How to Write a Letter Properly as Gaeilge

(You can also use some of this for emails and pen pals!)

Vocabulary - 1:

Letter -  Litir

Write -  Scríobh

Stamp -  Stampa

Paper -  Páipéar

Envelope -  Clúdach

Post Office -  Oifig an Phoist

Post Box - Bosca Phoist

Salutations:

Many seem to be under the impression that starting a letter with ‘A Chara’ is the way to go, however, this is a form used by public servants. This greeting is only used when writing official business letters that are rather impersonal. In English, this would be similar to writing ‘Dear Sir (or Madam)’. ‘A Chara’ by itself is never used in personal correspondence. Example list below.

A person’s name should always be used at the beginning of a letter. You can use their first name or a title if they have one. 

As an example, if someone were to write ‘Dear Paul,’ in Irish, it would be: Pól, a chara,

There is no Mr. in the Irish language. When someone has the title, you say ‘honourable son’ instead. So ‘Mr. Leary’ would be written as ‘A Laoghaire,  a Mhic Usail,’

Women are slightly more complicated because Mrs/Ms/Miss have titles. They are basically either wife of lastnamehere or daughter of lastnamehere. 

If the Irish surname starts with an O/Ó: 

’Bean Uí’ is the title of a woman/wife of a man whose surmane in Irish is ‘Ó’. 

’Iníon Ní’ is the title of a daughter of her father’s name (so unmarried women would be addressed with their own last name, for example).

If the man’s surname is a ‘Mac’:

‘Bean Mhic’  is the title of a woman/wife of a man whose surname in Irish is ‘Mac’.

’Iníon Nic’ is the title of a daughter of her father’s name.

Example List:

Dear Madam - A Bhean Uasail,

Dear Paul - Pól, a chara, 

Dear Sir or Madam - a chara, or a dhuine uasail,

Dear Seán  - A Sheáin, a chara,

Dear Siobhán - A Shiobhán, a chara,

Dear Mrs O'Shea - A Bhean Uí Shé, a chara,/A Bhean Uí Shé uasal,

Closing:

There are so many ways to close a letter in Irish. 

Bye/goodbye - Slán,

Goodbye for now - Slán go foill,

Goodbye and Blessings - Slán agus beannacht,

With every good wish - Le gach deá ghuí or deá mhéin,

With respect - Le meas, (NOTE: more formal)

You could even use ‘best of luck’ as a closing. There are many different way to say this, depending on region I believe, but I know the two most popular are:

Best of Luck - Go n-éirí leat,/Go n-éirí an t'ádh leat,

*[updated 5th/Oct/2017]*

DICTIONARIES

focloir.ie (search for words in English) + audio samples

teanglann.ie (search for words in Irish/English) + audio samples

tearma.ie (search for terms in Irish/English)

potafocal.com (dictionary)

dil.ie (dictionary of medieval Irish)

DATABASES

logainm.ie (placenames in English/Irish and their meanings)

ainm.ie (biographies in Irish)

PRONUNCIATION

teanglann.ie (sound samples)

forvo.com (sound samples)

smo.uhi.ac.uk (spelling and pronunciation)

wikibooks.org (spelling and pronunciation)

omniglot.com (spelling and pronunciation)

NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES

seachtain (online weekly newspaper)

nos.ie (online cultural magazine)

comhar.ie (online literary and current affairs magazine)

tuairisc.ie (online news magazine)

meon eile (belfast based news and videos)

nuacht1.com (gathers news from various online sources)

peig.ie (information hub and news source)

TV

tg4.ie (national Irish language tv station)

nuacht rté (rté news in Irish)

rté (rté website of articles/videos etc. in Irish)

bbc gaeilge (bbc’s Irish language content)

RADIO

raidió na gaeltachta (national Irish language station)

raidió na life (Irish language station located in Dublin)

raidió fáilte (Irish language station located in Belfast)

raidió rí-rá (Hit music station that broadcasts through Irish)

blas (bbc’s Irish language radio show)

raidió na dtreabh (online station based in Galway)

