Dr Ferrari's Camper Van (off-topic discussion)

Vélo · 08-10-2012 6:53pm

I need some help with the Irish language. What does "I gcaoinne" mean?

lennymc · 08-10-2012 6:57pm

to live in (i think)

Ta me i gcoainne i mBaile Atha Cliath.

lennymc · 08-10-2012 7:01pm

Tá mé i gcónaí i mBaile Athá Cliath

(my wife just gave me a bollicking for not having fádas)

Captain Havoc · 08-10-2012 7:03pm

lennymc wrote: »

to live in (i think)

Ta me i gcoainne i mBaile Atha Cliath.

I thought that was "tá mé i mo chonaí i mBaile atha cliath?"

Darkglasses · 08-10-2012 7:04pm

I think it means "against" actually, but is it spelled "i gcoinne" by any chance?

I think if Lenny's right it should be spelled gcónaí. Doesn't sound like correct Irish to me, but mine's not great either.

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I thought that was "tá mé i mo chonaí i mBaile atha cliath?"

Lenny's is acceptable in more casual Irish

Vélo · 08-10-2012 7:14pm

It's homework for my son and it's spelt I gcaoinne alright.
He has to draw a picture of what it means and I can't find it anywhere. Now he'll just have to start listening in class!!!

Captain Havoc · 08-10-2012 7:21pm

Vélo wrote: »

It's homework for my son and it's spelt I gcaoinne alright.
He has to draw a picture of what it means and I can't find it anywhere. Now he'll just have to start listening in class!!!

Ag caoineadh = crying. Tell him to listen in class or in twenty years time he'll be asking people in a cycling forum what words mean.

Qualitymark · 08-10-2012 7:37pm

What about drawing pictures of

a) i gcoinne (against) - kid playing ball against a wall "Táim ag cur an líathróid i gcoinne an bhfalla" (I'm throwing the ball against the wall)

b) i gcónaí (always) - kid sneaking an apple and his mother saying "Bíonn sé i gcónaí ag goid na n-úlla" (He's always stealing the apples)

c) i gcúinne (in the corner) - kid sitting in the corner and teacher saying "Tá Liam i gcúinne muna bhfuil a chuid obair bhaile déanta aige" (Liam's in the corner because he hasn't got his homework done)

(My spelling and grammar may be a bit iffy there, but is probably ok.)

My guess would be that it's i gcoinne and he misread the teacher's board handwriting. Shoulda gone to Specsavers?

Darkglasses · 08-10-2012 7:46pm

Perhaps this has all been an exercise in hermeneutics, and the teacher chose a purposefully ambiguous noise for them to draw?

This is what s/he's looking for: http://mystoryrkrumel.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/hermeneutic_circle.jpg

Lusk Doyle · 08-10-2012 8:11pm

Has the Irish language thread expanded or have we been assimilated from the cycling forum?

Lumen · 08-10-2012 8:27pm

Vélo wrote: »

I need some help with the Irish language. What does "I gcaoinne" mean?

It means "I cocaine". It's an uncommon example of verbing the noun, along with "I hooker".

manwithaplan · 08-10-2012 9:53pm

Darkglasses wrote: »

Lenny's is acceptable in more casual Irish

No it's not. It means "I'm always in Dublin" rather than "I live in Dublin".

I can assure you that "i gcaoinne" is not an Irish term. I even checked it in my doorstopper Ó Dónaill dictionary. I'm not sure how old your son is but my guess would be that it's "ag caoineadh" (crying). If you say "i gcaoinne", it's very similar to "ag caoineadh" and the alternatives aren't very amenable to illustration.

Qualitymark · 08-10-2012 9:57pm

Darkglasses wrote: »

Perhaps this has all been an exercise in hermeneutics, and the teacher chose a purposefully ambiguous noise for them to draw?

This is what s/he's looking for: http://mystoryrkrumel.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/hermeneutic_circle.jpg

Or perhaps it's a test to see if the students are watching and listening and understanding?

Beasty · 08-10-2012 10:09pm

Qualitymark wrote: »

Or perhaps it's a test to see if the students are watching and listening and understanding?

