Words, phrases and grammar from the story of how Eamhain Mhacha (Navan Fort) got its name
Gluais
eamhain – twins (This word is no longer in use in modern Irish and the word cúpla is now used.)
coimhthíoch – strange, unfamiliar
eachtra – incident, event
taoiseach – chief, leader
Sliabh – mountain (pl. sléibhte)
toirneach – thunder
tintreach – lightning
folt – hair (bréagfholt – wig)
toiligh – consent, agree
rí – king
cuireadh – invitation
aonach – fair
cluiche – game (pl. cluichí)
slua – crowd (pl. sluaite)
cruinnigh – gather, asemble (pp. cruinnithe)
capall – horse (pl. capaill)
rásaíocht – racing
bród – pride
maígh – to boast (vn. ag maíomh)
ólta – drunk
bua – triumph, victory
iontas – wonder, surprise
spéir – sky (pl. spéartha)
cúpla – twins
mallacht – curse
laige – weakness
láidreacht – strength
guth – voice
Frasaí
ina aonar – by himself
folt breá gruaige uirthi – a good head of hair on her
ag rith ar nós na gaoithe – running at the speed of the wind
tit i ngrá le – fall in love with
i ndiaidh tamaill – after a while
ag iompar clainne – pregnant (lit. carrying child)
teacht le chéile – gathering, coming together
leis féin – by himself
bua a fháil ar – to triumph over, to defeat
ar mire – mad
ní raibh an dara rogha aici – she had no other choice (lit. she didn’t have a second choice)
go ndíolfadh sé go daor as – that he would pay dear for it
bhí an lá léi – she won (lit. the day was at her)
lucht féachana – spectators
gan focal astu – speechless (lit. without a word from them)
de dhíth – need
ón lá sin amach – from that day on (lit. from that day out)
Gramadach
inar tharla
indirect relative clause – ie. in which it happened
preposition i + possessive adjective ár
darbh ainm
dar = de + ar (indirect relative clause form of copula)
darbh is past tense before vowel
Macha ab ainm di
direct relative form of copula in past tense (ab before vowel),
ie. Macha is ainm di (Macha is the name for her or Her name is Macha) in present,
Macha ab ainm di in past
bheadh
conditional tense third person singular of bí – to be
idir cheoltóirí is fhilí
idir + lenited noun means both , idir + noun not lenited means between or in the middle of
eg. idir fhir agus mhná – both men and women idir fir agus mná – between men and women
tugadh
past tense autonomous form of tabhair, ie. was given
nach bhféadfadh
conditional tense third person singular of féad – be able to
go ndíolfadh
conditional tense third person singular of díol – to pay
nuair a bheas
the future tense relative form of bí (this is used mostly in Ulster Irish)
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