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Speak Irish: Community

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Speak Irish: Community
By Bob Carney

It’s hard to believe we’ve started our seventh year of Speak Irish Cleveland classes. We’ve talked often about the reasons many of us have become involved in the study of Irish, but I’ve neglected one of the biggest and maybe the most important benefits of being a part of this great group of people. We have become a community within a community.

I have witnessed friendships that have formed and have continued even when someone stops actively participating on a weekly basis. Our goal has always been an introduction to the Irish language, and for some that was what they were seeking, to be able to acquire a “cúpla focal”. To be able to greet a friend using Irish or be able raise a toast at a holiday dinner with family.

Others are here for the long haul and over the years we’ve become very close, we’ve lost some good friends who will always be remembered and we’ve welcomed many new ones. For this I’ll always be grateful. Go raith míle maith agaibh.

As long as we’re talking about time we may as well continue on that topic with some new vocabulary and phrases.

Vocabulary in Irish

Anois (ah-nesh) now                                                           Mean lae (me-ahn lay) midday

Níos luaithe (nee-uss loo-e-ha) earlier                            Mean oíche (me-ahn ee-ha) midnight

Níos déanaí (nee-uss day-nee) later                                Breacadh an lae (braka ahn lay) sunrise   

Roimh (riv) before                                                               Lúi na gréine (lee na grain-ah) sunset

Tae éis (tar aysh) after                                                        Maith (mah) good

Admhaidin (ah-waj-inn) early morning                            Maidin mhaith (moj-inn wah) good morning

Maidin (moj-inn) morning                                                  Dia duit ar maidin (jee-uh ghitch er moj-inn)

Tráthnóna (trah-no-na) evening                                                  God to you this morning

Oíche (ee-ha) night                                                              Tráthnóna maith (trah-no-na mah) good evening

Ist oíche (isst ee-ha) at night                                              Oíche Mhaith (ee-ha wah) good night

Anocht (ah nahkt) tonight                                                  Aréir (ah-rare) last night

Basic Numbers 1 thru 12 in Irish

A h-aon (uh hayne) one                                                      A seacht (uh shokht)  seven

A dó (uh doe) two                                                                A h-ocht (uh hawkht) eight

A ceathair ( uh kya-her) four                                             A  deich (uh jeh) ten

A cúig (uh koo-ig)  five                                                        A h-aon déag (uh hayne jayug)  eleven

A sé (uh shay) six                                                                 A dó dhéag (uh doe yayug) twelve

CÉN T-AM É?

Cén t-am e? (kayn tom ay) What time is it?

A h-aon a chlog (uh hayne ah khluhg)  one o’clock

A trí a chlog (uh tree ah khluhg) three o’clock

A h-aon a chlog ar maidin (uh hayne ah khlugh err moj-in) one o’clock AM

A ceathair a chlog san iarnóin ( uh kya-her ah khlugh san ear-noe-inn) four o’clock PM

Nóin (noe-inn) noon

Meanoíche (mann-ee-ha) midnight

Tá sé a sé a chlog. (taw shay uh shay ah khlugh) It is six o’clock.

Níl sé a cúig a chlog. (neel shay uh koo-ig ah khlugh) It is not five o’clock.

An bhfuil sé a seacht a chlog? (ahn will shay uh shokt ah khlugh) Is it seven o’clock?

Nach bhfuil sé a deich a chlog? (nahk will shay uh jeh ah khlugh) Isn’t it ten o’clock?

Tá sé a ceathair a chlog anois. (taw shay uh kya-her ah khlugh uh-nish) It is four o’clock now.

Ceathrú (kya-hroo) a quarter

Leathuair (lah-hooir) a half

Ceathrú roimh (kya-hroo riv) a quarter till

Tá sé ceathrú roimh a h-aon a chlog. (taw shay kya-hroo uh hayne ah khlug)

     It’s a quarter to one o’clock.

Nach bhfuil sé leathuair tar éis a dó dhéag a chlog?  (nahk will shay lah-hooir tar aysh uh doe yayug uh                                               khlugh) Isn’t it half past twelve o’clock?

Nóiméad (noe made) minute(s)

Uair (oor) hour(s)

Lá (lay) day

Láethanta (lay-hint-ah) days

Seachtain (shokt-inn) week

Mí (mee) month

Blian (blee-un) year

Days in Irish

Inniu (inn-yoo) today

Inné (inn yay) yesterday

Amárach (am-aw-rok) tomorrow

An tseachtain seo (ahn chokt-inn shuh) this week

An tseachtain seo caite (ahn chokt-inn shuh cotch-ah) last week

An tseachtain seo chugainn (ahn chokt-inn shuh koo-inn) next week

Days of the Week in Irish

Domhnach (dow-nok) Sunday                                  Déardaoin (dare-deen) Thursday

Luain (loo-inn) Monday                                              Aoine (ee-nah) Friday

Máirt (maw-rt) Tuesday                                             Satharn (sah-harn)) Saturday

Céadaoin (kay-deen) Wednesday

Months of the Year in Irish

Eanair (ann-arr) January                                            Lúil (oo-ill) July

Feabhra (fyow-rah) February                                    Lúnasa (loon-assah) August

Márta (mawr-tah) March                                           Mean Fomhair (mann foe-arr) September

Aibreán (ab-rawn) April                                              Deireadh Fomhair (derr-ah foe-arr) October

Bealtainne (byowl-tin-neh) May                               Samhain (sow-inn) November

Meitheamh (meh-hiv) June                                        Nollaig (null-igg) December

New Speak Irish Cleveland classes will start in January; watch for information in next month’s iIrish.We’d love to see you there! Slán go fóill!

*Bob Carney is a student of Irish history and language and teaches the Speak Irish Cleveland class at PJ McIntyre’s every Tuesday. He is also active in the Irish Wolfhound and irish dogs organizations in and around Cleveland. Wife Mary, hounds Morrighán and Rían and terrier Doolin keep the house jumping. He can be reached at [email protected]

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