Irish words used in the English language
Encyclopedia
- For a list of Irish words that have been imported into English and other languages, see the list of words of Irish origin at WiktionaryWiktionaryWiktionary is a multilingual, web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in 158 languages...
, the free dictionary.
- For help with pronunciation, see Help:IPA, Help:IPA for Irish, and Irish phonologyIrish phonologyThe phonology of the Irish language varies from dialect to dialect; there is no standard pronunciation of the language. Therefore, this article focuses on phenomena that pertain generally to most or all dialects, and on the major differences among the dialects...
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Irish words used in English in modern Ireland without being assimilated to English forms include:
- Amhrán na bhFiannAmhrán na bhFiannis the national anthem of Ireland. The music was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, and the original English lyrics were authored by Kearney. It is sung in the Irish language translation made by Liam Ó Rinn. The song has three verses, but the national anthem consists of the chorus only...
: National Anthem of Ireland (literally "Soldiers Song")- pronounced (/ˈəuɾˠaːn̪ˠ n̪ˠə ˈvʲiːən̪ˠ/)
- Áras an UachtaráinÁras an UachtaráinÁras an Uachtaráin , formerly the Viceregal Lodge, is the official residence of the President of Ireland. It is located in the Phoenix Park on the northside of Dublin.-Origins:...
: Residence of the President- pronounced /ˈɑːrəs ən ˈuəxt̪ərɑːnʲ/
- Ardfheis: Party conference (used by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin)
- pronounced /ˈɑːɾˠd̪ˠ ˈɛɕ/
- Ard-RíHigh King of IrelandThe High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
: High King (title used in the Middle Ages)- pronounced /ɑːrd riː/
- Bord FáilteFáilte IrelandFáilte Ireland is the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 and replaces and builds upon the functions of Bord Fáilte, its predecessor organization...
: Irish Tourist Board (literally "Welcome Board"; now called Fáilte Ireland)- pronounced /boːrd ˈfɑːʎtʲə/
- Bunreacht na hÉireannConstitution of IrelandThe Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...
: Constitution of Ireland- pronounced /ˈbunraxt nə ˈheːrʲən/
- Ceann ComhairleCeann ComhairleThe Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...
: Chairman of Dáil Éireann- pronounced /kʲaːn̪ˠ ˈkoːrʎə/
- Dáil ÉireannDáil ÉireannDáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
: House of Representatives (lower house of the Irish Parliament)- pronounced /d̪ˠaːlʲ ˈeːrʲən̪ˠ/
- ÉireÉireis the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name.- Etymology :The modern Irish Éire evolved from the Old Irish word Ériu, which was the name of a Gaelic goddess. Ériu is generally believed to have been the matron goddess of Ireland, a goddess of sovereignty, or...
: Ireland- pronounced /ˈeːɾʲə/
- Fianna FáilFianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
: Irish political party (literally "Soldiers of Destiny")- pronounced /ˌfʲiənə ˈfɔːlʲ/
- Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
: Irish political party (literally "Family of the Gael")- pronounced /ˈfʲɪnʲə ˈɡeːl̪ˠ/
- GaeltachtGaeltachtis the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
: Irish-speaking area- pronounced /ˈɡeːɫ̪t̪ˠəxt̪ˠ/
- GardaGarda Síochána, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
: police officer (plural Gardaí)- pronounced /ˈɡaːrd̪ə/, pl. /ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ˠiː/
- Garda SíochánaGarda Síochána, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
: Irish police service (literally "Guardian of the Peace")- pronounced /ˈɡaːrd̪ə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ/
- OireachtasOireachtasThe Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
: (National Parliament)- pronounced /ɛrʲaxt̪ˠasˠ/
- Príomh AirePresident of Dáil ÉireannThe President of Dáil Éireann was the leader of the revolutionary Irish Republic of 1919–1921. The office, also known as Príomh Aire , was created in the Dáil Constitution adopted by Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Republic, at its first meeting in January 1919. This provided that the...
