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The Pubs of Cleveland

It’s that time of year again, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are scheduled at every Irish and non-Irish pub around Cleveland. We are fortunate to have so many choices to  turn to enjoy the day. We all have our favorites, that place “where everyone knows your name” or perhaps a spot just discovered.

Although I don’t recommend trying out this months vocabulary on St. Patrick’s Day, in what is sure to be a packed and busy environment, save it for a quieter time or perhaps on your next visit to the West of Ireland.

Feoil (feeole)                                 

meat  Turcaí  (turkey)                                                               turkey

Uaineoil  (oon-ole)                                                                    lamb

Liamhás  (lee-voss)                                                                   ham                   

Mairteoil (mort-ole)                                                                 beef   

Lacha  (lock-ah)                                                                      duck

Muiceoil (mwi-ke ole)                                                              pork

Stéig (stay-g)                                                                         steak

Torthaí (tor-hee)                                                                     fruit

Úlla  (ool-a)                                                                            apples

Peitseoga (pet-soga)                                                               peaches

Neachtairíní (nek-tah ree-nee)                                                necterines

Liomóidí (limb-o-dee)                                                               lemons

Bananaí  (banan-ee)                                                                  bananas

Oráistí  (or-osh-tee)                                                                   oranges

Mealbhacáin uisce   (malv-a-con ish ka)          watermelon                                                 Glasraí  (gloss-ree)                                                                     vegetables

Tráitaí (traw-tee)                                                                        tomatoes

Leitís (let-eesh)                                                                            lettuce

Tornapaí (turn-a pea)                                                                 turnips

Cabáiste (ca-bosh-ta)                                                                  cabbage

Cairéid (car-aid)                                                                            carrots

Prátaí  (praw-tee)                                                                         potatoes

Oinniúin (un-yoon)                                                                       onion

Deochanna (jowk-ahnna)                                                             drinks

Caife dubh (kah-fay duv)                                                              black coffee

Tae láidir (tay lah-jer)                                                                    strong tea

Tae lag  (tay-lag)                                                                             weak tea

Ar mhaith leat deoch?(ar vah laht jowhk)                                 Would you like a drink?

An mbeidh deoch agat? (an mayd jowh ah-gut)                       Will you have a drink?

An bhfuil ocras ort? (an will oh kruss ort)                                   Are you hungry?

An bhfuil tart ort?  (an will tart ort)                                             Are you thirsty?

Tá tart orm.  (taw tart ort)                                                             I’m thirsty.

Tá ocras orm.  (taw oh-kruss ort)                                                 I’m hungry.

An bhfuil tú réidh le hordú? (an will too ray le hor-doo)         Are you ready to order? An bhfuil sibh réidh le hordu? (an will shiv ray le hor-doo)       Are you ready to order?

Leat   (laht)                                                                                          for you/ with you

Ba  (buh)                                                                                               it would be     Ar – (ur)                                                                                                would it be

Liom  (lum)                                                                                           for me / with me

Mise, an  ea? (meesha ahn ah)                                                         Me, is it? Who me?

Ba mhaith leat (ba vah laht)                                                              You would like

Ba mhaith leat rud éigin a ithe. (ba vah laht rud a-gin a ih-ha)   You would like something to eat.

Ar mhaith leat? (ar vah laht)                                                              Would you like?

Ar mhaith leat rud éigin a ithe? (ar vah laht rud a-gin a ih-ha)    Would you like something to eat?

Ba mhaith. (ba vah)                                                                             Yes. (it would be well)

Nior mhaith (neer vah)                                                                        No (it would not be well)

Ba mhaith liom.(ba vah lum)                                                              I would like (it would be well with me)

Ba mhaith, ba mhaith liom rud éigin a ithe. (ba vah lum rud a-ginn a ih-ha)                                                  Yes, I would like something to eat.

Ba mhaith liom rud éigin a ól. (ba vah lum rud a-ginn a ol)         I would like something to drink.