LANGUAGE COURSES

easy irish (basic online introduction to the language by rté)

duolingo (total beginner introduction + audio examples)

gaelchultúr (includes online course for adults + language level testing)

oideas gael (adult Irish language and cultural courses)

gael linn (courses for teenagers and adults)

daltai.com (language courses in usa/canada as well as other countries)

peig.ie (includes map with Irish courses, conversation circles, events, + summer camps)

YOUTUBE

now you’re talking! (complete Irish language learning tv show from the 1990s)

nuacht tg4 (official tg4 youtube channel)

clisare (youtuber, various videos teaching the language)

scúp (tv show about struggling Irish language newspaper in Belfast)

PODCASTS

beo ar éigean (podcast by rté)

motherfoclóir (podcast all about the language itself)

DOCUMENTARIES

des bishop: in the name of the fada (US/Irish comedian learns Irish for a year)

guth in eag? a lost voice (insight into the decline of the Tyrone native Irish)

an feidir linn? can we? (investigating the revival of the Irish language)

it’s a blas! (BBC NI presenter learns Irish to host radio show) [audio missing]

MOVIES

lipservice (short film)

yu ming is anim dom (short film)

cáca milis (short film)

clare sa spéir (short film)

poitín (first feature film entirely in Irish)

fíorghael (short film)

the wind that shakes the barley (available dubbed in Irish)

song of the sea (amhrán na mara) (animated movie available in Irish)

MUSIC

songsinirish.com (database of songs in Irish + English translations)

ceol’08 (Irish artists sing their songs in Irish)

tglurgan (language students perform popular hits in Irish)

rte2fm (various artists perform songs in Irish)

m. máire ó súilleabháin (Irish songs with translations)

SHOPS

siopa.ie (books, music, games and more)

cnagsiopa.com (books, dvds and more)

anceathrupoili.com (bookshop)

udar.ie (games in the Irish language)

gael linn (includes shop with books, dvds and more)

daltai.com (includes shop with some learning books)

cló lar-chonnacht (music, books)

SELF-LEARNING

rosetta stone (software or online)

living language Irish (books, cds, online, apps)

linguashop (software, cds, books)

MISCELLANEOUS LEARNING

mylanguages.org (basic introduction to various parts of the language)

omniglot.com (history of the language, vocabulary)

duolingo.com (course aimed at complete beginner, audio examples)

101languages.net (beginner overview)

wikibooks.org (beginnger course)

irishcultureandcustoms.com (phrases, vocabulary)

OFFICIAL ORGANISATIONS

foras na gaeilge (responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout Ireland)

gaeilge.ie (information on Irish language organisations and services)

seachtain na gaeilge (Irish language week: annual national event)

udaras.ie (includes brief history of the language)

coimisineir.ie (includes more brief history)

APPS

getthefocal (two way translator)

cúla4 (aimed at children who are native speakers)

OTHER

list of Irish language media (wikipedia page)

ga.wikipedia.org (wikipedia in Irish)

abair.tcd.ie (turn written Irish text into speech)

ocras — hunger, craving

canablacht — cannibalism

oíche ghealaí — moonlit night

éachtach — death-dealing, but also wonderful

feoil fhola — red meat (lit. blood flesh)

col — taboo, aversion, incest

searc — deep love, devotion

fiasheilg — stag-hunting (noun)

rún — secret, treason, betrayal, but also loved one

smál fola — bloodstain

caidreamh — relationship, intimacy, intercourse

tórán — hunted creature, fugitive

fáiteallach — good at hunting, (of a host) provident

goile — appetite, stomach

dianéag / oidhe / anbhás — violent death

claochlú — metamorphosis

leithlisigh — to isolate something

seanchaisleán fásaigh — old deserted castle

putóg — gut, blood pudding

finscéal — legend, fairytale

íobairt — sacrifice

cuisleoireacht — blood-letting

céasadh — torture, martyrdom, suffering

árchú — warrior (lit. slaughter-hound)

     ♡ .  wysa :    something to talk to and help you progress 

     ♡ .  plant nanny :   a cute reminder to drink your water 

     ♡ .  rise :   a gentle but challenging game to fix boredom

     ♡ .  tinycards :   an flash card app to help you study any subject

     ♡ .  forest :   a concentration app that helps the environment

     ♡ .  relax melodies :   music and sounds to help meditation and sleep

     ♡ .  zedge :   because nice ringtones help

hello everyone! i thought i would share some keyboard shortcuts in notion that i use the most often and that save me the most time.

note: most actions from word processors, like ctrl + b for bold, will already work in notion!

