The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #18074 Message #2447590
Posted By: GUEST,Daithi
22-Sep-08 - 04:32 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Baidin Fhaidhlimi
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baidin Fhaidhlimi
Aine said:
"I translated bóidheach as 'silly' because that was the word that was given to me by my Irish teacher, who was from Donegal. There is no word 'bóidheach' in any modern Irish dictionary that I've seen. However, there is the word 'boidheach' in Scots Gaelic that does mean 'pretty'; but, there is no fada on the 'o'. It could very well that 'bóidheach' is the same word as 'boidheach'. My teacher, who had a masters degree in the Irish language, researched the word and 'silly' or 'foolish' was the translation that she settled on."
It is not in all of the smaller dictionaries but is in Dineen as beautiful or pretty. Remember that Gola and Tory are in the Gaoth Dobhair and Cnoc Fola area and the Irish spoken there is Ulster Irish which is a bit closer to Scots Gaelic than Munster or Connaught Irish. A couple of native speakers from the Teileann - Gleann Cholm Cille area have told me that the Irish in Tory can be tough even for them as native Ulster speakers.
Also, givin that all of the other adjectives describing the little boat are positive a more positive translation makes sense. Besides, for foolish or silly Donegal speakers would likely use "amaideach".