Irish words and names

The pronunciations given here are only a rough guide, because Irish (Gaeilge) sounds are not really very like English ones. When ch is used here, don’t sound it as in ‘church,’ but as in ‘Loch Ness’ or ‘chutzpah’. Also, th is used here to indicate a sound softer than an English t but not as soft as an English th.

An Freagarach: The Retaliator; pronounce on fragag-roch

Badb: pronounce Bav

Bealtaine: the Celtic summer festival, 1 May; also the name of the whole month of May; pronounce Bal-thin-ah

béal tine: mouth of fire; pronounce bail thin-ah

Caoimhe: pronounce Kweeva

Cathad: pronounce Ca-ha

Cliodhna: pronounce Clee-unna

Cluaiscín: pronounce clue-ish-keen

Cnoc na gCnámh: Hill of Bones; pronounce K’nuck na G’nawv

croíacht: a magical object; pronounce cree-ucht (This word does not exist in the real world.)

déan deifir: hurry up; pronounce dane deffer

Deirdre of the Sorrows: a famous beauty of Irish legend who was doomed from birth and was the cause of the death of her lover and his warrior brothers; pronounce her name Dear-dra or Dare-dra (not Dear-dree)

dinnseanchas: lore of place, study of placenames; pronouce din-shan-ach-as

Droichead an Chlaímh: the Bridge of the Sword; pronounce Drih-had on Chlee-av

Eachtra: adventure; pronounce ach-thra

fás: grow; pronounce fawce

Fionn Mac Cumhaill: famous hero of Irish legend; pronounce Finn Mac Cool

Gaeltacht: Irish-speaking areas of Ireland; children often go to these places on summer camps, to perfect their Irish; pronounce gale-thocht

geas (plural geasa): a rule that forbids a person to do something specific; this rule cannot be broken, because it is enforced by magic; pronounce g’yass (g’yassa)

liathróidí tine: fireballs; pronounce lee-roady thin-ah

Linn an Bhróin: Pool of Sadness; pronounce Lin on Vrone

Lughnasa: harvest festival, 1 August, also the name of the whole month of August; pronounce Loo-na-sa

Macha: pronounce Mah-hah

Medb: pronounce Mave (to rhyme with save)

Milesian: pronounce mile-ee-shun (This is actually an English word.)

muise: meaningless word, a bit like ‘well’ in English; pronounce mush-ah

Naoise: pronounce Nee-sha

Nuala: pronounce Noo-la

Ogham: ancient Irish script; pronounce Ogg-am or Oh-am

Oisín: pronounce Usheen

Pádraig: pronounce Paw-rick or Pawd-rig

rith ar nós na gaoithe: run like the wind; pronounce rih err noce na gweeha

scamall: cloud; pronounce ska-mull

Scathach: pronounce Ska-hach

Sliabh na Gaoithe: Mountain of the Wind; pronounce Shleeve na Gweeha

Sorcha: pronounce Surr’cha

Spéir. Bogha báistí. An ghriain ag taithneamh: Sky. Rainbow. The sun shining; pronounce Spare. Boa bawshthy. On green egg tha-niv.

téigh faoin uisce: go under the water; pronounce chay or thay fween ishka

Tuatha Dé Danann: people of the goddess Dana; pronounce thooha day dannan