#, ##, or ### + space to create large, medium, and small headings respectively

> + space to create a toggle block

/, the forward slash, lets you create any page you want. just type out what you’re looking for (i.e. page, table, link)

ctrl + \ toggles the sidebar on and off

ctrl + shift + n opens a new notion window (i use this for notetaking)

ctrl + shift + u lets you go up a level in the page hierarchy (i.e. from february to all months)

duplicate any content by holding option or alt and dragging. you can highlight as many blocks as you want

ctrl + / to change the type of blocks you have selected

ctrl + shift + p to move the page you’re on to another one (i like to use this for my article list to move them to my already read list

🌸 Hiya everyone! <3 I’ve recently found some nice websites, forums, and apps that help with learning and keeping track of emotions, venting anything on your mind, or if you need someone to talk to!! If you know of anymore, let me know and I’ll add them to the list!   🌸

Venting

Vent App- This is an awesome app/social media platform where users can vent out their emotions and meet people with similar interests! It also has a private option for a diary to keep track of your day, and having your profile public is optional. If you just need people to listen and give support, this app is great. Should be available on iOS and android ;v;

Blahtherapy.com- this website is a great place to anonymously vent to a stranger using fruits and other objects as anonymous nicknames. Helps me a ton when I need a direct listener! Random people will be able to chat with you directly, and is once again completely anonymous.

r/OffMyChest- for Reddit users, this subbreddit is dedicated to just saying whatever is on your mind on letting it go. Many of the people in the subbreddit are willing to listen. 

Supportive Amino- for those not familiar with Amino, it’s an app that allows you to find various forums based on interests. In this case, I found this Supportive Amino dedicated to seeking emotional help and venting. There are probably others you can find as well on Amino!

Emotional Support

r/KindVoice- another growing subbreddit that is for users to meet with someone with similar interests and seek company and support. It’s a small but very helpful and supportive group. 

Calm Harm-an app for iOs and Android that is specialized to help provide calming activities to people with suicidal thoughts or are in extreme emotional support. Very adorable app that provides numerous distracting, relaxing, and all kinds of activities depending on what you need to calm and get over the urges.

Booster Buddy- another cute app that helps set schedules and activities to keep track of your mental health. It uses adorable animal characters, and also reminds you to take medications, set self-care routines, and remind you of appointments. Great way to keep track of you mental health journey ;v;

Pacifica- an app to help reduce anxiety and depression through various scheduled therapeutic activities! :) I believe it allows you to connect the app to your therapist for contact purposes! Contains a lot of stuff including podcasts, mood entries, and sooo many other tools to aid you! 

General Self Care

Flo Period and Ovulation Tracker- helpful app for tracking your periods, ovulation, and allows you to have a sort of health diary to keep track of symptoms and other feelings you may have! It also can remind you to take any medications or pills, and gives helpful health insights. It has the ability for you to set a code too to keep it private! 

Plant Nanny-aahhh this app is so cute! It serves as a helpful guide to remind you to drink the healthy amount of water you need by taking care of your own cute plant! Drinking your water also helps take care of your plant. Such a cute app to help! 

Aloe Bud-super adorable app that’s basically your all-in-one self-care guide. It has nice 8-bit pixel pastels, and reminds you to hydrate, breath, socialize, and many other things! I think you need iOs 11 or above to use it, but you can still check it out! <3

Your brain has no word limit. “Memorise every word you encounter” That’s not a requirement, that’s an impossible goal you should set for yourself. Learning vocabulary is like a plate that slowly turns into a bowl the more water you pour in it(weird metaphor I know but bear with me). You can learn 100 words and you’ll quickly forget a lot of them. You can learn 10 words and you’ll quickly forget some of them. But learning 30 words out of 100 is much better than learning 8 out of 10(you feel me?). The plate will overfill regardless of how much water you pour in there, so just pour as much as you can and turn that sucker into a bowl.

