Tips On How To Talk To Animals In Irish
Appeler un chat un chat, to call a spade a spade - French saying
(Lit. to call a cat a cat)
I always find it fascinating to learn how different cultures incorporate their observations of nature and animals to create often unique proverbs and sayings. The Irish language is a rich source of striking and amusing sayings involving animals, birds, fish and other living creatures.
Respect the Animals
If you meet an Irish speaking farmer and wish to talk about or praise an animal you must always add the blessing 'Bail Ó Dhia uirthi'. It is thought that bad luck ( the evil eye,'drochshúil' ) could befall the animal if 'God preserve her' ('Bail Ó Dhia uirthi) is omitted from the conversation about a cow or livestock on the farm.
But if you see a dog in the window of a farmhouse it could be a clue that their is some trickery afoot: 'ag cur madraí ar fhuineoga (lit. putting dogs in windows) is an expression in Irish that means you are bluffing or trying to hoodwink a person. The saying could derive from trying to trick thieves into believing that if the faithful farmer's dog is home then his master is most likely at home too.
Teith! Teith! Call to Cows
Teith as sin! Come/Get back from there!
Teith : to flee
Useful Irish phrase when calling to a calf or cow approaching your car on a lonely Irish country road.
'Tseo! 'Tseo! Call to Dogs
Shout a loud 'Tseo! 'Tseo! when you want to 'Shoo! Shoo!' your Irish speaking neighbour's dog out of your house!
Tórach!Tórach! Call to Bulls
If you see a 'tarbh dásachtach' (raging bull) it might be a wise idea not to call it over for a chat in Irish. If there are sheep grazing about the field you might like to call them away with the word 'Seabhainín' as you run for safety.
Perhaps 'Tórach' stems from the verb 'tóir' ( to chase, pursue) and is more of a warning to a person that a bull is in hot pursuit!
Know your Birds
You might think that the black raven was being rude to you when he sticks out his tongue, but actually, it is just his way of communicating to you that it is an extremely hot day
Lá a mbeadh an fiach dubh ag cur amach a theanga, (Lit. a day that would make a black raven stick out his tongue) i.e. an exceedingly hot day
The raven and the grey crow are at odds with each other in the following Irish saying:
D'inis fiach é agus shéan feannóg é, (Lit. The raven says so but the grey crow denies it)
i.e. there are conflicting reports about it
Terms of Endearment
Should you find you're lost for Irish words of love, here are some useful titbits :
Mo lao thú! My Darling!
Smóilín! Little Darling
Cautionary Note! Should your loved one ask what these Irish outbursts mean, do not translate the above lovey-dovey Irish expressions literally. Few English speakers would appreciate the nuances involved in being addressed as 'You're my calf'(Mo lao thú!) or 'My Thrush! ('Smóilín!)
They might even think you were a 'speig neanta' ( 'a hairy caterpillar' ) or malicious person!
You might cast sheep's eyes at someone when you are lost in love in English. However, when besotted by love in Irish, people might notice that you are casting a wagtail's eye (súil na glasóige a chaitheamh ar dhuine) at the object of your infatuation - your 'beanchealgaire' seductive woman, siren
In love you become a 'glasóg' (wagtail), or 'gullible person'
If a person is too clinging in love you might hear the following expression involving a 'limpit' rather than 'a leech'.
Ghreamaigh sé dom mar a bheidh bairneach( limpit) ann, he stuck to me like a leech
We get 'butterflies' in the stomach when we are nervous in English, but in Irish we have an expression that literally means 'to knock the butterflies out of someone':
Na féileacháin (butterflies) a bhrú as duine, to crush someone
I might add that having the butterflies knocked out of you does not relieve your anxiety in Irish or English!
A Bit Fishy
In English, when we say there's a fly in the ointment, we know we have a problem. But you won't catch an Irish speaker talking about flies in that way, no, Irish speakers know that the situation is grave when they hear the words 'Tá an breac sa bainne' or 'the trout is in the milk'. How it got there is another problem!
While trout might be associated with problems, salmon are associated with health and wisdom.
In proposing a toast in Irish you could try this mouthful about salmon:
Sláinte an bhradáin agat, croí folláin agus gob fliuch. (May you have the healthy heart and wet mouth of a salmon) from An Béal Beo p. 82
Well we know that in French calling a cat a cat really means you are calling a spade a spade, so we'll add to that confusion with an Irish cat phrase. This one sums up succinctly that what has been said, done or written is all damned nonsense, i.e. 'Tuar cait is féasóg air! (Lit. Cat shit with whiskers). In English, we single out a different animal to produce the load of 'codswallop' and conclude that 'It's all bullshit!'
If you have time on your hand or in Irish 'lá faoi tor' (lit. a day under the bush) you might like to try figure out the meaning of the following Irish phrases from their literal translations:
'Na bí do lámh i mbéal an mhadra,' don't put your hand in the dog's mouth
'Giorra a chur ina shuí,' to make a hare sit up
'Muc i mála', a pig in a bag
'An cearc a dhíol lá na báistí, to sell the hen on a rainy day
Ádh mór! Good Luck!
Rud saor in aisce/Free Stuff
Type in any of these Irish Phrases on the free app at www.abair.ie and hear how a maschine posing as a ‘cainteoir ó dhúchas’ (native speaker) might utter the above ‘cúpla focal’.
You can also download the recording of the phrases entered for repeated listenings on your computer or mobile phone.
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