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Róisín · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 39

Thank you Admin and Blowin for permission to do this. This is going to be a gentle, phonetic introduction to the language of Ireland, and I will keep it interesting by either teaching you farming/downsizing stuff OR exotic tropical phrases which will make you think you are living in Jamaica. Or Hawaii.

The very first thing you may like to boast about is that you know the name of the language you are learning. If anyone has moved here from Wales, they will know Welsh, and that Welsh people don't call the Welsh language 'Welsh', they call it 'Cymraeg' (kim-raag). It's the same with Irish. In Irish, the word for the Irish language is Gaeilge (gwayl-gah).

We will start from the end (the future - when you will be a fluent and smoothly schmoozing gaeilgóir*) and work backwards and the very first thing you will now know how to say is: Tá Gaeilge agam. (taw gwayl-gah agg-um). This means 'I have Irish' and will invite an excited smile from your future friends.

Let's just look at that little three-word sentence in its grammar (not too technically, just a quick glance). 'Tá' (taw) is the present tense of the verb that means 'to be' in English. It's also used as shorthand for 'yes' on our election forms for the government. We already know what Gaeilge is - it means 'Irish'. And 'agam' (agg-um) is one of the many ways in Irish to say 'me'. In this sentence, it sort of means 'me have'.

I think it would be ok to post any questions or comments on this thread. Also any requests to translate chat up lines are fine Wink

Obviously your interest in this is due to your love of Irish women and our rampant beauty Laughing

*This is the word used in Ireland for someone who was not born into a family who speaks Irish as their first language, yet who has a love of it, has learned it to fluency, and now lives their own life through the langauge (perfectly possible to do). Pronounced 'gwayl-gore'. This is now you. Twisted Evil

blowin · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:46 pm Post subject:

A fascinating and really well put together start if you don't mind me saying so Wink

Róisín · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 39

OK lesson number two is hot and ready to take from the oven. After you have persuaded your new Irish friend to smile in an excited manner after telling him/her "Tá Gaeilge agam", you will want to loosen them up with some gentle conversation. Tell them what you were doing today. Tell them you were fishing.

"Bhí mé ag iascaireacht inniu." (vee may egg ee-isk-er-ukt in-yoo)

They will gaze at you, highly impressed. If they start to ask you what you caught, distract them with beer or something stronger.

Remember that 'tá' meant the present tense of the verb meaning 'to be'? Well 'bhí' is the past. 'Mé' simply means me - so there is no excuse for you to forget that one! 'Ag' is a little more difficult to explain - it's a little preposition that is used when you are doing something. And 'iascaireacht' means fishing. 'Iasc', incidentally, is the Irish word for fish.

You will now be hearing some words from the crowd around you in the pub - you won't know what they are saying but the look of their wide-open eyes and amazed smile is telling you that it is good, whatever it is. They are saying 'an mhaith!' (on-ah wa) which means 'very good!'.

I find myself that the key to sounding clever in another language is to speak very quickly. Even if what you are saying is wrong, the speed at which you are saying it means that you slur over the wrong bits and only the right bits are audible to the listener! Wink

And if anyone ever tries to catch you out, tell them you are speaking in another dialect. The difference between dialects of Irish is mainly choice of words used in the phrase and pronunciation. There is one main standard of Irish used throughout the country, after that there are localisations in Connaught, Munster, Ulster and Leinster. Pick the far away province. For example, in Donegal, if you get puzzled looks, tell them you are learning Kerry Gaeilge. Then smile smugly.

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1163 Location: Campile. Wexford

I am going to struggle with this as my command of the English is not great, but for the sake of the beautiful Irish ladies Wink

I will give it a go.!!!!! Confused

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