Simply put: The more you learn, the easier it gets to learn. 

There’s no such thing as a useless word. Vehicle. Spaceship. Run. Skedaddle. Are all important words. Never ignore a word because you think it’s useless. It’ll come to you, maybe in the next test, maybe in a conversation with a stranger, maybe written in scary red paint on the wall of a sketchy neighbourhood telling you to skedaddle. You need it.

Speak your target language*duh*. *Imagine if you will, you’re in France with little to no vocabulary. You walk into a hotel, worried as to how you’re gonna communicate with the person at the desk. As soon as your eyes meet he greets you saying in the most fluent english accent “Hello there! How may I help you?” You sigh a sigh of relief, however you remember that you’re in France, you’re committed to learning the French language. You take a deep breath and respond with “Salut! je maple Timothy je want une casa” Now obviously there’s so much wrong there. But it’s so much better than speaking english because you’ll learn what a room is, and you’ll even learn a word in Spanish. 

You’ll embarrass yourself in conversations.  No advice here just telling you a fact. A Chinese guy once asked me if I understood something and I simply replied with “I am bread” So yeah good luck.

Idioms. Learn them. They’re awesome. 

Think in target language. Weird I know. But seriously if you know how to think a sentence in your target language, do it. You’ll be more comfortable saying it and you’ll revise what you’ve learnt. As well as discover what you forgot.

Lie. When it’s harmless. Try telling a taxi driver you’re Sri Lankan see where that takes you. Unless you are Sri Lankan in which case you’re Cambodian. Say you married an Austrian pilot, or own a pet rock, or maybe related to the queen. You’ll have much more fun and useful conversations.  (P.s. If you’re half-Sri Lankan half-Cambodian you are officially Martian.)

Helpful Apps: 

HiNative: Allows you to ask native speakers what something means, how it’s used, whether your sentence is correct, or simply any question you have about said language or even culture. 

Flashcards: Pretty self explanatory. Make your own flashcards, one side in your language, one side in target language. Perfect in revising words. You can also download decks that other people have created and made public. Obviously you can use it for other subjects too. 

HelloTalk: Texting people of target language who want to learn your native language.  Help each other learn each other’s language and has great features for correcting sentences and grammar. 

A few apps to spice up your snaps!

Pixlr VSCO Snapseed PS Express Fotor

These are some apps I have that I think are witchy related, and I’ll explain each one below. I got all of these for free for Iphone, idk about any other smartphone. 

1. Labyrinthos Academy - 

This was my first tarot app by Tina Gong which uses the Golden Thread Tarot deck, which is very simple and easy to learn from. This app goes through the cards and their meanings through memorization games. It’s very useful for beginners to learn the basic meanings for each card. There is also a daily card feature where you can log your interpretation, but I never used it much because it’s isn’t the best feature of the app. This one is definately best for using the memorizing games to learn specific meanings. 

2. Golden Thread Tarot - 

Another tarot app by Tina Gong, obviously it uses the Golden Thread deck. This one’s main function is a daily card where you can log your interpretation. The log also allows you to record your emotional state and specific feelings you had when reading your card. Then you can look at how many times suits or numbers come up in readings, and your most frequent feelings based on week, month, and year. I think it’s a great logging feature so you can keep checking your emotional state day by day. It also has a tarot database where you can look up any card through a search. It also has a collection of spreads. I use these as guidelines for physical cards, but you could also use this app as a digital deck which is also really interesting. What I don’t like about these is that it asks you to write you question after, and honestly, sometimes I forget to ask it before and it messes up the reading. You can also click on the cards after you flip them to see definitions but you can’t do that once you’ve started to log it, so if you forget you can’t go back. Otherwise, pretty good recourse app, I use it to look up meanings from the database a lot. 

