March 17, 2010
Erin go bragh
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve compiled a list of English words with Irish roots. Because, although we’re not all lucky enough to be Irish, we should at least be grateful for the culture’s colorful contributions to our vocabulary:
banshee (n.) – In Irish folklore, a female spirit believed to presage, by wailing, a death in a family
1771, from Irish bean (“woman”) sídhe (“fairy”)
donnybrook (n.) – a rowdy brawl; a free-for-all
1852, from Donnybrook Fair, held annually in Donnybrook in County Dublin until 1855 and noted for its brawls
leprechaun (n.) – In Irish folklore, a fairy in the form of a little old man who can reveal a buried crock of gold to anyone who catches him
1604, from Irish leipreachán, form of lu (“small”) + chorpan (“body”)
An alternative source is leath (“half”) bhrógan (“shoer”), as the leprechaun is said to be a shoemaker by profession
shamrock (n.) – any of certain cloverlike plants with leaflets in groups of three; used as the emblem of Ireland
1571, from Irish seamróg, diminutive of seamar, meaning “clover”
smithereens (pl. n.) – small fragments or broken pieces; bits
1829, from Irish smidirin, diminutive of smiodar, meaning “little pieces”
whiskey (n.) - a liquor distilled from fermented mash of grain
1715, a shortened form of usquebaugh, from Irish uisce (“water”) beathadh (“of life”)
sources: Webster’s New World College Dictionary, thefreedictionary.com, Online Etymology Dictionary
Filed by rebecca at 7:25 am under For the love of words
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I had no idea “smithereens” was Irish. But simply looking at the word gives you a clue!
I love etymology.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! From one of Mediterranean descent to another!
Thanks, Steph! I (obviously) love etymology, too — just one more thing we have in common.
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