Let’s take a bitesized look at how to say puppy and some dog-related terms in Irish!
The Irish word for puppy is coileán /kwil-awn/
The word for dog is madra /modd-er-ah/. This is the Munster pronunciation, and as you can hear it features an epinthetic vowel – that is to say that it sounds as though there is an additional ‘e’ between the letters ‘d’ and ‘r‘.
In the Connacht dialect it is pronounced /modd-uh/
The Ulster dialect pronunciation is /modd-oo/
If we want to say ‘the dog had puppies’ we say bhí coileáin ag an madra /vee kwil-aw-in eg un modd-er-ah/
Another word for dog is gadhar /gye-ur/
The word for hound is cú /koo/
You may recognise this word from the name of the mythical Irish hero Cú Chulainn. According to legend, his birth-name was Setanta, however he gained the name Cú Chulainn having slayed the fierce guard dog belonging to a smith named Culann in self defence. He offered to take the hound’s place until a replacement was reared, and so became known as the “Hound of Culann”.
So, you ask, what is the Irish for guard dog? Well, that’s cú cosanta /koo kuss-in-thah/
And while we’re at it, the Irish for watch dog is madra faire /modd-er-ah fah-yrr-eh/
They both bark a lot. The Irish for bark is tafann /thof-un/
‘Let sleeping dogs lie’ is an English language expression, and a good one, but lets finish with some words of advice in Irish:
Ná bíodh do lámh i mbéal an mhadra agat /Naw bee-ukh duh law-iv ih mee-ul un vodd-er-ah a-guth/
Literally translated this means “Don’t have your hand in the dog’s mouth”. The message, a chara, is ‘don’t invite trouble’!
Your language sounds difficult. PRONUNCIATION IS OFF MY RADAR!! I would love to understand Gaelic in tribute to my Irish ancestors, but I do not have a “good ear” for languages.
Hi Barbara, the pronunciation is certainly tricky for beginner learners but if you practice a little every day you might be surprised by how quickly you progress. Ben
Ulster irish word for dog is spelled like madadh as far as I’m aware.
Físeán go maith, grma😀
Yes indeed Sarah, ‘madadh’ is an alternative spelling for the Ulster form. Likewise, the alternative spelling for Connacht dialect is ‘mada’. Nonetheless, the standardised spelling for all dialects that you will find in the dictionary is ‘madra’: https://www.focloir.ie/ga/dictionary/ei/dog
For reasons of clarity I thought it best to adhere to this standarised spelling, and to focus on the differences in pronunciation between the three main dialects.
Tá áthas om gur thaitin an fhíseán leat 😉
Ben
Interesting both an English language expression and the one with words of advice in Irish, also the reference to mythical Irish hero. It”s of great value in learning to see how the given words develop and function in different expressions or seanfhocail. It provides a deeper insight into the language.
Go raibh maith agat, a Ben 😊 ☘️
Míle buíochas, a Anna😉
Enjoyed the bitesized Irish today. I’m actually taking an online Irish course – not grabbing on very quickly, tho. Thanks for the sounds here.
You’re very welcome, Nancy.
Emma