3. Luminous Spirit Tarot - 

Yet another tarot app by Tina Gong, this time using the Luminous Spirit deck by Labyrinthos Academy. This is most similar to the Golden Thread app in format and features and function, however, it used a different deck and focuses on teaching tarot through connection with the moon. So for anyone particularly devoted to the moon, I would recommend this one. Instead of daily cards, this app keeps track of the phases of the moon. You come up with a monthly goal or focus and as the phases change you do a full reading about that topic through the cycle. It also asks you to meditate on your question by “charging the moon” where you can really focus on what you need to be asking. It keeps track of your readings and you can use the digital deck, but unlike the Golden Thread, it allows you to look up the meanings of the cards as you write your interpretations and helps you relate them to their position in the spread. This one is best for learning how cards function in spreads and in relation to each other. It also has a database and if you’re not in love with the Golden Thread deck, this deck is more realistic pencil drawings in black and white which has a more soothing appearance. Very simple and useful!

4. Seventh Sphere - 

Yes, it’s by Tina Gong, however, instead of another tarot deck, this is a Lenormand card deck. It has some short lessons about what a Lenormand Deck is as well as a database like the last two. It has another logging system, more similar to the Golden Thread or Labyrinthos Academy apps than to the Luminous Spirit one. It doesn’t have you meditate on your question beforehand but it gives you a list of interpretations to think about. Because this is a different deck, I don’t mind this set up because it helps me learn each card’s meaning through practice and how to use this set of cards. Also, this deck is gorgeous! Like screw all the other decks I was dreaming about this is first on my list when I get spending money again and want another deck. 

5. Stone - 

So this is the most simple app on this list. It is literally just a list of pictures of gems and crystals and you can click on any and it will show you its properties and a well-written description of it. That’s it. I don’t have my own correspondences for crystals or anything so it’s easier for me to use this. 

6. Planets - 

Okay, this one is cool. This is basically a digital sky. You can hold it up to the sky and move it around and it will show you exactly where all the stars, planets, and constellations are in real time. You can also set it to 2D mode where it rotates like a compass. There is also a section that will tell you the visibility of each planet and the moon, and if you click on each it will give you more details. I think you can also zoom in on planets and stars but I don’t use that much. I recommend for witches who like to time their spells to celestial movements or have a hard time of visualizing or don’t have access to look at the night sky always. 

7. PlantNet - 

This is one of my most popular post on here and it was a goddamn typo. Yes, this is PlantNet, not plannet. I got it, thanks. But seriously this is a super great app for identifying plants on the go. You take a picture of a plant and it searches a database for a list of possibilities of what it could be then, links you to their Wikipedia page. It’s not 100% accurate but it’s cool and sometimes useful. 

8. Infinite Storm - 

This is an audio app that I use for meditation on the go. You can customize the noises, the types of rain, the intensity, if you want thunder or not, and add other sounds. It’s simply lovely. 

9. Yummly - 

I just downloaded this today but I already love it. It’s just a food app but I’m a kitchen witch so, yeah. I have a couple food apps (tasty, pintrest, etc.) but I’m excited about this one. It customizes your feed by your food preferences and you can list your allergies and food you just don’t like. You can add recipes to lists and make a grocery list. You can search by what you’re in the mood for and you can even find recipes based on what you already have so you don’t have to go shopping. I miss cooking and hoping that this will give me a few more good recipies to try that are different than the same 6 that keep appearing on my pintrest feed.

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017 

Here are some of the very best apps for students; either in highschool or in college. I have used many of the following apps, but not all of them. Some, I have just asked friends about and they suggested those ones. 

Please enjoy the apps below, tell me how you like them, and feel free to add onto this list :)

Focus: SelfControl, Forest, MindNode, FocusBooster, FocusWriter, Think, StayFocused, Freedom, Cold Turkey, Anti-Social, Time Out, SmartBreak, Balanced

Productivity: Evernote, Any.do, MyScript Nebo, Outlook, Trello, Droptask, Basecamp, Pocket, Gyst, Doodle, Pen and Paper, Wunderlist, Toggl, Asana, Wolfram Alpha

Sounds: Tide, WhiteNoise, Chroma Doze, Coffitivity, Noisli, Brain.fm, NatureSpace, Noizio, Rainy Mood, SimplyNoise, Spotify, Slacker Radio 