Sú oráiste (soo oh-rash-ta)                                                                 orange juice

Ubh / an ubh (oov/ahn oov)                                                               egg / the egg

Putóg / an phutóg (puh-toeg/ahn fuh-toeg)                                   pudding / the pudding

Ispín / an t-ispín / ispíní (ish-peen/an tish-peen/ish-peen-ee)    sausage / the sausage / sausages

Bagún / an bagún (bah-goon/an bah-goon)                                    bacon / the bacon

Arán bán /  an t-arán bán (ah-rawn bahn/ an ta-rawn bahn)       white bread / the white bread

Arán donn / an t-arán donn(ah-rawn dun/ahm ta-rawn dun)      brown bread / the brown bread

Tósta / an tósta (tost-ah/ahn tost-ah)                                               toast / the toast

Im / an t-im (im/ahn tim)                                                                    butter / the butter

Cupán tae / an cupán tae (cup-ahn tay/ahn cup-ahn tay)             tea /  the tea

Caife / an caife (ka-fay/ ahn ka-fay)                                                   coffee / the coffee

Siúcra / an siúcra (shoo-kra/ahn shoo-kra)                                      sugar / the sugar

Gloine bainne (glon-yah bahn-yah)                                                   glass of milk

Spúnóg amháin (spoo-nog ah-wahn)                                                one spoon

Dhá spúnóg (gah spoo-nog)                                                                two spoons

Trí spúnóg (tree spoo-nog)                                                                  three spoons

Anraith / an t-anraith (ahn-rah/ahn tahn-rah)                                 soup / the soup

Milseog / an mhilseog (mill-shog/ahn vill-shog)                              dessert / the dessert

Briosca / an briosca / brioscaí (brish-ka/ahn brish-ka/brish-kee) biscuit / the biscuit / biscuits

Sailéad torthaí (sahl-ayd tor-hee)                                                       fruit salad

Feoil / an fheoil (fee-ole/ ahn ee-ole)                                                 meat / the meat

Sicín rósta/ an sicín rósta (shih-keen rost-ah)                                   roast chicken / the roast chicken

Bia mara / an bia mara (bee-uh mar-ah)                                            seafood / the seafood

Iasc / an t-iasc (ishk/ ahn tishk)                                                           fish / the fish

Uisce (ish-ka)                                                                                          water      uisce beatha (ish-ka bah-hah)                                                             whiskey (water of life)

Deoch bhog / deohanna boga (jowhk wog/juh-hanna bo-ga)      soft drink / soft drinks  

Beoir /an bheior  (byore/ahn vyore)                                                 beer / the beer

Pionta beorach (pyonta byore-ach)                                                   pint of beer

Gloine beorach (glon-yah byore-ach)                                                glass of beer

Fíon / an fíon (fee-un/ ahn fee-un)                                                    wine / the wine

Buidéal fíona (bu-dahl fee-uh-na)                                                     bottle of wine

Gloine fíona (glon-yah fee-uh-na)                                                     glass of wine

Freastalaí (frahs-ta lee)          waiter                                                               an freastalaí (ahn frahs-ta-lee)    the waiter                                                 

freastalaithe (frahs-ta-lee-ha)                                                       waiters

Biachlár / an biachlár (bee-uh-clar/ahn bee-uh-clar)                menu / the menu

Remenber there are two types of vowel groupings, broad and slender a,o,and u are broad and e and i are slender. A broad vowel would cause the lenited bh combination to be pronounced as a w, a slender vowel would make it be pronounced as a v.

Waiter: Dia daoibh. (dee-uh yeev)

Seán agus Mairéad: Dia’s Muire duit.  (dee-us morra gwit)

Waiter: Anois, Cad é a ba mhaith libh? (ah-nesh, kah-jay a ba vah liv)

Seán: Ba mhaith liomsa pionta beorach, le do thoil. (ba vah lum-sa pyonta byore-ach, le duh hall)

Waiter: Agus tú féin, cad é a ba mhaith leatsa? (ah-gus too fayne, kah-jay a ba vah laht-sa)

Mairéad: Ba mhaith liom cupán tae, le do thoil. (ba vah lum cup-ahn tay, le duh hall)

Waiter:  Ar mhaith leat bainne agus siúcra le do chuid tae? (ar vah laht bahn-yah ah-gus shoo-kra le duh kuyd tay)

Mairéad: Ba mhaith liom bainne, le do thoil.(ba vah lum bahn-yah)

Waiter: Ceart go leor. (kyart guh lore) Notice the waiter used the plural form to greet Seán and Mairéad, and they replied together in the singular. Their waiter than asked in the plural what they would like. Seán and the waiter also used the emphatic forms of liom and leat in there conversation. See if you can build on this conversation by refering back to previo

Bob Carney
Bob Carney
Bob Carney is a student of Irish language and history and teaches the Speak Irish Cleveland class held every Tuesday at PJ McIntyre’s. He is also active in the Irish Wolfhound and Irish Dogs organizations in and around Cleveland. Wife Mary, hounds Rían, Aisling Draoi, and terrier Doolin keep the house jumping. He can be reached at carneyspeakirish@gmail.com
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