Go mbeannaí Dia daoibh and sure aren’t you all welcome to the Bluffer’s Guide to Irish, sponsored this week by Louis Vuitton. This is because the Bluffer is going to delve into the world of málaí - bags and their contents.
You can have a mála droma - a backpack, mála caipéisí - a briefcase, cás maisiúcháin - a vanity case however, we’ll leave the fanny pack untranslated.
Now, if there were an eighth secret of Fatima it would deal with the contents of a woman’s mála láimhe - a handbag however, both sexes would have some of the same things contained therein.
Eochracha - keys are one thing, coimeádán cártaí - a cardholder for your bank cards, gym pass, library ticket, bus pass (if you are a certain age) and so on.
There might even be goma coganta - chewing gum because you don’t want the bouquet of last night’s pastie supper lingering on your breath at a business meeting.
Women however, will have varying amounts of smideadh - make-up in their bags, from béaldath - lipstick to ciarsúir - tissues and much else beyond the imaginative ambit of the Bluffer.
“But what is in your bag, dear Bluffer,” I hear you cry?
Well, let’s have a look, shall we?
The Bluffer has earned the title of Dora the Explorer because of his £8 bag from Dunne’s but it contains all he needs for a typical day.
One section carries his ríomhaire glúine - laptop, téacsleabhar Spáinnise - a Spanish text book for study time, some printed A4 pages relating to a tionscadal - a project he is working on and a kindle because he likes reading when on public transport.
A second section has the aforementioned bum/fanny bag which contains his tech.
There is the inevitable luchtaire iniompartha gutháin - portable phone charger, cáblaí - cables of all shapes and sizes, péire spéaclaí - a pair of glasses and cluasáin gan sreang - wireless earphones.
Given the weather we have been having there is space for a hata - a hat, miotóga - gloves and a piece of clothing for which he doesn’t know the Irish, to whit, a snood.
Cad é tá i do mhála? - What is in your bag? is a question you might be asked at an airport, shop or a nightclub (in case you have a half-bottle of Smirnoff or illegal substances hidden therein).
Some people, however, need to have things in their bags which might be construed by others.
Those wee white pills might be because you suffer from gout or have had a heart attack and the úraitheoir anála - breath freshener is in case you get up close and personal to an
Adele song at the aforementioned nightclub.
But the simple bag has been fundamental for the development of human civilization, as wikipedia notes, “as they allow people to easily collect loose materials such as berries or food grains, and to transport more items than could readily be carried in the hands.”
The contents have changed but the bag remains the same.
CÚPLA FOCAL
málaí (maalee) - bags
mála droma (maala druma) - a backpack
mála caipéisí(maala capayshee) - a briefcase
cás maisiúcháin(caas mashookhaan) - a vanity case
mála láimhe(maala laava) - a hand bag
eochracha(awkhraha) - keys
coimeádán cártaí(kimidaan cartee) - a cardholder
goma coganta(goma coganta) - chewing gum
smideadh(smidgeoo) - make-up
béaldath(bayldah) - lipstick
ciarsúir(keersoor) - tissues
ríomhaire glúine(reeooera gloonya) - laptop
téacsleabhar Spáinnise (chaykslore spaanyeesha) - a Spanish text book
tionscadal (chunscadal) - a project
luchtaire iniompartha gutháin(lukhtera inumperha goohaan) - portable phone charger
cáblaí (caablee) - cables
péire spéaclaí (payra spayklee) - a pair of glasses
cluasáin gan sreang (clooasaan gun sraang) - wireless earphones
hata (hata) - a hat
miotóga (mitawga) - gloves
Cad é tá i do mhála? (cadge ay taa i daw wala) - What is in your bag?
úraitheoir anála (ooreehore anaala) - breath freshener
