What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 30 Jul 16 - 04:59 PM

"In modern Irish pring,..."


I suspect that should be "print",,,

Regards

p.s. I love the precision of "having an 'h'..."!

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Jul 16 - 04:01 PM

"In modern Irish pring,..."


huh? whatsa pring?

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 30 Jul 16 - 07:19 AM

eftifino - your spelling is wrong - mathair, mo mhathair
(father - athair , my father m'athair)

song challenge to write a song with "mise le meas" in it. Séamus Kennedy?

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: Thompson
Date: 30 Jul 16 - 06:53 AM

…though the 'th' sound used to be sounded rather than silent, as recently as the 16th century, which is why Stonybatter (Stony-bóthar) is so pronounced still, rather than being pronounced Stonybohar as it would be today.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: eftifino
Date: 30 Jul 16 - 05:39 AM

I'm going to put my Floirin's worth. Yes, Mise, le Meas means Respectfully Yours.

As Thompson notes, the Irish alphabet can be a bit of a minefield, as well as pronunciations. For example, for many Irish people, to this day, it is impossible to get your tongue around the 'Th" sound, Hence the 'DIS, DAT, DESE, DOSE' way of speech. In modern Irish pring, having an 'h' is a substitute for the old dot, or buailte sign over letters, signifying they were to be aspirated. For example M( buailte) is now mh and is pronounced as a soft v or even silent, depending on the Munster, Connacht or other dialect.

Mather ( mother) is pronounced MawHer. Note the T is silent, so no th sound.
but Mo Mhather (My Mother) is pronounced Muh WawHer

70 years old, in Australia for 45 years and still remember the odd scraps!

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 29 Jul 16 - 09:32 PM

Yiz are tearin' the arse out of what could have been a lovely stupid thread with all your serious answers. No mas! Oh wait.....

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: Thompson
Date: 29 Jul 16 - 05:46 PM

Incidentally, if they think about it, the French 'r' sound is easy for Irish-speakers, because it's more or less the same sound as 'gh' in Irish.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: Thompson
Date: 29 Jul 16 - 05:45 PM

To be serious for a moment —

it means:

I am, with respect,

(to which is added your name.)

The pronunciation is, roughly, Iss MISH-uh luh MASS.

It's a formal closure to a letter. Less formal is:

Do chara

(to which is added your name.)

This means "Your friend", and is pronounced Dhuh KHORRuh.

A note on this pronunciation: the general 'd' and 't' sounds in Irish are pronounced more or less as in French; in other words, the tongue doesn't just tip off the back of the top teeth, as in English, but the tip rests on the bottom teeth while the spot about a finger's breadth back from the tip makes the 'd' or 't' sound. This is why a lot of Irish people appear to pronounce 'th' as 't' or 'd' to an English or Anglophone ear; they're pronouncing it in the Gaelic/French manner.

The 'ch' sound in Irish ('loch', 'chara' is not as raspy as the Spanish 'j' sound; it's closer to 'h', but it's an 'h' sounded with the tongue raised almost as if to say 'k', but with the breath wafting through as if to sound 'h'.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Jul 16 - 05:12 AM

Well, there was no BS section when this thread began. But even then, we usually put linguistic questions in the folklore category. They often have broad connection to music, so we leave them in the music section.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: Felipa
Date: 28 Jul 16 - 06:43 AM

not if they are writing in Irish, Bob; then it's simply a formal ending to a letter, similar to "yours sincerely" or "respectively yours". "Meas" means respect, and yes the pronounciation is closer to "mas" than to "mees" - somewhere between mas and mes, I'd say.

have looked at early contributions now -- I enjoyed Séamus Kennedy's made up interpretation. But this discussion could have ended in 1999 as there were some correct answers then. Fergm1 got it

Perhaps this should be a BS thread. I don't know that the expression is used in any songs. And there certainly are some bs contributions to the thread!

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: GUEST,bob o marley
Date: 28 Jul 16 - 06:28 AM

People use it to create the impression that they are special ...more Irish than others

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: keberoxu
Date: 15 Mar 16 - 03:31 PM

Rest in peace, katlaughing, or laugh in peace if you prefer. Your attempt meant well!

And to put the French Farmhouse -- "mas" -- to bed once and for all, I never see that word without thinking of the south of France, where many such houses can be found, and the Gipsy Kings, who when they made their fortunes, for the most part invested in real estate for each household. In their official biography, "Parce que nous sommes gitans," written by Francois Mattei, there are frequent references to this or that "mas" in which a family has been installed.

When I saw Is mise le meas, though, the first thing that came to mind was, Messe ocus Pangur Bán. "Myself and Pangur Bán," of course. White pussy cat stalking mice in a monk's hermitage. There's a happy image.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: GUEST,Murphy
Date: 15 Mar 16 - 11:47 AM

Ah, sure yer all fecking mad!

