriate reply is listed underneath. A literal translation is given on the right hand side.
Dia duit...........................God to you.
Dia is Muire duit..................God and Mary to you. (reply)
Go mbeannaí Dia duit.......................May God bless you.
Go mbeannaí Dia is Muire duit..............May God and Mary bless you.Bail ó Dhia ort.....................The blessing of God on you.
Bail ó Dhia is Mhuire duit................The blessing of God and Mary on you.
Cad é mar a tá tú ?....................How are you? (Tír Chonaill)Cén chaoi 'bhfuil tú ?....................How are you? (Connacht)
Conas atá tú ?..........................How are you? (Momhan)
Tá mé go maith..........................I'm doing well.
Slán leat............................Good Bye (said to the person leaving)
Slán agat...............................Good Bye (said to the one remaining)
For the following greetings,'Gurab amhlaidh duit' (meaning 'The same to you!') is a common reply:
Oíche mhaith (duit).....................Good night
Codladh sámh (duit).....................A pleasant sleep
Nollaig shona duit......................Happy Christmas!
Irish Proverbs (Seanfhocal)
Some of the best and most culturally rich Irish is to be found in the old Irish proverbs. You may see an Irish mother working on a cross-stitch with one of these, decorated with Celtic knotwork; or hear your good Irish priest admonish the youngsters with a finely turned Gaelic proverb--they can be very useful...
Níl aon tintéan mar do thintéan féin.
There's no place like home.
Scileann fíon fírinne.
Wine lets out the truth.
Is fear rith maith ná drochsheasamh.
A good run is better than a bad stand.
Fillean meal ar an meallaire.
Evil returns to the evil doer.
Aithníonn cíaróg cíaróg eile.
One beetle recognizes another beetle.
Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb.
A windy day is not the day to be fixing your thatch (roof).
Ná bac le mac an bhacaigh is ní bacfaidh mac an bhacaigh leat.
Don't bother with the beggar's son, and he won't bother with you.
Nuair atá an cat amuigh bíonn na luch ag damhsa.
When the cat is away, the mice will play.
Meallan muilte Dé go mall ach meallan siad go mion.
God's mill may grind slowly, but it grinds finely.
Irish Curses!
I include these here out of a sense of fun and linguistic interest: Curses, of course, should never be used lightly. Ask around your local parish and I'm sure you'll find more!
Imeacht gan teacht ort.
May you leave without returning.
Titim gan éirí ort.
May you fall without rising.
Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat.
May the cat eat you, and may the cat be eaten by the devil.
Sweet Nothings
The following are the terms that are most commonly used when talking to your loved ones, which can mean a child or parent, good friend of lover. They are even more common in letters. These are really lovely--some of them have a nice palpitating, passionate sound (and you should definately use these with caution too!)
A rún! (uh ROON) lit., O love!
A ghrá! (uh GHRAW) lit., O love!
A chumann! (uh KHU-muhn) lit., O affection!
A mhuirnín! (uh WOOR-neen) lit., O sweetheart!
A chroí! (uh KHREE) lit., O heart!
A chuisle! (uh KHWISH-luh) lit., O pulse!
A stór! (uh STOHR) lit., O treasure!
A thaisce! (uh HASH-kyuh) lit., O treasure!
A chiste! (uh HISH-chuh) lit., O treasure chest!
These terms of endearment can be used as is, or in various combinations or extended forms when you REALLY want to get mushy !!
A rún mo chroí! (O love of my heart!)
A chuisle mo chroí! (O pulse of my heart!)
A chiste is a stór! (O treasure chest and treasure!)
A mhuirnín dílis! (O true sweetheart!)
Irish Blessings
Céad míle beannachta.
One hundred thousand blessings.
Go n'éirí leat
May your luck be rising
Go dtaga do ríocht
May thy kingdom come.
Nár laga Dia do lámh
May God not weaken your hand.
Gura slán an scéalai
May the bearer of the news be safe.
Nollaig faoi she/an is faoi mhaise duit
A prosperous and pleasant Christmas
Sla/inte chugat
Good health to you
Fearthain don lao agus grian don tsearrach;
uisce don gé agus déirc don bhacach.
Rain to the calf and sun to the foal;
water to the goose and alms to the beggar man.
Also, when mentioning the recently deceased,
it's traditional to add a pious wish such as:
Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé/sí. [on right of-God that may-be (s)he]
'May he/she be at the right hand of God.'
Pronunciation Key for Gaelic (Irish)
It is important not to let the pronunciation of words written in Irish Gaelic get in the way of your enjoyment of the literature and of the sounds of poetry. While one can become lost in the study of grammar, more immediate progress can be made by observing the following rules and general trends. Bear in mind that the Irish language is not designed for use with the Latin alphabet. It' is a code system imposed upon an essentially oral language.
If you would like to HEAR how each of the sounds are made CLICK HERE !
Vowels
May be short:
a-cat (cat) as the letter o in the English cot,lot
e-abhaile (home) as the letter e in the English met,let
i-litir (letter) as the letter i in the English fit,sit
o- gol ( crying) as the letter u in the English smut.smug u=dul (going) as the letter u in the English pull
May be Long
a-c/a (where?) as the letter a in the English call
e-c/e ( wh o?) as the letter a in the English came, same
i-cail/in ( girl) as the letter ee in the English see
o-/ol (drinking) as the letter o in the English so
u=/uilll (apple) as the letter oo in the English to
Vowels - may be Broad = a-o-u =/a /o /u, or Slender= e-i or /e -/i
Consonants
There are 13 consonants in Gaelic:B,C,D,F,G,H,L,M,N,P,R,S,T. They may be either broad or slender.
Consonants are broad (have a velar quality) when they are preceded or followed by a broad vowel (A,O,U,).
Consonants are Slender (with a palatal quality) when they are preceded or followed by a slender vowel- (E,I).
bo=cow is broad b as in English - big.
beo=alive is slender b as in beau in English- beautiful.
I.If a consonant is followed by ae,ao,ui insert a fleeting 'w' sound asin the French word 'bois'- buid`eal- bottle or Gael-Irishman.
2.When a consonant is followed by - each. eag, eann, eat, eo or - iu insert a fleeting Y sound as in the word beautiful as in beo-alive or ceol=music..
Aspiration
Sometimes consonants are aspirated that is suffer an alteration of sound. This is indicated by adding the letter 'h' after the aspirated letter..
Aspiratable consonants are: B,C,D,F,G,M,P,S,T..
B-bh (slender)= v as in an bhean -the woman.
bh (broad) = w as in sa bh/ad-in the boat.
C-ch (slender) = k as in sa chistin -in the kitchen.
ch (broad) = ca as in sa charr-in the car.
D-dh (slender) = Y as in ni dherna me -I didn't do.
dh (broad) = wah as in a dhaidi.
f- fh (slender) as in don fhear- to the man.
g - gh(slender) = Y as in an ghealach-(the moon).
m- mh (slender) as in ca mh`ead=(how much).
mh (Broad) 'W' mo mahc (my son).
P -ph 'F' mo ph/ iopa (my pi pe).
S- sh (slender) 'H+Y' shi/uil m/e (I walked).
sh (broad) 'H' mo shac (my sack).
T- th 'H' thuas. (up).
Note: bh and mh as well as dh and gh have the same sound when aspirated.
Eclipsis Another change which may occur is eclipsis. When this occurs it results in the suppression of certain consonants by other consonants which are written in front of the eclipsed consonant.
B becomes mb and is pronounced ' m ' as in i mb/ad (in a boat).
C becomes gc and is pronounced g as in i gcarr (in a car).
D becomes nd and is pronounced n as in i nd/an (in a poem).
F becomes bhf and is pronounced v as in i bhf/ear (in grass).
w as in an bhfuil me (am).
G becomes ng and is pronounced g as in i ngr/a (in love).
P becomes bp and is pronounced b as in bpl ata (their plate).
T becomes dt and is pronounced d as in dtram (in a tram).
The song playing on this page is
'Dublin'
If the music doesn't automatically play for you, click the song title above and open the midi in your media player.
Please do NOT link to any of the midis. I change the names frequently.
They are here for your listening pleasure and enjoyment
and are believed to be in the public domain.
All copyrights belong to their respective authors.
SHALOM FROM SPIKE & JAMIE |
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'Curse of the seven snotty orphans on you'..... and other favourites.
Just as we have blessings for every occasion, there are nearly as many Irish curses for every situation. We may not like to admit it openly but Irish people swear a lot and we have to be careful when abroad. Our loose tongues can offend U.S and British ears in particular.
I smile when Americans refer to the use of 'f@*k' as the F-bomb because of its effect in polite circles. Though not by origin a Gaelic word, in Irish circles the use of the word is commonplace and casual, to the point of rendering it meaningless at times.
