The Myths, Legends, and Lore of Ireland
Page 20
Appendix A
A Primer of the Irish Language
IRISH PRONUNCIATION
Irish has three main dialects, Connacht, Munster, and Ulster; each of these has its own pronunciation quirks. Schools teach a standardized form of Irish that combines features of these three dialects.
Vowels
Irish marks long vowels with an accent; short vowels have no accent. Here are the main vowel sounds:
a as in “bat”
í as in “fee”
á as “aw”
o as in “son”
e as in “pet”
ó as in “glow”
é as in “grey”
u as in “took”
i as in “hit”
ú as in “rule”
Consonants
Irish has many clusters of consonants that have their own idiosyncratic pronunciations:
bh as “v”
bhf as “w”
c as “k”
ch as a guttural sound, like the “ch” in “Loch Ness”
d as “d” when followed by a broad vowel, and as “j” when followed by a slender vowel
dh as “g” when followed by a broad vowel, as “y” when followed by a slender vowel
mh as “w”
s as “s” before a broad vowel, as “sh” before a slender vowel or at the end of the word
t as “t” before a broad vowel, as “ch” before a slender vowel
th as the “h” in “house”; at the end of a word, either silent or pronounced as the “t” in “hat”
Basic Words and Phrases
Here are a few common greetings and pleasantries:
Please: Le do thoil (le do hall)
Thank you: Go raibh maith agat (go rev mut agut)
You’re welcome: Tá fáilte romhat (taw foil-cha row-ath) or just faílte
Hello (to one person): Dia duit (dee-a gwit)
Hello (to several people): Dia daoibh (dee-a gweev)
Hello (in response to greeting): Dia’s Muire duit (dee-as mwir-a gwit)
Goodbye (to a person leaving): Slán leat (slawn lath)
Goodbye (to a person staying behind): Slán agat (slawn agut)
Goodnight: Oíche mhaith (ee-ha ho) Cheers (literally “health”): Sláinte (slan-chuh)
Appendix B
Irish Proverbs and Blessings
IRISH PROVERBS
An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold on to one blade of grass and not fall off the face of the Earth.
A boy’s best friend is his mother and there’s no spancel stronger than her apron string. (A spancel is a rope used to tie up a sheep or other animal.)
A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea.
If the knitter is weary the baby will have no new bonnet.
It’s no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking.
If you lie down with dogs you’ll rise with fleas.
Drink is the curse of the land.
It makes you fight with your neighbor.
It makes you shoot at your landlord —
and it makes you miss him!
IRISH BLESSINGS
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
Leave the table hungry.
Leave the bed sleepy.
Leave the table thirsty.
Here’s to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A cold beer and another one!
May those who love us love us.
And those that don’t 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!
Health and a long life to you.
Land without rent to you.
A child every year to you.
And if you can’t go to heaven,
May you at least die in Ireland.
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