I'm writing a blog post on colors in Irish, and I want to be sure I don't give misinformation.

I know, of course, that one uses "rua" for hair or fur and "dearg" for such things as red cars or red dresses, but what term would one use in Irish for, say, a red rose or a red apple? What about bricks or rust? Chili flakes?

Likewise, I know that "glas" refers to naturally green things, such as grass, and that it's also used to mean "grey" when speaking of a horse or a dog. Does this also apply to birds? Would a grey goose be gé ghlas or gé liath?

GRMA!

Redwolf

In the Easy Irish lesson number 25, it says -
-tá mé ag tabhairt úll dearg duit.
www.easyirish.com/easy-irish-podcasts/l ... 5-to-give/

(I've no idea what it sounds like, so if the pronunciation isn't any good, don't blame me - or as they have it in a certain West Country song - don't tell I, tell 'ee, is my philosophy )

As far as I know, "rua(dh)" is only used, in Modern Irish, to describe hair (of people, animals, hair of the head as well as the hair of the body).
Dearg is for everything else (including birds' feathers since one says broinn dhearg etc)

For glas/liath I'm not competent, but you'll find examples in Tobar na Gaedhilge... definitely a must-have (or must-download) if one wants to know if one word exists in Donegal, how it's used, what is its plural etc

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

I have heard redwood described as "adhmad rua," which is consistent with its color, but I'm not sure how accurate that is.

I think that would be correct. It's not bright red and it's natural.

Cárróg Liath - grey crow
Gealbhan Liath - grey finch
Glasóg - wagtail
Glasóg Cheannliath - greyheaded wagtail
Rí Rua - Chaffinch
Cuilire Broinnrua - Red-Breasted Flycatcher
Seabhac Ruadh - red hawk
Laidhrín Dearg - Redshank
Spideog Broinndearg - robin redbreast (broinndeargán fr. Wingléacht)
Deargéadan - redpoll
(Birds - a few I know myself and the rest from this site -
http://indigo.ie/~cocaomh/English-Irish ... ionary.htm)

Cailleach rua - loach (wingléacht)
lannach glas - grey mullet
Breac geal - sea trout


http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Irelands ... fault.aspx

"What about bricks or rust? Chili flakes?"
bricks - I think we had a discussion about that somewhere before. I suppose it depends on what is making the bricks red, is it natural or artificial. I'm not sure really.

Rust - Rua, I think.

Chili - dearg, probably, I don't know.

I know "red sand" is "gaineamh rua". (An Cheathrú Rua)

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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GRMA! Yes, we did have a discussion about bricks, but I can't remember what the conclusion was. I think you asked your brother or a cousin, but I don't remember what he said.

Redwolf