Here are some choice Irish words which have their roots in the Gaelic language and traditions.
1. Bard
Bards were Celtic composers of eulogy and satire. The word is commonly known now as a poet of someone who writes lyrical verse. Bards date back to as early as the 1st century AD.
William Butler Yeats would be considered a great bard.
2. Bog
The word bog comes from the Irish word for soft. Peat bogs cover one sixth of Ireland and have been used as a source of fuel for centuries in Ireland.
After the Ice Age, Ireland was covered in deciduous and pine forests. The wet mild weather caused minerals to be leached from the soil, forming an impermeable layer. As a result water couldn’t soak through and peat began to form.
Peat consists of partially decomposed remains of dead plant material which accumulated on top of each other over the centuries. Raised bogs and blanket bogs are the main types associated Turf is cut from bogs to burn in the open fire.
3. Boycott
The word derives from Captain Charles C. Boycot, an 19th century British land agent who was ostracized by his local community in Co. Mayo. The land agent was was socially excluded after refusing to reduce rents during the Irish Land League. Charles Stewart Parnell had earlier made the proposal that rather than resorting to violence. Everyone in the locality should ostracize the man.
4. Brogue
The word comes from “brog” which is Gaelic for shoe. Now the word is commonly used to describe a heavy leather shoe which usually has ornamental perforations. The word is also used to describe an Irish accent.
5. Callow
Derives from the Gaelic for bald, “calac,” this word is used to describe those with a distinct lack of maturity. A person considered to be callow lacks adult sophistication.
6. Galore
Comes from “go leor,” the Gaelic word for sufficiency. The term is referred to as having an abundance of something.
7. Glen
Comes from the Gaelic word “gleann” meaning a valley. It usually refers to a long deep u-shaped valley usually created by a glacier. Ireland is known for many famous glens, especially Glendalough (Glen of Two Lakes) which is a glacial valley in Co. Wicklow.
8. Loch
Derives from “loch” which is Gaelic for a lake. It is the Irish term for a lake, normally a narrow inlet of the sea. Some of Ireland’s most famous lakes or lochs include Lough Derg in Donegal and Lough Corrib in Galway.
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9. Tory
Originally the term was used to describe an Irish outlaw which came from the verb “toir,” to pursue. It was later used to describe English Jacobite supporters and was later adopted as a badge of honor by English conservatives.
10. Whiskey
Derives from the term “uisce beatha” which translates to the water of life. Irish monks in the middle ages described alcohol as the water of life.
Originally published in March 2011.
16 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Mousemess | Mar 14, 2013, 09:45 AM EDT
Thar cionn! Excellent!
ellenfromcork | Mar 12, 2013, 09:46 AM EDT
I'm in complete agreement w/ Madeliene.However, the nuns in the Bronx in the early 50s did not agree w/ her. I was frequently told "You're in America now and you'll speak like an American." No more zed for zee, no more praties, no more cardigans for sweaters and nobody knew what a fortnight was. (Well, they did, but no one would own up to it.)
Madeliene | Mar 31, 2012, 12:18 PM EDT
Seanmore having a brogue is not demeaning in any way!
Seanmor | Mar 19, 2012, 12:08 PM EDT
Having read and reread the article above and the comments below, I'm reminded of two words from the Irish language that were used by the U.S. military in the 60s and 70s. During the 50s and eraly 60s, The Navy and Marine Corps were armed with McDonald airplanes called the Banshees, and in the 60s and 70s the Army used an anti-tank missle called the Shillelagh. (We all know that for almost 3 years in the ealy 60s the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. armed forces was John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and the Secretary of Defence was Robert McNamara. During Jack Kennedy's administration, I served in the Marine Corps -and was beaming with pride whenever I was asked to mention their names at the head of my chain-of-command).
Seanmor | Mar 19, 2012, 03:52 AM EDT
The word "brogue" is a belittling, demeaning, ridiculing term used to describe the Irish accent, but I doubtt that it has any connection withe the Irish word "beróg" (shoe). The English word "brogue" is believed to have come from the Irish wword "barróg" (grip, hug). One account has it that the Norse who settled in Dublin and began to speak Irish were said to have a "barróg" (a grip) on the language. "barróg can also be used in an affectionate, poetic way: "Le póg agus barróg. (With a kiss and a hug). Also, the Egglish word "puss" is got from "pus", the Irish for mouth.
pmccaffrey | Mar 17, 2012, 04:09 PM EDT
The Highland Scots who originally came from Ireland call their Irish dialect Gaelic, pronounced (Gallic).
Murph46 | Mar 16, 2012, 04:43 PM EDT
Usche Beatha!
Murph46 | Mar 16, 2012, 04:42 PM EDT
Banshee! Descriptive!Gives me da chills!
GeorgeDillon | Mar 16, 2012, 03:28 PM EDT
feliciamaisey: Welsh is a Celtic language, but it is not a Gaelic language. As to list above, I am suspicious of etymology #5. There is no such word as "calac" for "bald" in Irish. The word is CALBH. But even so, why would a word for someone who is bald come to mean inexperienced or young? Makes no sense.
Redpunto | Mar 16, 2012, 02:55 PM EDT
And if you want the real term its Gaeigle not Gaelic
Redpunto | Mar 16, 2012, 02:54 PM EDT
Apart from whiskey!!!
Redpunto | Mar 16, 2012, 02:54 PM EDT
Oh jaysus thought thid wud be funny - giving useful words like fe&k, and Storyy bud! - havent heard any of these words in my lifetime!!
CitizenWhy | Mar 16, 2012, 02:38 PM EDT
It's OK to say "the Irish language (also called Irish Gaelic)" so as not to confuse people who are not familiar the proper term.
CitizenWhy | Mar 16, 2012, 02:34 PM EDT
Again, the language is called Irish, not Gaelic.
feliciamaisey | Mar 16, 2012, 01:40 PM EDT
ciaran--I laughed as I read your post; that is a pet peve of my own and I seldom can keep my mouth shut when people say Gaelic. Also is there not Welsh in there as part of the Gaelic languages?
ciaran1433 | Mar 16, 2012, 12:22 PM EDT
I really wish Irish Central would STOP referring to the Irish language as Gaelic! Would you say to a person who speaks Spanish that its really Latin that they speak? No! They speak Spanish but the Spanish language is in the Latin family of languages. If you pick up a book called Teach Yourself Gaelic, you will learn the Scottish Gaelic language not the Irish language! They are different languages but both are members of the Gaelic family of languages. This is a mistake I hear all the time in the U.S.A. even from people in academia. Irish is the correct term for the language. Oh and by the way there is a book called Teach Yourself Irish and guess what its the Irish language that you'll learn by studying it not Scottish Gaelic.