: Prime Minister (1919–1921 only)- pronounced /ˈpʲrʲiːv ˈarʲə/
- PuntIrish poundThe Irish pound was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the usual notation was the prefix £...
: Irish pound (currency, now replaced by the euroEuroThe euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
)- pronounced /punt/
- Raidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
: National broadcasting service (RTÉ)- pronounced /ˈradʲo ˈtʲɛlʲəfʲiːʃ ˈeːrʲən/
- Saorstát ÉireannIrish Free StateThe Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
: Irish Free State- pronounced /ˈsiːrˌstɑːt ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ/
- Seanad ÉireannSeanad ÉireannSeanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
: Irish Senate (upper house of the Irish Parliament)- pronounced /ˈʃan̪ˠəd̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ/
- Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
: Irish political party (literally "Our-selves")- pronounced /ˈʃiɲ fʲeːnʲ/
- SliotarSliotarA sliotar or sliothar is a hard solid sphere slightly larger than a tennis ball, consisting of a cork core covered by two pieces of leather stitched together. Sometimes called a "puck" or "hurling ball", it resembles an American baseball with more pronounced stitching...
: Ball used in hurlingHurlingHurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
(see Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
)- pronounced /ʃlʲɪt̪ˠəɾˠ/
- TánaisteTánaisteThe Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...
: Deputy Prime Minister- pronounced /ˈtɑːnəʃtʲə/
- TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
: Prime Minister (literally "Chieftain")- pronounced t̪ˠiːʃəx
- Teachta DálaTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
: Member of the lower house of Parliament (TD)- pronounced /ˈtʲaxtə ˈdɑːlə/
- Uachtarán na hÉireannPresident of IrelandThe President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
: President of Ireland- pronounced /ˈuəxt̪ˠəɾˠɑːn̪ˠ n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ/
- Údarás na GaeltachtaÚdarás na GaeltachtaÚdarás na Gaeltachta , abbreviated ÚnaG, is a regional state agency which is responsible for the economic, social and cultural development of nominally Irish-speaking regions of the Republic of Ireland...
: Development Authority for the Gaeltacht- pronounced /ˈuːdərɑːs nə ˈɡeːltəxtə/
Other, more informal terms include:
- Amadán (Fool, generally male)
- Banbh (Piglet)
- Bean-sí (Banshee/Fairy woman)
- Bóithrín (Boreen or small country lane)
- Bualadh bos (A round of applause)
- Camán (hurley)
- Cipín (Small stick/firekindling)
- Crúibín (Pigs foot)
- Fáilte (Welcome)
- Fláithiúil (Excessively/uncommonly generous)
- Grá (Great love or affection for someone/something)
- Is maith liom (I like/It's good)
- Lúdramán (Fool)
- Lúdar (Fool)
- Meas (High regard/respect for someone/something)
- Óinseach (Fool, generally female)
- Plámás (Excessive/Insincere praise or flattery)
- Sceach (Any thorny bush, sceach gheal(Hawthorn))
- Sláinte (Cheers|Good Health)
- Slán (Whole, healthy, complete) used as modern equivalent of Fr. Au revoir or En. See you
See also
- Craic, an English word that was adapted into Irish and then re-borrowed into English
- Modern history of Durrus and District for list of IrishIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
words in general speech in area of West CorkWest CorkWest Cork refers to a geographical area in south-west Ireland, lying within Ireland's largest county, County Cork. Traditionally a popular tourist destination, the area is seen as being distinct from the more populated northern or eastern parts of the county, as well as the more urban area of...
in 1930s - Hiberno-EnglishHiberno-EnglishHiberno-English is the dialect of English written and spoken in Ireland .English was first brought to Ireland during the Norman invasion of the late 12th century. Initially it was mainly spoken in an area known as the Pale around Dublin, with Irish spoken throughout the rest of the country...
- Lists of English words of Celtic origin
- Place names in Ireland
- Words used in the English languageIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...