Language Learning: Duolingo, Memrise, Busuu, Babbel, Livemocha, Living Language, Tandem, MindSnacks

Games: Lumosity, Sudoku, TanZen, GeoMaster Plus HD, Speed Anatomy, Star Walk, LeafSnap, Splice: Tree of Life, Vismory, Pigments, Viridi, Sunshine, Nota

Revision: Gojimo, Revision App, iMindMap, Exam Countdown, Penultimate, Clippet

Test Prep: Khan Academy, Magoosh ACT Flashcards, The Grading Game, Math Brain Booster, ACCUPLACER Study App, CK-12, NRICH, StudySync, Quizlet, StudyAce, That Quiz, Brilliant, Synap

Planner: Timeful, Remember the Milk, Listastic, Finish, 2Do, iStudiez Pro, MyHomework Student Planner, My Study Life, ClassManager, MyLifeOrganized, Daily Agenda, Schedule Planner, Todoist

Writing: EasyBib, ProWritingAid, Bubbl.us, WiseMapping, yWriter5, Storybook, Q10, Write 2 Lite, Writer, Diaro, Note Everything, OmmWriter, Draft

Health: MyFitnessPal, Lose It, Endomondo, FitNet, Sworkit, Daily Yoga, Yonder, Fooducate, SideChef, Rise, LifeSum, Meditation Studio, Happify, 7 Cups, Clue, Start, Power Nap App, Fit Radio, Calm

Courses: Corsera, PhotoMath, Udemy, HowCast, SimpleMind+, Open Culture, Canvas, Schoology, Alison, CourseBuffet, Degreed, Instructables, InstaNerd, Big Think, Yousician, Pianu 

Books & Reading: CampusBooks, Scribd, Pocket, Wattpad, GoodReads, Readmill, Audible, Prizmo, Blio, Kindle, Overdrive, BlueFire Reader, Nook, Kobo, Aldiko, Cool Reader

Note Taking: SuperNotes, StudyBlue, Bento, QuickOffice, Google Keep, Zoho Notebook, Simplenote, Bear, OneNote, Box Notes, Dynalist.io, Squid, Notability 

Inspiration: TED, Lift, Believe It: You Will Achieve, BrainCourage, Get Inspired, iFundamentals, Reinventing Yourself, iWish, Pozify, Positive Thinking - The Key to Happiness, The Gratitude Journal 

daylio (available on google play and app store for free) - “Pick your mood and add activities you have been doing during the day. You can also add notes and keep an old school diary.” 

calm harm (available on google play and app store for free) - “Calm Harm provides tasks to help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm.”

impulse DBT (available on google play and app store for free) - “Impulse DBT is an invaluable tool for those who need to keep track of daily impulses for Dialectical Behavior Therapy.”

7 cups of tea (available on google play and app store for free) - “Whether you are going through a challenging time or just want to talk to someone, at 7 Cups you’ll find a path connecting you to kind people and helping you develop new skills to solve your problems. Over 16 million conversations.”

what’s up - mental health app (available on google play and app store for free) - “What’s Up? is a fantastic free app utilising some of the best CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) methods to help you cope with Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Stress and more.”

pacifica (available on google play and app store for free) - “Pacifica gives you psychologist-designed tools to address them based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness meditation, relaxation, and mood/health tracking.” 

i know there are a lot of posts like this floating around but i figured i’d compile some of the helpful things i’ve found!

free online courses

duolingo irish course (app for your phone)

memrise irish course (also an app)

pronunciation help

forvo.com - pronunciation guide for a lot of different languages including irish, they have an app but it’s $2.99 (free online site tho)

abair.ie - you put in words and they try to pronounce it in different dialects, haven’t used this one so can’t vouch for it.

