I'm not sure where I got níos álainne from, but níos áille seems to be the more common form. The Cork Irish dictionary gives both.


I think sásta could be a better word than áthas. Sásta is "happy" as in content or satisfied with life. Áthas is more like joy or delight. The English word happy can mean both, but in Irish you have to be a bit more specific. I suppose Erin will have to decide which kind of hapiness she had in mind.

I'm not sure about gearrachailí. That means "girls" as in children. Cailíní are "girls" as in young women (but it sometimes gets used for children too). Again, it's up to Erin to decide what kind of girls we're talking about.

Lots of good suggestions from Cian for the other phrases.


What's the literal translation of Catih an saol le súp? Spend life with soup?

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Táim ag foghlaim fós. Fáilte roimh gach aon cheartúchán.

Could you post the link where you found that on the Cork Irish dictionary? I can't find it and I would like to see it.

The old Irish superlative equivalent is "as áilldem" > as/is áille (as is: an tseanachopail choibhneasta)



Saol na Mná (Leabhar Mhaidhc Dháith: Scéalta agus Seanchas ón Rinn pg. 206/207)

"Bunóc nú Bunóicín (Bunócán) nú siotalach is ea í go siúlóidh sí"
"Futhalach a thabharthá ar leanbh a bheadh ag tosní ar shiúl"
"Ó Leath-bhliain amach ghlaodhthá leanbh (uirthi go dtí) go raghaidh sí ar scoil"
"Páiste go bhfágfaidh sí scoil"
"Gearrachaile t'réis scoile"
"Cailín óg nuair a bheidh sí oiriúnach chun pósadh"
"Bean nuair a bheidh sí pósta"
"Seanabhean nuair a bheidh a clann tóighthe aici"
"Seana-rabhrach, bean nár phós riamh" nú "Scampla"



Hmmm I am not sure, I just know of the phrase that is quite common in Kerry. I don't know whether it comes from "soup", though soup is anraith and I do not know whether the good people of Kerry have decided to say "súp" for anraith, I hope not! You could also say:

Bain sult/ só/ taitneamh as an saol

Another saying they have in Corca Dhuibhne is "lá fé'n dtor (aitinn)" (A day of doing nothing, literally a day of being under the (furze) bush/shrub , so anything is possible with the Ciarraidhigh/ Ciarraígh)

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http://corkirish.wordpress.com/my-irish ... ictionary/

Edit: Oh wait, were you looking for the dictionary itself, or do you have the dictionary and are looking for the word álainne? It's at the bottom of page 28, under the heading álainn.


This is good stuff. But when was it written? Gearrachaile t'réis scoile could be as young as 12, maybe younger depending on the times.

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thanks for that!



I wasn't disagreeing with you at all regarding the use of gearrachaile v cailín . I was just giving what girls would be called at different points in their lives. "Gearrachaile" is a girl from about 12 until she reaches marrying age, which depends 16-18, where she'd then be called a "cailín óg". And upon marraige, a "bean".

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Thank you all sooooo much for helping! I really appreciate the feedback and assistance! I'm so glad I was turned on to this website, otherwise I'd have no idea where to start. Haha!

, no bother!

So far we have:

(a) Happy girls are the prettiest girls:

'Siad na gearr(a)chailí (GM)*1/ cailíní (CO)*2 is sásta na gearrachailí/cailíní is áille
The happiest girls are the most beautiful girls

or

'Siad na gearrachailí is sásta is áille
The happiest girls are the most beautiful girls

or Mick's:




(b) Live the life you love, love the life you live

You can't translate this one directly because firstly it will loose its alliteration and secondly its not compatible. I've had to tweak them:

Caith an saol is mian leat agus caith é le sonas

Spend/Live the life you wish and live it with happiness

or just:

Caith an saol le súp (GM. Kerry)*3/ le sonas/ le ceol

Spend/Live live with happiness/ music (idiomatic)

or simply:

Bain ceol as an saol

Take/Seize the music out of your life, idiomatic for live life to the full

or

Bain sonas/súp as an saol

Take/Seize the happiness out of life

or

Bain sult/ só/ taitneamh as an saol

Take/Seize enjoyment out of life


(c) Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart

Pé áit go dtéir/dtéann tú, téir ann le croí lán (GM)*2

Wherever place you go, go there with a full heart

or

Cibé áit a dtéann tú, téir ann le croí lán (CO)*3

Wherever place you go, go there with all your heart

Any other suggestions or input from others?

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I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply back to all of you! Thank you SO MUCH for all of your help and suggestions on these quotations!!

We decided to go with "Happy girls are the prettiest girls" in this phrase:

'Siad na gearrachailí is sásta is áille

If for some reason someone feels strongly that this isn't the direction we should go, please let me know! We're planning to get the tattoos on Aug. 22 and I just want to make sure that we aren't being ignorant and getting something that is interpreted incorrectly when we go to Ireland.

Again, thank you thank you thank you!!

Erin

maybe change gearchailí to cailíní, cailín is more common in Irish. Gearrchailí is more restricted to Munster Irish and refers to younger girls between the ages of 11-17/18.

gearrchaile/ cailín are derived from caile (the veiled one i.e maiden, girl; derivative: caillech witch, woman, nun) from Latin pallium veil.

gearrchaile meaning the short veiled one
cailín little veiled one

Cian

Cian

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I definitely agree that using cailíní makes more sense. (cailín = one girl; cailíní = plural)

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I will make the change, thank you Cian! It does make more sense that way.