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How Irish Gaelic Can Rewire Your Brain (Ep. 71)

How Irish Gaelic Can Rewire Your Brain

Did you know that by using Bitesize Irish Gaelic to learn the Irish language to make a connection to your past, with your ancestors, it rewires your brain?

What new connections does learning Irish Gaelic give to your Irish heritage? If you want to know more about this, listen to the 71st Bitesize Irish Gaelic Podcast episode.

The 71st Podcast episode tackles some interesting topics such as the importance of religion for the Irish Gaelic language and how words in Irish can give you a new perspective.

And as always, we’re featuring our listeners’ questions. Listen to this episode and hear the answers to Wendy’s questions who wanted a printed resource for pronouncing words in Irish, but also Daniel from Malta who wanted to know a little bit more about the connection between historical and cultural events, and the current state of the Irish language.

How Irish Gaelic Can Rewire Your Brain (Ep. 71) show notes:

Arrival movie – Sci-Fi movie

  • In this movie, the aliens arrive to different countries in the world. At first the humans can’t make out what they’re trying to communicate, if anything! It’s not clear what noises they’re making.
  • Over time, the scientists in the story start to crack the aliens’ language.
  • The movie is based on the premise that learning a new language can rewire your brain: by eventually learning the aliens’ language, the humans are able to gain a completely new perspective of the universe, a perspective that transcends time. Suddenly, the humans can see forward and backward in time.

By learning Irish Gaelic in pieces, you can rewire your brain. You can gain valuable insights into how your Irish ancestors thought. Some examples are:

  • Religion:
    • Dia duit: means hello. Covered in our Bitesize course. Dia mean God, and literally this phrase means “God with you”.
    • Don’t try to circumvent this, part of culture
  • Feelings
    • “Tá ocras orm” = I’m hungry. Literally “Hunger is upon me”

      • I’ve an awful hunger on me – an Hiberno-English phrase
  • Words can give you new perspective

    • Nuances, you get new insights
    • “Casta” – complicated. But also knotted, so complex.

Other? Let us know, and ask your questions.

Also mentioned on the podcast: Crack Irish Gaelic Pronunciation course on Udemy.

Record your questions on the podcast home page.

6 thoughts on “How Irish Gaelic Can Rewire Your Brain (Ep. 71)”

  1. MICHAEL R MACFADEN

    Is maith liom an focal “cuid”, an bhfuil tú cuid airgead?
    Talk about a language giving you a different perspective on life, there nothing quite like cuid in English.

    1. That’s great to hear, Michael! By the way, that sentence should probably be “Cá bhfuil do chuid airgid?” (Where is your money?).

      It certainly is a lovely asset to the Irish language!

      Siobhán

  2. Jesse Reynolds

    I really enjoy your podcasts. I think you’re cool and interesting. I’m fascinated by Celtic and Gaelic things. I love Dublin though I’ve never been. Keep it up and thank you for the entertainment and inspiration. Sincerely, Jesse

    1. Paula at Bitesize

      Thanks so much for the feedback Jesse and that’s lovely to hear you feel a connection with Irish Gaelic. Hope you make it for a visit to Ireland soon but in the meantime, Eoin’s will keep you updated with podcasts 🙂

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