Editing Language/Irish/Culture/Interesting-aspects-of-the-Irish-language

<div class="pg_page_title">Interesting Facts about Irish (Gaeilge)</div>
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Haileo! Irish Learners! 😃


➡ In today's lesson you will learn some strange, unusual and interesting facts about the Irish language.


Happy learning!

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==No formal form==
Many Latin-based language speakers have told me "Anyway, in English you are informal with everyone with the word "you", you have no formal address". Wrong. You is the formal address. We no longer use the informal.<br />
In Irish, on the other hand, there is no formal:<br />
* Rinne tú - you made (informal or formal)<br />
* Rinne sibh - You guys made (plural informal or formal)<br />


Maybe would this explain the Irish disregard for authority, and not respecting the English planters?😀<br />

There also doesn't seem to be, to my knowledge, different registers of language (except for common and slang). This is in sharp contrast to languages like French which has up to 6 registers, or more.<br />

==Small country, many dialects==
Ireland as an island covers 84,421 km2 (74 thousand in the republic). And yet there are some 5 more or less distinct [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_language#Dialects dialects in the Irish language] (of which 3 main ones), each with their peculiarities. Some people in the government are pushing for a "standard". Others think that the standard should be their dialect.<br />

==Romance==
===Irish lovers are not possessive===
At least in theory.<br />
The common way to say "it/he/she is mine" coincides identically with "it/he/she is with me": tá sé/sí liom.<br />
Similarly, "be mine" and "be with me", are said the same way: Bí liom<br />
So, in the Clannad song [https://genius.com/Clannad-farewell-love-lyrics Fairwell love], the line "Má bhíonn tú liom, bí liom" can be translate in 4 ways:<br />
# If you are mine, then be with me<br />
# If you are with me, then be mine<br />
# If you are with me, then be with me<br />
# If you are mine, then be mine<br />


There are, however, other ways to express possession and ownership in Irish. See my lesson on Modals for more information.<br />

===Original endearments===
* a stór = Treasure<br />
* mo chuisle (mo chroí) = Pulse (of my heart)<br />

You can see them presented and pronounced in this video:

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<youtube>9QB7tmiDwHg</youtube>

===Many ways to express love and liking===
The popular "I love you" would be: Tá mé i ngrá leat (literally I am in love with you). But there are many others:<br />
Is grá liom tusa - I love you (I am not certain how correct this is, but I have heard it. For example, there was a campaign "Is grá liom Gaillimh))<br />
* Tá grá agam duit - I love you (seems more correct than the previous). Other variants include: Mo grá thú and Gráim thú.<br />
* Is maith liom tusa - I like you<br />
* Is breá liom tusa - I really like you<br />
====Less direct ways====
* Taitníonn do chomhluadar liom - I enjoy your company. You could say it directly with tusa, but it seems a little strange somehow...<br />
* Is aoibhinn liom tú - I love you (more literally: you delight me)<br />
* Tá mo chroí istigh ionat - my heart is in you<br />
* Is tú mo rogha - you are my choice (chosen one)<br />

See also some other ways to express endearment and affection [https://www.myirishjeweler.com/blog/7-ways-to-say-i-love-you-in-irish-tell-your-loved-one-you-care-as-gaeilge here]

==Related Lessons==
* [[Language/Irish/Culture/Ireland-Timeline|Ireland Timeline]]