GO mbeannaí Dia daoibh agus bhur gcéad fáilte isteach chuig The Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
This week’s subtitle is Journey to the Centre of the Universe as the Bluffer heads to the mind-warping labyrinth that is known as IKEA at the Holywood exchange.
And all to teach you my friends, the Irish for the bits and pieces that make up what you call home. With a few prepositions thrown in.
Already, we’ve learned the words for the different rooms in your house but what about an troscán -- the furniture.
Most of the time, after a hard day’s work, we like to flop down on antolg - the sofa.
Cá bhfuil Daithí? Tá sé ina shuí ar an tolg - Where is Daithí? He’s sitting on the sofa.
Cá bhfuil tú? - where are you? Tá mé i mo luí ar an tolg - I’m lying on the sofa.
Cathaoir is a chair whether it’s Queen Anne style or a plastic one for a toddler to sit on.
We know teilfís is the Irish for television but being a man of letters the Bluffer also has a leabhragán - a bookcase in which lies a cornucopia of books overflowing with fascinating information and erudite knowledge that he must get round to reading sometime.
Sa (or san if it comes before a vowel) is the Irish for in the so if you are looking for your copy of War and Peace, you might be told Tá sé sa leabhragán - it’s in the bookcase.
Áiléar is an attic so if you are looking for your old copies of Amateur Photographer, you might be told, tá siad san áiléar - they are in the attic.
A word that even people how have never studied Irish know is tábla - a table, where we eat when guests arrive - not on our laps - or study or do much more on.
Faoi is the Irish for under so if you have a four-legged friend - undoubtedly you have named it Bran or Sceolan, two of the hounds which belonged to the poet warrior, Fionn mac Cumhaill - and it doesn’t want to go for walkies, you might find him faoin tábla - under the table. This is not a euphemism for being intoxicated, by the way.
Another word people know early on is doras - a door.
If your bell rings, you’ll know that tá duine ag an doras - someone is at the door, whether it is the window cleaner, the next door neighbour’s kids wanting their ball back or Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Once you’ve dealt with the door, you can return to your tolg around an teallach - the fireplace - yes, I know it’s August - from which you can chat or watch the TV.
Thart ar .. means around so bhí an teaghlach ina suí thart ar an tine - the family were sitting around the fire.
The Bluffer is just realising how little furniture you need for a living room, something to sit on, something to watch TG4 on, some stóras - storage, fuinneog - a window to let some light in and that’s about it, really
You might have a scáthán - a mirror to admire yourself in an some pictures on the wall, but basically that is your modern living room.
However, the trip around IKEA is beckoning. If it keeps raining like this, I’m going to see if they do a self-assembly Ark!
CÚPLA FOCAL
an troscán(un troscaan) - the furniture
antolg(un tolog) - the sofa
Cá bhfuil Daithí? Tá sé ina shuí ar an tolg (caa wil dyhee. Taa shay ina hee er un tolog) Where is Daithí? He’s sitting ont he sofa
Cá bhfuil tú?(caa wil too) - where are you?
Tá mé i mo luí ar an tolg(taa may i maw lee er un tolog) - I’m lying on the sofa
cathaoir(caheer) - a chair
teilfís(chelafeesh) - a television
leabhragán(loreagaan) - a bookcase
sa/san (sa/sin) - in the
Tá sé sa leabhragán(taa shay sa loreagaan) - it’s in the bookcase
áiléar(aalyer) -- attic
tá siad san áiléar(taa shade sin allyer) -- they are in the attic
tábla(taabla) - a table
faoi(fwee) - under
faoin tábla(fween tabla) - under the table
doras(doriss) - a door.
tá duine ag an doras(taa dinya eg un doriss) - there is someone at the door
an teallach (un challakh) - the fireplace
bhí an teaghlach ina suí thart ar an tine(vee un chaowlakh ina see hart er un tinya) - the family were sitting around the fire
stóras (storiss) - storage
fuinneog (fwinyawg) - a window
scáthán - a mirror