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This book encompasses a time when Irish people were forbidden to speak, read or write in their native language. Words were whispered and passed down secretly from generation to generation, and came to be spelled phonetically. “Mo chroi” became “Machree”; “mo chuisle” became “Macushla”, etc. It is those spellings I’ve decided to use in this historical saga.
Aroon: my dear or sweetheart
Arrah: beloved (from “grādh”)
Asthore: treasure (from “stōr”)
Asthoreen: little treasure (as above)
Bawn: fair of skin, also beautiful
Colleen: girl or young woman
Machree: my heart
Macushla: my pulse/lifeblood, also “acushla” *
Mavourneen: my darling/beloved (from “muirnīn”)
In my books, the Donovan family uses “macushla” when this endearment is directed to the females, “acushlah” for the males. This is a little quirk that, as far as I know, occurs only in my family.
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