AN GAODHAL.
﻿633
A HUNDRED IRISH WORDS.
The following is taken from the Dublin NA-
TION, and explains itself.
Claremorris, August 28th 1886.
Dear Sir — I have iust read the admirable letter
of F, Hugh O'Donnell, suggesting that the young
members of the 1,000 branches of the National
League throughout Ireland, should each learn at
least one hundred Irish words of the current ver-
nacular speech of the nation. The expression of
this idea, like a seedling planted in good ground,
I wish to see bearing fruit, and therefore I ven-
ture to give the modern Irish of the hundred words
suggested by him with a hope that the seedling
sown may one day fructify in the minds of our young
National Leaguemen.
Mr. O'Donnell asks you to publish "a short col-
umn of short primer (like that suggested) for grown
patriots.” You cannot do so without an Irish ver-
sion. Hence I send it. If the present offer be
acceptable I shall furnish for the youth anxious
to learn not one hundred but a thousand words,
with the verbs too, to enable the learners to effor-
mate sentences.
I deem it well to give not only the Irish terms
but the meaning and philological character of each
— because scholars may read the lesson ; and
young men knowing Latin or French will find it a
great help to remember the Irish terms when they
see how much they are like words already known.
I remain your faithful servant,
J. J Canon Bourke, P. P., M. R. I. A.
(FROM THE NATION OF 28TH AUGUST.)
The 100 words might well fall under some prin¬
cipal heads or classes ;
"1. God and Trinity, Christ the Lord and Vir¬
gin Mary, Saint and Angel, Faith and Church, re-
ward and punishment, praise and prayer.
"2 Earth and sky, land and water, sea and
lake and river, monnt and valley, town and country.
night and day, sun and moon, stars and planets,
lightning and rain, cloud and brightness, morning
and even', storm and rainbow, frost and snow, dew
and dawn, mist and twilight.
"3. House and street, hill and cottage, door
and window, bridge and gateway, shop and mar¬
ket.
"4. Country and people, men and women,
sire and son, mother and daughter, sister and brot-
er, friend and neighbor, foe and traitor, kith and
kin, wife and husband, bride and bridegroom, mar¬
riage and mourning.
"5. Soul and body, blood and bone, head and
hand and foot, strength and weakness, health and
sickness.
"6 Workman and soldier, green and red, false
and faithful, old and new, hate and love.
English.
Irish.
God and Trinity.
Dia agus Trianóid
Christ and Lord
and Virgin Mary,
Críost agus Tighearna
agus Muire Oigh.
Saint and angel,
Naomh agus aingeal,
Faith and
Church
Creideamh agus
Eaglais.
Reward and
Punishment,
Tuarasdal agus
Pianus.
Praise and prayer,
Moladh agus urnuighe
EXPLANATION.
The foregoing are fourteen of the hundred words
marked under heading No. 1. It will help the me¬
mory of the learner to know that the name “Dia,"
God, is the foundation of the Latin, "Deus," God ;
and that its pronunciation is very like the French
Dieu, God ; the vowel “i" in Irish being sounded
like "ee” in English, and that "a,” annexed — as if
written “Dee-a."
Trinitas –ptis
Trianóid. Trinity is derived from
trí three, aon, one, and ionad, state
existing nature,
Críost, is from Christos [Greek.]
Tighearna, Lord [pr Tee-urna] deriv.
ed from tighe, of a house' and arna,
[root, ár, high, venerable, superior—
Herr (German], aire, one having au-
thority.
Oigh, root óg, young, means Virgin;
Maighdean also means Virgin, but is of
the same family of words with "maid-
en" and “maid,” in English and Ger-
man. Urnaidhe, prayer; óradh. oráid,
orison,
Naomh, is the Irish for saint, and for
the term "holy” or "hallow"; as, "hal-
lowed be Thy name," go naomhthar d'
ainm.
Aingeal, like angel, is from the Greek,
angellos, a messenger; g in Irish is al¬
ways pronounced hard, like g in get,
or in gun.
Creideamh, faith, creidim, I believe;
Latin, “credo.
Eaglais, church; French, eglise;
both terms from the Greek, "ecclesia."
Tuarasdal, means reward There
are other terms, such as díol, as fuar
tú do dhíol, you have received your re-
ward, literally price of labor, Pianús,
punishment; root, pian, pain; mol,
praise; moladh, praising.
For- gnidh
Earth and sky,
Cré, or talamh agus
speur.
Land and water,
Talamh agus uisge.
Sea and lake and
river.
Muir agus loch agus
abhain, or amhuin.
Mount and valley,
Cnoc agus gleann.
