Thank you Brid for this 'word of the day' idea, it's a real help.
As a beginner I'm totally stumped how one word can refer to 'hearing' and 'feeling', how is this ? How do you know which meaning is being used ?
Peter

One of the first steps in learning a second language is to realise that words can't usually just be swapped one-for-one between two languages. Any two similar words in two different languages will have areas of overlap and areas where the usage is different in each language.

In this case, airigh means "to perceive, to sense". You have five senses and hearing is one of them. So it makes sense to use airigh in Irish.

Níor airigh mé i gceart é means literally "I didn't quite sense that" meaning "I didn't quite hear what you said."

In English, this can be expressed as "I didn't quite catch it" but the verb "catch" wouldn't necessarily make much sense in other languages, since you are not literally catching anything in your hand, if you see what I mean.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thanks Brendan, good examples but I'm still finding it puzzling as 'hear' and 'feel' although both 'senses' are distinctly different senses. Obviously I can understand how one word might cover a general 'perception' and 'perception' could encompass 'seeing' or 'feeling' ( in the sense that 'feeling' meant 'sensation' formed in a way other than by physical touch)
I accept that Irish doesn't need to have a word for word counterpart in English but I would be genuinely surprised if the language didn't have distinct words for those two senses that more accurately conveyed their distinct differences.

Absolutely. The verb airigh has the two meanings previously discussed (although I would only have been vaguely familiar with the meaning 'hear'). However there are other verbs for 'to feel/perceive' (mothaigh / braith) and a specific verb for 'hear': Clois (or cluin).

Thank you Scooby. I'm banging away now at http://www.potafocal.com/Home.aspx , feeding in these various words . I'm sure it's painful for more experienced linguists to have to field such basic questions but I'm finding that one basic question leads me into hours of 'lateral' enquiry and this is helping me make progress, so thanks again.
Peter

Welcome to our world!

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