Cúpla Focal: A couple of Irish Gaelic words
At Birmingham Irish, we feel that the beautiful language of Gaelic is an extraordinary gift that should be passed down from generation to generation with immense pride. This very reason is behind our language column, Cúpla Focal, meaning, a couple of Irish Gaelic words.
Tá an Nollaig ag teacht! Christmas is coming!
You will be thinking about writing your Christmas cards about now, so why not add a few words of Irish? Make them bi-lingual if you wish and remind everyone of our beautiful Irish tongue.
In Irish, Christmas is referred to as An Nollaig. (Don’t confuse that with Mí na Nollag, which is the month of December!)
- Lá Nollag – Christmas Day
- Oíche Nollag – Christmas Eve
- Lá Fhéile Stiofáin – St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day in the UK)
- Nollaig na mBan – 6 January (This is traditionally the day when the women rested and the men and children did the cooking – it has in recent years been resurrected and the women take the opportunity for a girlie night out!)
- Athbhliain – New Year
- Crann Nollag – Christmas tree
- Daidí na Nollag – Santa or Father Christmas
- Féirín Nollag – Christmas present
- Maisiúchain na Nollag – Christmas decorations
Cártaí Nollag – Christmas cards.
Here are a few useful phrases for your cards:
- Nollaig Shona duit – Happy Christmas
- Guím gach sonas ort sa bhliain 2023 – wishing you every happiness in 2023
- Síochán an Tiarna leat um Nollag – Peace of the Lord be with you at Christmas
- Le sonas na féile – season’s greetings
- Beannachtaí na Nollag – Christmas blessings
Le gach dea-ghuí - with every good wish (This one is worth learning as you can use it all the year round!)
And to finish with, if you would like to address a specific relative in your card, here are a few handy words:
- Máthair – mother
- Athair – father
- Seanmháthair – grandmother
- Seanathair – grandfather
- iníon – daughter
- Mac – son
- Gariníon – granddaughter
- Garmhac – grandson
Bain sult as an Nollaig agus beidh mé ar ais san Athbhliain, le cúnamh Dé.
We hope you are enjoying these few words of Irish, we would love to hear your feedback! Please get in touch by emailing sinead@birish.org.uk and let us know if you have any suggestions. More grammar? More vocabulary?
Feicfidh mé sibh go luath – see you soon!