teanglann.ie- dictionaries to download, including sound files for pronunciation in the 3 main dialects (they have a free app)

focloir.ie - same thing as teanglann, free app

dictionaries/grammar help

focloir and teanglann

tearma.ie - terminology database, has a list of recent changes

briathra- irish verbs (app available on the apple store, costs $2.99 on apple, $1.99 on google play)

coislife.ie - irish grammar books for sale online

gaois.ie - put in words to check the correct usage, also has news and stories in irish

potafocal.com - spellchecker, glossary, thesaurus

online news sites as gaelige

nos.ie

tg4.ie/ga/ (free apps cartlann tg4 and tg4 player i’m pretty sure)

rte.ie/rnag/ (also apps, pretty sure you can access those in irish too but i can’t say for sure since i don’t have it)

molsceal.ie - free app

bbc gaelige -probably also can be accessed through an app

other

ranganna.com - online irish courses for sale

duchas.ie- collection of folklore/historical things in english or as gaelige

Irish (Gaeilge)

Basic facts

Number of native speakers: no official figure, about 100,000

Official language: Ireland, European Union (EU)

Minority language: Northern Ireland

Language of diaspora: Argentina, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States

Alphabet: Latin, 23 letters

Grammatical cases: 3

Linguistic typology: inflectional, initial consonant mutation, VSO

Language family: Indo-European, Celtic

Number of dialects: 3

Longest word: príomhfheidhmeannach (chief executive) - 21 letters

History

4th century - written Irish first attested

5th century - Primitive Irish transitioned into Old Irish

597 - oldest literary text in Irish

10th century - Middle Irish

12th century - Middle Irish evolved into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland and into the Manx language in the Isle of Manx

13th century - Early Modern Irish

1366 - ban of Irish by the English occupation

17th century - Modern Irish

1922 - independence of Ireland

Irish is unusual in that, like English, fluent learners outnumber native speakers, and studies have shown that about one third of those who speak it daily are not native speakers. On the other hand, some native Irish speakers living in English-speaking parts of Ireland may rarely have the opportunity of speaking Irish. There is a rather extreme form of politeness in vogue–the entry of one English-speaking monoglot can make a room full of Irish speakers switch to English. The areas where Irish remains the community language are known as the Gaeltacht.

Writing system and pronunciation

These are the letters that make up the alphabet: a á b c d e é f g h i í l m n o ó p r s t u ú.

Grammar

Irish grammar is very complex. There is extensive initial mutation, i.e. the beginnings of words change, for example a cosa (her legs), a chosa (his legs); a gcosa (their legs). There is no verb “to have”, but the verb “to be” reflects both the ser/estar distinction of Spanish and the jest/bywa distinction of Polish.

Nouns decline for 3 numbers (singular, dual, plural), 2 genders (masculine, feminine), and 4 cases (nominative-patient, vocative, genitive, prepositional-locative).

Adjectives agree with nouns in number, gender, and case. They generally follow nouns, though some precede or prefix nouns.

Verbs conjugate for 3 tenses (past, present, future), 2 aspects (simple, habitual), 2 numbers (singular, plural), 4 moods (indicative, subjunctive, conditional, imperative), 2 relative forms (the present and future relative), and in some verbs, independent and dependent forms.

Irish has separate sets of numerals for counting humans and non-humans.

In common with Hungarian, Irish describes one of a pair as “half”.

Dialects

Irish is represented by several traditional dialects and by various varieties of “urban” Irish. The latter have acquired lives of their own and a growing number of native speakers. Differences between the dialects are felt in stress, intonation, vocabulary and structural features.

(That we might know yet not the meaning)

Silentium est aureum “Silence is golden”

 Veni, Vidi, Vici “I came, I saw, I conquered”

In vino veritas “In wine is the truth” (People say what they really mean when are drunk) 

Amor vincit omnia “Love conquers all” 

In omnia paratus “Ready for anything” 

páirt a haon | páirt a dó | páirt a trí

🐶 coileán - puppy

🐱 piscín - kitten

🐭 luch - mouse

🐹 hamstar - hamster

🐰 cóinín - rabbit

🦊 madra rua / sionnach - fox

🐻 béar - bear

🐼 panda - panda

🐨 cóála - koala

🐯 tíogar - tiger

🦁 leon - lion

🐮 bó - cow

🐷 muc - pig

🐽 smut muice - pig’s snout

🐸 frog / loscann - frog

🐵 moncaí - monkey