But there is a long history of more 'creative' or 'imaginative' cursing in Ireland. As a child, I remember with delight how my uncle expressed his frustration at his uncooperative cattle with classics such as 'May the divil take you, you dirty common wastrel' or 'May you rot in hell, you hoor's melt' or 'Bad cess to you, you thieving bitch'.
I wasn't even sure what the words meant at the time, but once my uncle had vented his frustration with a few choice Irish curses, we would be laughing a few minutes later. And despite what one might think, the man's influence was all good!!
Though some Irish curses don't translate very well, Irish Gaelic has enriched the way Irish people speak English in many ways. The importing of many a mallacht (the Irish word for a curse) from Gaelic to English has added colour, even when more sinister than funny.
I have put together a list of traditional and funny Irish curses below. So if easily offended, leave now!
Irish curse list
That you may die roarin' like Doran's ass.
****
Trasna ort féin!
Go across yourself! (Go f@*k yourself)
****
May you all go to hell and not have a drop of porter to quench your eternal thirst.
(Porter was a type of black beer, like Guinness)
****
May there never be enough of your people to make a half-set.
(A set is a traditional dance with 8 people, a half-set 4)
****
If your crop is tall
May your meitheal be small
(A meitheal was a group of friends and neighbours who would cooperate together traditionally at harvest time. The help of others was required to get the work done.)
****
Blast you to hell!
(A common everyday Irish curse said as often in humour as anger)
****
God damn your soul to hell.
****
May you never have a hearth to call your own.
****
May the divil take your last shilling!
****
May the gates of paradise never open to you.
****
That you may scratch a beggarman's back one day.
(May you lose everything you have.
****
May there be guinea-fowl crying at your child's birth.
(Considered bad luck)
****
May the lamb of God stir his hoof through the roof of heaven and kick you in the arse down to hell.
****
Bad cess to you!
(Another common everyday Irish curse, cess being a slang word for luck.)
****
May you marry in haste and repent at leisure.
****
May you have the runs on your wedding night.
****
May you marry a wench that blows wind like a stone from a sling.
****
The crows' curse on you.
(Crows were bad luck)
****
Má ithis, nar chacair!
If you eat, that you may not shit!
****
Go n-ithe an tochas thú!
May you be eaten by an awful itch!
****
Briseadh agus brú ar do chnámha!
A breaking and crushing on your you bones!
****
Go hifreann leat!
To hell with you!
****
photo courtesy of Kevin
Gaelic Good Luck
May all the goats in Gorey chase you to hell.
(Gorey is a small town in County Wexford)
****
Pissmires and spiders be in your marriage bed.
(Pissmires are ants)
****
Curse of God on you.
(Another everyday Irish curse still quite commonly used when things not going your way.)
****
Curse of the seven snotty orphans on you.
****
May you find the bees but miss the honey!
****
The devil mend you!
(Another favourite Irish curse of my uncle's used for everyday frustrations)
****
That you may be a load for four before the year is out.
(It usually required four people to carry a coffin, i.e you are wishing death on someone)
****
May the curse of Mary Malone and her nine blind illegitimate children chase you so far over the Hills of Damnation that the Lord himself can't find you with a telescope.
****
May you have a little skillet,
May you have little in it,
May you have to break it,
To find the little bit in it.
(A skillet is a smalling cooking pot with legs on it.)
****
May the devil cut the head off you and make a day's work of your neck.
****
Gaelic For Good Luck
May you be afflicted with an itch and have no nails to scratch with!
****
May the devil swallow him sideways.
****
May you die without a priest in a town with no clergy.
(Dying without the presence of a priest was considered not to be the best way to get into heaven.)
****
Imeacht gan teacht ort.
May you leave without returning.
****
May your spuds be like rosary-beads on the stalk
(May your potatoes be tiny)
****
Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat.
May the cat eat you, and may the divil (devil) eat the cat.
****
May you melt off the earth like snow off the ditch.
****
Pages Related to Irish Curses
The opposite of Curses are blessings and we have loads on our Irish Blessings and Irish Wedding Blessings pages
And we have lots of great Irish proverbs on our Famous Irish Sayings and Gaelic Sayings pages which really must have a look at, plenty for any occasion.
You will find love, marriage and wedding sayings on our Irish love Sayings page.
Gaelic Matters > Irish Curses