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
20 core words in Middle Irish
Water
usce
/uske/
Fire
tene
/tene/
Sun
grían
/ɡrian/
Moon
ésca
/eːska/
Mother
máthair
/maːθirʲ/
Father
athair
/aθirʲ/
Eat
ithid
/iθʲiðʲ/
Drink
ól
/oːl/
Love
serc
/serk/
Heart
cride
/krʲiðʲe/
Tree
crann
/kran/
House
tech
/tex/
Dog
madra
/madra/
Cat
cat
/kat/
Hand
lám
/laːv/
Eye
súil
/suːlʲ/
Hello
fochen
/foxʲen/
Thank you
atlochur
/atloxur/
One
óen
/oin/
Good
maith
/maθʲ/
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 | Manx | Irish | Scottish Gaelic | Coast Tsimshian | Kalmyk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | usce /uske/ | uisce /ˈusʲkʲe/ | ushtey /ˈuʃtʲə/ | uisce /ɪʃcə/ | uisge /ɯʃkʲə/ | ax̱s /aχs/ | усн /usn/ |
| Fire | tene /tene/ | tene /tene/ | aile /ailʲ/ | tine /tʲɪnʲə/ | teine /ˈtʲɛnʲə/ | laḵw /laqʷ/ | гал /ɡal/ |
| Sun | grían /ɡrian/ | grían /ɡrian/ | grian /ɡriən/ | grian /ɡɾʲiən/ | grian /kɾʲiən/ | gyemk /ɡʲemk/ | нарн /narn/ |
| Moon | ésca /eːska/ | éscae /eːskai/ | eayst /eːst/ | gealach /ɟalax/ | gealach /kʲaɫəx/ | gemk /ɡemk/ | сар /sar/ |
| Mother | máthair /maːθirʲ/ | máthair /maːθirʲ/ | moir /mɔːɾ/ | máthair /mɑːhəɾʲ/ | màthair /maːhəɾʲ/ | naa /naː/ | ээҗ /eːdʒ/ |
| Father | athair /aθirʲ/ | athair /aθirʲ/ | ayr /ɛːr/ | athair /ahəɾʲ/ | athair /ahəɾʲ/ | baba /baba/ | аав /aːv/ |
| Eat | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ | gee /ɡʲiː/ | ith /ɪ/ | ith /i/ | lalji /laldʒi/ | иде /ide/ |
| Drink | ól /oːl/ | ibid /iβʲiðʲ/ | iu /juː/ | ól /oːl/ | òl /ɔːl/ | hoos /huːs/ | уу /uː/ |
| Love | serc /serk/ | serc /serk/ | graih /ɡraːx/ | grá /ɡɾɑː/ | gaol /kɯːl/ | ksu'hahkw /ksuʔhahkʷ/ | дурлх /durlx/ |
| Heart | cride /krʲiðʲe/ | cride /krʲiðʲe/ | cree /kɾiː/ | croí /kɾiː/ | cridhe /kɾʲiə/ | ootnasx̱ /oːtnasχ/ | зүркн /zyrˈkən/ |
| Tree | crann /kran/ | crann /kran/ | billey /ˈbilʲə/ | crann /kɾɑːn/ | craobh /kɾɯːv/ | gan /ɡan/ | модн /moˈdn̩/ |
| House | tech /tex/ | tech /tex/ | thie /tai/ | teach /tʲax/ | taigh /tʰɤj/ | walp /walp/ | гер /ɡer/ |
| Dog | madra /madra/ | cú /kuː/ | moddey /ˈmɔðə/ | madra /mɑdɾə/ | cù /kuː/ | hashasaa /haʃasaː/ | ноха /noxa/ |
| Cat | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | kayt /kat/ | cat /kɑt/ | cat /kʰat/ | doosgi /duːsɡi/ | миис /miːs/ |
| Hand | lám /laːv/ | lám /laːv/ | laue /lɛːu/ | lámh /lɑːv/ | làmh /ɫ̪aːv/ | an'oon /anʔoːn/ | һар /ɣar/ |
| Eye | súil /suːlʲ/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | sooill /suːlʲ/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | sùil /suːl/ | mooḵs /muːqs/ | нүдн /nyˈdn̩/ |
| Hello | fochen /foxʲen/ | fochen /foxʲen/ | moghrey mie /ˈmɔɣrə maɪ/ | dia duit /dʲiə dɪtʲ/ | halò /haloː/ | ndii ne /ndiː ne/ | менд /mend/ |
| Thank you | atlochur /atloxur/ | atlochur /atloxur/ | gura mie ayd /ˈɡura miː eːd/ | go raibh maith agat /ɡɔ ɾɛv mah aɡət/ | tapadh leat /tʰapə lʲɛt/ | t'oyaxsut nüsm /tʼojaχsut nysm/ | ханҗанав /xandʒanav/ |
| One | óen /oin/ | oín /oːin/ | nane /næn/ | aon /eːn/ | aon /ɯːn/ | ḵoo'iyaa /qoːʔijaː/ | негн /neɡn/ |
| Good | maith /maθʲ/ | maith /maθʲ/ | mie /maɪ/ | maith /mah/ | math /ma/ | am' /amʔ/ | сән /sæn/ |
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