English to Scottish Gaelic and Irish (Gaelic)

In Irish:

There are several options: Eilís [elleesh], Lís [leesh] all from Elizabeth.

The native Irish name Laoise [leesha] might be substituted.

Another name might be Sibéal [shibael].

It could also be Lisa: many Gaelic-speakers do not 'translate' their first names even when using their Gaelic surname.

Alba, pronounced as 'all-apa' is the (Scottish) Gaelic.

Since we get a lot of question on this site from Americans and others who refer to Irish as 'Gaelic', it is necessary to say the Irish (Gaelic) is Albain.

It seems like in Ireland Jessica is used even with the last name in Irish;

in Scottish Gaelic is is equated with Jessie which is Deasag/Seasag/Seasaidh.

D'Arcy is a French surname meaning 'from the village of Arcy' - it isn't Irish in origin.

Actually, while D'Arcy is French, the Darcy surname has origins in Ireland too. The Irish for Darcy is Ó Dhorcaigh, or Ó Dhorchaidhe, which translated back into English means "Descendant of the Dark One".

Gaelic is a term that encompasses two distinct languages: an Irish variety and a Scottish variety.

"In Irish sí gaoithe (shee geeha) is 'a sudden blast of wind; a small whirlwind (regarded as a 'fairy wind' through mistaken association with sí, spirit world, an unrelated word); a flurry of dust on the road (considered bad luck). Derived from sí gaoithe, gust of wind." (A Dictionary of Hiberno-English: the Irish Use of English)

In Scottish Gaelic: sìth-ghaoth.

Most Irish people have some words of Irish, as it is a compulsory school subject.

In the last census, in 2006, 41.9% of the population said they speak Irish to some extent.

Around 10% are fluent speakers. Estimates suggest it is the first language of around 2 or 3% of the population.

It is difficult to quantify it in percentage terms. Most Irish people would have some Irish, as it is a compulsory subject in schools, and many words are commonly used in Ireland by English speakers that are actually Irish words. For example, the word used for a head of government in Ireland is Taoiseach, pronounced Tee Shock. You wouldn't often hear the words Prime Minister being used to refer to an Irish head of government, so when you do hear it, it is normally associated with the British Prime Minister. Taoiseach doesn't mean Prime Minister; it is an old Irish word for a leader or chieftain. There are lots of words like that that are used on a day to day basis by English speakers in Ireland. The Irish language is present in other ways too, like in placenames and the names of some organisations. However, the amount of people that speak Irish fluently and as their first language is quite small. An Irish speaking area, where the language is spoken on a daily basis as the first language, is known as a Gaeltacht. These are small areas, nearly all of which are on the west coast in counties like Donegal, Galway and Kerry, amongst others. You will get some more information on some websites. Try the two related links below for a start.

The Irish government has been less than candid about the state of the language and a recent government study (leaked to the media) gave the language another 20 years at the present rate. The language really only serves a symbolic function, The idea that the language is doing well is a pious fiction. Aidan Doyle's book states that for "propaganda reasons" the Irish government wildly exaggerates the number of speakers as well as the unreliable census reports. People with little Irish reporting themselves as Irish speakers. "There are not more than 10,000 native speakers left, most of then over the age of 40". The reasons given for the decline of Irish are:

- Modern communication and suburbanisation of the last Gaeltachtaí

- A large influx of English-speaking vacation-home owners

- Competition from video, internet, mobile phone

He states the language seems doomed to extinction within a few decades as a language of everyday communication.

As a comparison, Scottish Gaelic had 58,000 speakers and the Celtic (but not Gaelic) Welsh had over 200,000 speakers.

Bh at the beginning of a word is 'w' in Galway and Donegal if followed by a/o/u

and 'v' if followed by e/i. In Cork and Kerry it is 'v' in both cases and this is the case in Scottish Gaelic as well.

Medially and finally is more problematic as it varies by dialect even within Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Wikipedia has an article on Scottish Gaelic phonology and Irish phonology that can explain in more detail.

bob: (of hair) bob; bob scoilte (hair parting); bob leicinn (hair parted to one side);

a fringe of hair over forehead; bob eireabaill(bobtail).

bob: stump, game target; boba bhualadh ar dhuine(to play a trick on someone);

Buaileadh bob orm (I was had).