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jun 13 - 09:20 PM

Some amount of gobshitery on this thread.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 16 Jan 10 - 04:51 PM

Here is GUEST,999's URL, blickified:

IrishTranslator

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 09:37 PM

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:vgDsm7uT7V0J:www.irishgaelictranslator.com/translation/topic53930.html+Is+mise+le+mas&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le m(e)as mean?
From: GUEST,me
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 12:30 PM

Mise is my name its irish pronuced Misha

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: GUEST,tir chonaill abú
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 04:27 AM

i am a native speaker from ireland and the question in which u ask simply means when used at the end of a letter

kind regards.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: GUEST,mick, The Peoples Republic of Cork.
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 02:09 AM

So there is truth in that line in the song so..

¨The devil is dead and buried in Killarney
Some say he rose again¨ but obviously instead of joining the british army he joined the tax office and now signs all tax letters personally!

Wheres Mulder and Scully, I bet still investigating the disappearance of Beamish or some other horse nonsense.

;-)

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 11:46 PM

Of course, Mischa Le Masse is the Russian-French great grandfather of Sean Lemass, or so I've been led to believe. He was a world-renowned ballet-dancer in his day, famous for his grand-jetés, among other things.

Seamus

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: GUEST,The Hurler in the Ditch
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 10:12 PM

There used to be in the 60s a culchie joke along the lines that rural folks could be relied on to vote FF because they were always getting letters signed by that nice Mr Lemass.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 06 Jan 09 - 01:57 PM

Esteemed, sorry, Estranged Guest - I do believe Martin Ryan nailed it on the 19th of November. Now come on, tell the truth and shame the devil, did you read the whole thread, or just jump in when you got mad?

Is mise le meas,

Seamus

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: GUEST,Estranged from Cork
Date: 06 Jan 09 - 10:44 AM

It means with respect, jesus people the ones who were serious still got it for the most part almost entirely wrong.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 20 Nov 08 - 11:15 AM

Ah yes, Jim - Lemass of Christian burial.
Are you related to Wexford or Christmas Carroll, by the way?

Seamus

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 20 Nov 08 - 10:18 AM

Oh dear, Seamus:
Or Lemass that would have been said if he'd succeeded.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 05:18 PM

Sean Lemass, former Taoiseach, used to introduce himself with this phrase: Is mise Lemass - I am Lemass.

Not to be confused with the man who tried to assassinate him - Lemass murderer.

Seamus

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 03:23 PM

In this context "meas" is equivalent to respect or esteem, really. The expression is quite formal - you're more likely to find it at the foot of a tax demand than of a letter from a friend! Think of it as "Yours faithfully" as against "Yours sincerely" or "Yours truly".

Regards

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 02:53 PM

It meas literally,

"it's me with liking"

to have "meas" on something is to like it a lot

"ta meas agam" = I have liking for....


Gearoid

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Oct 08 - 06:17 AM

French ?!

Mise le meas - literally; me, with, regards

Pronounced 'misha leh mas'

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Frank Howe
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 05:19 PM

pronunciation -

Iss mishe lay mas

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Alice
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 03:10 PM

how is it pronounced?

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Fergm1
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 02:29 PM

Is mise le meas. this is Gaelic it means respectfully yours. or a literal translation = it is I with admiration you normally find this written as the last line before the signature on a letter written in Irish Gaelic and followed by your signature

Is mise le meas Fergus O'Ruiséal

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 12:50 PM

Phew! That'll teach me to assume something is French! That's great guys!

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: j0_77
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 11:57 AM

Is Gaelic - yuppers seen it on letters from the Irish Tax Office - hehe at the botton on the Gaelic letter. BTW In the ROI (Ireland south of the border) all government letters done like that.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 10:43 AM

G'day,
Well that makes sense. Sincerity and buttock are synonyms. In Irish anyway.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: PF
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 09:34 AM

Hello, I just stumbled on this, but "Is mise le meas" is the Irish equivalent of saying "Yours sincerely" Literal translation would be something like,

Thats me with sincerity.

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Garry of Australia
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 07:00 AM

Alison, you have got it all wrong, it means folkies are lousy musicians

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: alison
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 04:06 AM

where did you see it ... could be gaelige.

rough translation..

"It's me, with the buttock"... hahahahahaha (maybe I should leave it to people who speak good Irish)

in that case it would be pronounced

mise= misha

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 01:01 AM

According to the translation program here at the Mudcat, the literal translation is "put is the farmhouse", so probably something more along the lines of "the farmhouse is located" or something like that.

There are some people on here who know French. Hopefully they will check this out and post. As for pronunciation, "mise" would be "miz" and "mas" is "maw", unless of course someone who knows it better than me comes along and says otherwise!

katlaughing

Subject: What does: Is mise le mas mean?
From: Carl Boyn
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 12:19 AM

What does Is mise le mas mean? And how is it pronounced?