Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam

A COUNTRY WITHOUT LANGUAGE IS A COUNTRY WITHOUT SOUL

Roimh an dianghlasáil le déanaí, thosaigh mé ag freastal ar ranganna Gaeilge leis an ngrúpa Muineachán le Gaeilge (MLG) ar Zoom. Is cuimhin liom a lán focail Ghaeilge ón scoil ach ní raibh mórán muiníne agam ag labhairt. Bhain mé sult as ranganna MLG, ag déanamh iarracht chun Gaeilge a labhairt ar ábhair dhifriúla gach seachtain, le daoine eile ar fud an chontae. 

Before the recent lockdown, I started attending Muineachán le Gaeilge’s (MLG) Irish classes via Zoom. I remember a lot of Irish words from school but didn’t have much confidence speaking it. I enjoyed the MLG classes, trying to speak Irish on different subjects each week, with others throughout the county.

NASC/CONNECTION

Le MLG, chuaigh me ar thuras stairiúil, i nGaeilge, ag Diméin Chaisleán an tSiáin agus bhí suim mhór agam i mbunús ainm na háite seo; ‘tagann an focal Sián ón bhfocal 'Sidhe' a chiallaíonn 'fairy' (mar shampla Aos Sidhe = the fairy people; Bean Sidhe = fairy woman). Is éard is brí leis an bhfocal 'Sián' ná 'a fairy mound'. Mar sin de, ciallaíonn Caisleán an tSiáin "Castle of the Fairy Mound" de réir Nollaig Mac Giolla Thuile, mo mhúinteoir MLG. Léigh mé ’32 Words for Field’ le Manchán Magan, freisin, a chuir béim ar an teanga agus a bunús roimh dhaoine agus teorainneacha ár n-intinn réasúnach. Tuigim go bhfuil nasc láidir idir an tír agus an teanga ach níor thuig me go hiomlán an tábhacht a bhaineann léi.

With MLG, I went on a history tour, in Irish, of the Castleshane Demesne, and I was particularly interested in the origin of the place’s name; ‘the word Shane came from ‘Sidhe’ which means ‘fairy’ (for example Aos Sidhe = the fairy people; Bean Sidhe = fairy woman). The word 'Sián' means 'a fairy mound'. So Castleshane means "Castle of the Fairy Mound"’ according to Nollaig Mac Giolla Thuile, my MLG tutor. I also read ’32 Words for Field’ by Manchán Magan which puts emphasis on the language and its origins before people and the limits of our rational minds. I’ve understood that there’s a strong link between the landscape and language but hadn’t fully appreciated its importance.

‘Irish placenames dry out when anglicised, like twigs snapped off from the tree’ [- Tim Robinson, ‘Connemara: Listening to the Wind’, 2006]

Nuair a fhéachann muid ar ainmeacha ár n-áiteanna, insíonn siad a lán rudaí faoin áit seo anois, nó an áit san am atá caite. Mar shampla, fadó, bhí foraoiseacha ar fud na héireann agus baineann a lán logainmneacha le crainn agus coillte. Faraor, tá na coillte dúchasacha beagnach imithe in éineacht le go leor gnéithe eile i dtírdhreach na tíre ach tá siad fós beo sna logainmneacha timpeall orainn. Féach ar ‘Kill’; is litriú Béarla é seo ar cheann de dhá fhocal Ghaeilge, cill ‘church’, nó coill ‘wood, a gcuirtear ‘kyle’ i mBéarla uaireanta air. 

When we look at place names, it says a lot about a place, or the past place. For example; long ago, there were forests all over Ireland and many place names relate to trees and woods. Sadly, the native woods are almost gone along with many other features of the landscape but they are still alive in the place names around us. Look at ‘Kill’; this is an English spelling of one of two Irish words ‘cill’ / church or ‘coillte’ / wood. 

Gach seachtain, roinneann MLG ‘Logainm an Luain’ ar Facebook le heolas spéisiúil faoi logainmneacha i Muineachán. Mar shampla; Is éard Is brí leis an bhfocal 'muine' sa Ghaeilge ná 'a thicket/dense shrubbery' agus mar sin, tagann ‘Muineachán’ ón bhfocal sin.

Every week, MLG share ‘Monday Placename’ on Facebook with interesting information about placenames in Monaghan. For example; the word 'muine' in Irish means a ‘thicket/dense shrubbery’ and from that the word Monaghan comes from. 

Tá na focail 'clár' agus 'clárach' coitianta go leor i logainmneacha na héireann agus tagraíonn na focail  seo do thalamh atá cothrom. Sampla eile den logainm seo é 'An Clár' (contae an Chláir) a chiallaíonn 'the flat plain'.

The words 'clár' and 'clárach' are fairly common in Irish place names and these words refer to land that is level or flat. Another example that we have of this would be 'An Clár' (county Clare) which means 'the flat plain'.

Agus féach ar ainmeacha cosúil le; Inis / Ennis; inis - ‘island, river meadow’, agus Carraig Fhearghais / Carrickfergus - carraig = ‘rock’ no cloch ‘stone’, agus Maigh Eo / Mayo - ma(i)gh = ‘plain’. Tugann gach ceann acu eolas dúinn faoin timpeallacht sa lá atá inniu ann agus fadó.

And look at the names of; Ennis / Inis - inis = ‘island, river meadow’, and Carrickfergus / Carraig Fhearghais - carraig = ‘rock’ / cloch ‘stone’, and Mayo / Maigh Eo - ma(i)gh = ‘plain’. Each of them gives us information about the environment today and in the past.

Tá an tírdhreach fós beo sna logainmneacha timpeall orainn / The landscape is still alive in the placenames around us

Féach ar na logainmneacha timpeall ort agus beidh tuiscint níos fearr agat ar do dhúiche. Nuair a bhíonn tú ag labhairt le cairde agus clann, caith isteach cúpla focal Gaeilge. Tríd an teanga a athbheochan agus trí í a úsáid agus / nó a bheith feasach uirthi agus a tábhacht, cabhraíonn sé linn an talamh agus ár dtimpeallacht a nascadh agus a thuiscint níos fearr.

Look at the placenames around you and you will have a better understanding of your area. When talking to friends and family, throw in a few Irish words. Reviving the language by using and / or being aware of it and its importance, helps us connect and comprehend the land and our surroundings/environment better.

A deir Collette / Collette says:

Léigh / Read: The Dictionary of Hiberno English (2020 Edition) updated by Terence Patrick Dolan with introduction by Blindboy Boatclub; the leading reference book on Hiberno-English which is the form of English commonly spoken in Ireland. An unusual dictionary which reflects on the social, political, religious and financial factors in life which influenced our manipulation of the English language, containing words and expression not usually seen in a dictionary.

Foghlaim / Learn: Gaeilge le / Irish with Muineachan Le Gaeilge in the New Year! Classes available for all abilities. To find out more / join, get in touch [email protected] / 0877095252. And a special Go Raibh Maith Agat to Nollaig for his proofing assistance with the Irish translation.

Féach ar / Look at: an suíomh / the site www.logainm.ie; The Placenames Database of Ireland is a public resource for all those who appreciate the rich heritage of Irish placenames.