"iontach" anything is much more common in Donegal than the use of "an".

Sin sin,
Féabar

I thought that iontach was usually translated (or should that be - transposed ?) into Irish English - as powerful.

(As an Irish person) I agree with Lughaidh's comments entirely. I also agree with Redwolf's interpretation of 'quite likely', but I wouldn't see 'quite good' as being as positive.

In general 'very' and 'quite' are nothing like each other in meaning. Unlike Mick, I don't know anyone who would say 'It's fair cold'. I'm from Dublin but I often speak to my wife's relatives who live in Cavan, Donegal and Louth. Perhaps I haven't been listening closely enough!

To me 'It's quite cold' = 'it's fairly cold'. Although, the very fact that someone chooses to make the statement 'It's quite cold' means that they are feeling the cold and so it's probably an understatement. I would understand 'It's fair cold' in the same way, I suppose.

In judging performance of any kind, 'fairly good' means 'not quite good enough to describe as good', while 'very good' is just below 'excellent'. Interesting to hear other interpretations though.

My wife's relatives from Cavan say 'it's not too hectic' meaning 'not that great'. 'Hectic' just means 'extremely busy' to me.

I agree with everything in Scooby's post agus is Éireannach mise freisin!

_________________

To me, there's not much difference between quite, fair and very. Quite sounds a bit posh, and fair sounds more "rough and ready" (as my mother would say). Very would be more neutral in tone. I'm from Kilkenny, and it really is "fair cold" down here today.


I'm with you on this one. Hectic means busy to me as well. I'm sure I've heard it the other way too, but I'm not sure where.

People shouldn't complain about differences between Irish dialects, because English is much much worse (It's fair bad, altogether!) Let's hope Breandán never thinks about adding an English Learner's Section to this forum. I think the native speakers would have more questions than the learners.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who confirmed that "iontach fuar" is a common Ulster expression. I wonder if that's how it appears in the Buntús Cainte book, or if the Radió Fáilte people changed it to bring it in line with the Ulster dialect.

_________________
Táim ag foghlaim fós. Fáilte roimh gach aon cheartúchán.

English Learner's Forum (ELF) 'Twould be a war zone.


I think Buntús had deas te "nice and warm", which feels milder than iontach te "wonderfully warm". So yes, they changed it.

_________________
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).

You know that is what we learners of Irish need to remember - that there are many different ways to say the same thing in English so why do we complain when the same happens in Irish?

As a learner of Irish, there are two important things to learn on day one:
1. when you are unsure of something and say the wrong thing, mutter 'it's a dialect thing' and move swiftly on.
2. when you don't know the Irish word for something, say the English one and add, 'mar a dearfá' and then it just seems that you are comfortable slipping in and out of both languages and may even add to the authenticity.

_________________

when it's a verb, use the English verb and add -áil at the end and it'll be ok: jumpáil, etc

_________________
Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

, sure that all they do in Conamara, sorry Bríd, Breandán sly dig

_________________

Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

I wouldn't think so, cuibheasach/ cuíosach in my neck of the woods (Waterford, Cork) is used to mean alright, fair and from what I've heard of Kerry speakers it seems to mean fair/ alright/ ok as well

Conas/ cionnas do bhí an aimsir inniuimh?

Dheara, do bhí sí/sé cuibheasach fuar agus bog inniuimh- Era, it was kinf of cold and overcast today

And then very- an(a); fíor and ró are used. I can see why Conamara and Ulster speakers use íontach maith- to express very good srl... nice phrasing

ana mhaith
fíor- dheas, fíor- the
ró- dheas (very nice/ to nice (in a positive way)

_________________

Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice