Love this so much! Learning Irish over the last four years has changed my life in every possible way and the ways in which Irish encodes relational ways of being is one of the things I love about an Ghaeilge. I love that phrase le chéile and also meitheal because I feel like both really capture that sense of togetherness of life live in relation.
Loved reading this Dian thankyou! Very interesting to learn about the underlying cultural significance of language. I agree- love is all important- for those we don’t know or are yet to meet as well as those we know. We are all in this together XX
Ah, reading this is like opening the window and inhaling the sweet smell of spring grass. I've never liked referring to my "together-person" as "husband." When I learn how to pronounce "fear chéili," that's what I'll use!
GRMA/thanks so much Lynda for being such a consistent reader :) Glad this post gave you some fresh air! That's my intention! And to inspire! (which is taking in air! :)
Here's how you pronounce FEAR CHÉILI: "far - hay-luh."
(There can be quite a difference between dialects, with Ulster especially often quite different but if you listen to native speakers saying FEAR on Teanglann, it's pretty consistent across dialects: https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/fuaim/fear ).
To hear native speakers say these words on Teanglann, click on the far right button, FOGHRAÍOCHT. Click on the maps of Ireland to hear the different dialects. So cool! Tá sé go hiontach!
And friendly reminder, you can also just say "chéile" /hay-luh/ to say spouse). Or even sweeter, say " mo stór" which is a term of endearment (dear, sweetheart) but literally means "my treasure." "Is tú mo stór" literally is, "You are my treasure!" How's that? Rather than gaining material property or wealth though marriage, your "chéile" is the treasure! :)
Interesting concepts there Dian... I'm thinking too of the word Cheili which is the Irish for a get together, a dance with a group of people. It all fits!
Cinnte! Tá an ceart agat! If you check out the link to “chéile’ in TEANGLANN there’s a huge list of expressions too. IMO shows how important this quality is in Irish culture. I’ll be writing more about this in weeks to come. GRMA for reading and commenting! 🥰
Love this so much! Learning Irish over the last four years has changed my life in every possible way and the ways in which Irish encodes relational ways of being is one of the things I love about an Ghaeilge. I love that phrase le chéile and also meitheal because I feel like both really capture that sense of togetherness of life live in relation.
Cinnte!!!
I hear this from so many people—that learning Irish has changed their life! It is a magical language, full of draíocht!
Loved reading this Dian thankyou! Very interesting to learn about the underlying cultural significance of language. I agree- love is all important- for those we don’t know or are yet to meet as well as those we know. We are all in this together XX
Thanks so much Clare for reading. And I appreciate your thought as well. William Penn would agree! 😸
Ah, reading this is like opening the window and inhaling the sweet smell of spring grass. I've never liked referring to my "together-person" as "husband." When I learn how to pronounce "fear chéili," that's what I'll use!
GRMA/thanks so much Lynda for being such a consistent reader :) Glad this post gave you some fresh air! That's my intention! And to inspire! (which is taking in air! :)
Here's how you pronounce FEAR CHÉILI: "far - hay-luh."
(There can be quite a difference between dialects, with Ulster especially often quite different but if you listen to native speakers saying FEAR on Teanglann, it's pretty consistent across dialects: https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/fuaim/fear ).
CÉILI is also consistent across dialects: https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/fuaim/c%c3%a9ile ).
To hear native speakers say these words on Teanglann, click on the far right button, FOGHRAÍOCHT. Click on the maps of Ireland to hear the different dialects. So cool! Tá sé go hiontach!
Note that when you add the "h" (because this is an adjective in "fear chéile") chéile is pronounced /Hay-luh/. Céile (without the 'h") is pronounced KAY-luh. You can hear chéile here: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=how+do+you+pronounce+ch%C3%A9ile+in+Irish%3F#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:639ce85e,vid:CndxGAVlmrI,st:0
And friendly reminder, you can also just say "chéile" /hay-luh/ to say spouse). Or even sweeter, say " mo stór" which is a term of endearment (dear, sweetheart) but literally means "my treasure." "Is tú mo stór" literally is, "You are my treasure!" How's that? Rather than gaining material property or wealth though marriage, your "chéile" is the treasure! :)
Oh -and "mo stór" is pronounced: "moe store." Hear stór here:
https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/fuaim/st%C3%B3r. also consistent across dialects. Phew! :)
Interesting concepts there Dian... I'm thinking too of the word Cheili which is the Irish for a get together, a dance with a group of people. It all fits!
Cinnte! Tá an ceart agat! If you check out the link to “chéile’ in TEANGLANN there’s a huge list of expressions too. IMO shows how important this quality is in Irish culture. I’ll be writing more about this in weeks to come. GRMA for reading and commenting! 🥰