Gáedelg
Middle Irish
Indo-European (Celtic, Insular, Goidelic) · historical / hidden variety
Middle Irish is the Goidelic Celtic language of Ireland, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man and Galloway from approximately the 10th to 13th centuries CE — the bridge between Old Irish (sga, before c.900) and Early Modern Irish (~13th-17th c.) and ultimately the modern Goidelic languages: Irish (ga), Scottish Gaelic (gd) and Manx (gv). Lenition and nasalization mutations are fully developed; the Old Irish absolute/conjunct verb system simplifies; many features of the modern Goidelic languages crystallize. Major literary monuments include the great medieval Irish manuscripts (Lebor na hUidre c.1106, Book of Leinster c.1160), the Cycles of the Kings, and most of the surviving Cú Chulainn and Finn Cycle prose.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Middle Irish
Water
usce
/uske/
Fire
tene
/tene/
Sun
grían
/ɡrian/
Moon
ésca
/eːska/
Star
rétla
/ˈreːtla/
Mother
máthair
/maːθirʲ/
Father
athair
/aθirʲ/
I
mé
/mʲeː/
You
tú
/tuː/
Name
ainm
/anʲmʲ/
Eye
súil
/suːlʲ/
Hand
lám
/laːv/
Heart
cride
/krʲiðʲe/
Love
serc
/serk/
Tree
crann
/kran/
House
tech
/tex/
Dog
madra
/madra/
Cat
cat
/kat/
Eat
ithid
/iθʲiðʲ/
Drink
ól
/oːl/
One
óen
/oin/
Two
dá
/daː/
Hello
fochen
/foxʲen/
Thank you
atlochur
/atloxur/
Good
maith
/maθʲ/
Cuckoo
cúach
/ˈkuːax/
Sources
- McCone (1997) The Early Irish Verb
- Stokes & Strachan (1901-03) Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus
- Glottolog: midd1357
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Celtic, Insular, Goidelic) languages
| Meaning | Middle Irish | Old Irish | Irish | Manx | Scottish Gaelic | Low German | Old Prussian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | usce /uske/ | uisce /ˈusʲkʲe/ | uisce /ɪʃcə/ | ushtey /ˈuʃtʲə/ | uisge /ɯʃkʲə/ | Water /vɑːtɐ/ | undan /undan/ |
| Fire | tene /tene/ | tene /tene/ | tine /tʲɪnʲə/ | aile /ailʲ/ | teine /ˈtʲɛnʲə/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ | panno /panːo/ |
| Sun | grían /ɡrian/ | grían /ɡrian/ | grian /ɡɾʲiən/ | grian /ɡriən/ | grian /kɾʲiən/ | Sünn /zʏn/ | saule /saule/ |
| Moon | ésca /eːska/ | éscae /eːskai/ | gealach /ɟalax/ | eayst /eːst/ | gealach /kʲaɫəx/ | Maan /maːn/ | menins /menins/ |
| Star | rétla /ˈreːtla/ | rétla /ˈreːdla/ | réalta /ˈɾˠeːl̪ˠt̪ˠə/ | rollage /ˈrolaːɡ/ | reul /rial/ | Steern /steːrn/ | lauxnos /ˈlauksnɔs/ |
| Mother | máthair /maːθirʲ/ | máthair /maːθirʲ/ | máthair /mɑːhəɾʲ/ | moir /mɔːɾ/ | màthair /maːhəɾʲ/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ | mūti /muːti/ |
| Father | athair /aθirʲ/ | athair /aθirʲ/ | athair /ahəɾʲ/ | ayr /ɛːr/ | athair /ahəɾʲ/ | Vader /fɑːdɐ/ | tāws /taːws/ |
| I | mé /mʲeː/ | mé /mʲeː/ | mé /mʲeː/ | mee /miː/ | mi /mi/ | ik /ɪk/ | as /as/ |
| You | tú /tuː/ | tú /tuː/ | tú /t̪ˠuː/ | oo /uː/ | thu /u/ | du /duː/ | tū /tuː/ |
| Name | ainm /anʲmʲ/ | ainm /anʲmʲ/ | ainm /anʲəmʲ/ | ennym /ˈɛnəm/ | ainm /ˈɛnɛm/ | Naam /naːm/ | emnes /ˈemnes/ |
| Eye | súil /suːlʲ/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | sooill /suːlʲ/ | sùil /suːl/ | Oog /oːx/ | ackis /akis/ |
| Hand | lám /laːv/ | lám /laːv/ | lámh /lɑːv/ | laue /lɛːu/ | làmh /ɫ̪aːv/ | Hand /hant/ | rancko /ranko/ |
| Heart | cride /krʲiðʲe/ | cride /krʲiðʲe/ | croí /kɾiː/ | cree /kɾiː/ | cridhe /kɾʲiə/ | Hart /haɐt/ | sīran /siːran/ |
| Love | serc /serk/ | serc /serk/ | grá /ɡɾɑː/ | graih /ɡraːx/ | gaol /kɯːl/ | Leev /leːf/ | milīt /miliːt/ |
| Tree | crann /kran/ | crann /kran/ | crann /kɾɑːn/ | billey /ˈbilʲə/ | craobh /kɾɯːv/ | Boom /boːm/ | garrin /ˈɡarin/ |
| House | tech /tex/ | tech /tex/ | teach /tʲax/ | thie /tai/ | taigh /tʰɤj/ | Huus /huːs/ | butt /butː/ |
| Dog | madra /madra/ | cú /kuː/ | madra /mɑdɾə/ | moddey /ˈmɔðə/ | cù /kuː/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | sūns /suːns/ |
| Cat | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kɑt/ | kayt /kat/ | cat /kʰat/ | Katt /kat/ | katto /katːo/ |
| Eat | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ | ith /ɪ/ | gee /ɡʲiː/ | ith /i/ | eten /eːtn̩/ | īst /iːst/ |
| Drink | ól /oːl/ | ibid /iβʲiðʲ/ | ól /oːl/ | iu /juː/ | òl /ɔːl/ | drinken /drɪŋkn̩/ | poūton /poʊton/ |
| One | óen /oin/ | oín /oːin/ | aon /eːn/ | nane /næn/ | aon /ɯːn/ | een /eːn/ | ains /ains/ |
| Two | dá /daː/ | dá /daː/ | dó /d̪ˠoː/ | jees /dʒiːs/ | dà /taː/ | twee /tveː/ | dwai /dwai/ |
| Hello | fochen /foxʲen/ | fochen /foxʲen/ | dia duit /dʲiə dɪtʲ/ | moghrey mie /ˈmɔɣrə maɪ/ | halò /haloː/ | Moin /mɔɪn/ | kaīls /kaiːls/ |
| Thank you | atlochur /atloxur/ | atlochur /atloxur/ | go raibh maith agat /ɡɔ ɾɛv mah aɡət/ | gura mie ayd /ˈɡura miː eːd/ | tapadh leat /tʰapə lʲɛt/ | Dankschöön /daŋkʃøːn/ | dīnkun /diːnkun/ |
| Good | maith /maθʲ/ | maith /maθʲ/ | maith /mah/ | mie /maɪ/ | math /ma/ | good /ɡoːt/ | labs /labs/ |
| Cuckoo | cúach /ˈkuːax/ | — | cuach /kuəx/ | cooag /ˈkuːaɡ/ | cuthag /ˈkʰuhak/ | Kukuk /ˈkuːkuk/ | geguse /ɡɛˈɡuːzɛ/ |
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