GO mbeannaí Dia daoibh agus bhur gcéad fáilte isteach chuig The Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
We’ve talked about the physical appearance of people before but what about people’s character? What are people like as people?
Of course, it takes all sorts, the good and the bad and, truth be told, there is a bit of both in all of us. None of us are all good or all bad. But if someone asked you cad é an cineál duine é/í? - what kind of person is he/she?
There is a whole dictionary in Irish containing words that describe people from draoidín - a shrimp of a man to liúdramán - a dipstick, an idiot, a plank.
But you are having a conversation about someone you met at the parish dance or on Tinder and someone asks you what they are like.
Tá sé/sí iontach deas – he/she is very nice could be one reply.
If the person were the type who would shower you with gifts, you could say tá siad iontach lách - they are very generous or iontach cineálta - very kind unless you are a bit of a doubting Thomas in which case you would think they were “up to something!”
An before an adjective means very so tá Seán an-chairdiúil - Seán is very friendly, tá Máire an-deas - Mary is very nice.
However, not everybody is a pillar of virtue the world is not a real-life version of The Waltons.
Drochdhuine amach is amach atá ann - he/she is a really bad person.
Of the traits we don’t particularly like, a person could be sprionlaithe - miserly or callánach - noisy, or falsa - lazy.
Duine saoithiúíl atá ann - he is an odd character; duine slítheánta atá inti - she’s a shifty character - but that’s enough about the American presidential election.
Actually, it’s not. How can one of the richest countries in the world produce two of the most unattractive people - not in looks but in their inherent traits - to lead it, to trust with its nuclear weapons, to nurture it’s children?
You really must fear for the world if this is the best America, which has always had a strong intellectual tradition, can come up with.
But one digresses.
You can say is maith liom é or í or you can go further.
Tá muinín agam ann/inti - I trust him/her.
That tells you a lot about a person, that they are ionraic - honest and dílis - loyal.
Of course, you can say níl muinín agam ann/into and that would say that the person is mí-ionraic - dishonest or mí-dhílis - disloyal.
(If you see mí- or neamh- before an adjective it means the opposite so dleathach is legal but mídhleathach is illegal. Ciontach is guilty while neamhchiontach is innocent.
Some of us take people as we see them and treat them as wonderful until we find out otherwise while others treat their fellow man with grave suspicion - until they find out otherwise.
And people change over time. The happy-go-lucky teenager could turn into the grumpy old man or woman further down the road on life’s journey. As long as we enjoy the good traits of others and put up with the bad, things should be okay!
CÚPLA FOCAL
cad é an cineál duine é/í?(cadge ay an kinyal dinya ay/ee) - what kind of person is he/she?
draoidín(dreejeen) - a shrimp of a man
liúdramán(lyoodramaan) - an idiot
tá sé/sí iontach deas
(taa shay/shee eentakh jaass) – he/she is very nice
tá siad iontachlách(taa shade eentakh layakh) - they are very generous
iontach cineálta(eentalj kinyalta) - very kind
tá Seán an-chairdiúl(taa shaan an-kharjooil) - Seán is very friendly
tá Máire an-deas(taa myra an-jass) - Mary is very nice.
drochdhuine amach is amach atá ann(drokh-ginya amakh iss amakh ataa un) - he is a really bad person
sprionlaithe(sprinleeha) - miserly
callánach(calanakh) - noisy
falsa(falsa) - lazy
duine saoithiúíl atá ann (dinya seeefoil ataa un) - he is an odd character
duine slítheánta atá inti(dinya shleehanta ataa intchee) - she’s a shifty character
Tá muinín agam ann/inti (taa mwinyeen ugum un)
ionraic(unrack) - honest
dílis(jeeleesh) - loyal
mí-ionraic(mee-unrack) - dishonest
mí-dhílis(mee-yeeleesh) - disloyal