Yep - looks like Boards is part of the National Curriculum now ...;)

Harrybelafonte · 09-10-2012 11:34am

Qualitymark wrote: »

What about drawing pictures of

a) i gcoinne (against) - kid playing ball against a wall "Táim ag cur an líathróid i gcoinne an bhfalla" (I'm throwing the ball against the wall)

b) i gcónaí (always) - kid sneaking an apple and his mother saying "Bíonn sé i gcónaí ag goid na n-úlla" (He's always stealing the apples)

c) i gcúinne (in the corner) - kid sitting in the corner and teacher saying "Tá Liam i gcúinne muna bhfuil a chuid obair bhaile déanta aige" (Liam's in the corner because he hasn't got his homework done)

(My spelling and grammar may be a bit iffy there, but is probably ok.)

My guess would be that it's i gcoinne and he misread the teacher's board handwriting. Shoulda gone to Specsavers?

(a) Actually says "I am putting the ball (liathróid, no fada on the first "i") against the wall", it'd be "caith".

(b) I think it'd be "na húlla", nominative plural with the definite article.

(c) The cases are mixed up, it reads "Liam is in the corner if he hasn't done his homework".

How's that for pretension. Too late now, but I'd vote for ag caoineadh too. Everything else sounds quite difficult to draw.

ThisRegard · 09-10-2012 12:17pm

Own up, who lost their key recently ?
Edit, pic comes out huuuugggeeee, here's the link instead
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2012/10/06/bike-lock-drama/#comments

Jawgap · 09-10-2012 1:11pm

ThisRegard wrote: »

Own up, who lost their key recently ?
Edit, pic comes out huuuugggeeee, here's the link instead
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2012/10/06/bike-lock-drama/#comments

Hopefully whoever made that call got a call-out charge!!!

Jawgap · 09-10-2012 1:15pm

Qualitymark wrote: »

Where are these free hi-viz and lights? I've never been offered any <jealous>.

Ta-da

Lusk Doyle · 09-10-2012 6:57pm

Jawgap wrote: »

ThisRegard wrote: »

Own up, who lost their key recently ?
Edit, pic comes out huuuugggeeee, here's the link instead
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2012/10/06/bike-lock-drama/#comments

Hopefully whoever made that call got a call-out charge!!!

Probably that fella on a short while back who locked the Dublin bike to another one! He likes racking up the charges.

The tax man · 09-10-2012 10:32pm

Started commuting to work again today as part of my winter training.
Some lovely little scum bag decided to shoot something at me from the stairwell of Sheridan Court flats on Dorset St.
Felt something crazing the top of my left thigh and immediately the underneath of my right one. Then heard the roars from the stairwell. Reckon either an air gun or a black widow. Left a lovely red mark across my thigh.
Gotta love this city.:rolleyes:

RobFowl · 09-10-2012 10:46pm

The tax man wrote: »

Started commuting to work again today as part of my winter training.
Some lovely little scum bag decided to shoot something at me from the stairwell of Sheridan Court flats on Dorset St.
Felt something crazing the top of my left thigh and immediately the underneath of my right one. Then heard the roars from the stairwell. Reckon either an air gun or a black widow. Left a lovely red mark across my thigh.
Gotta love this city.:rolleyes:

I'd say an airsoft gun.....

The tax man · 09-10-2012 10:55pm

RobFowl wrote: »

I'd say an airsoft gun.....

More than likely I'd say. The speed at which it hit both legs had me thinking high speed projectile. Thank god I was moving at speed and not a slower target from them to get a better shot at. I'd hate to think "what if" that hit me in the face. I'll be paying close attention passing there tomorrow.

Vélo · 10-10-2012 9:53am

Darkglasses wrote: »

I think it means "against" actually, but is it spelled "i gcoinne" by any chance?

I think if Lenny's right it should be spelled gcónaí. Doesn't sound like correct Irish to me, but mine's not great either.

Lenny's is acceptable in more casual Irish

Thanks everyone for your help with this. He found out it meant "versus".

Even though when you google it versus comes up as something else. I know there are different words for different parts of the country but maybe I need a word with the teacher.

Harrybelafonte · 10-10-2012 10:22am

Vélo wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your help with this. He found out it meant "versus".

Even though when you google it versus comes up as something else. I know there are different words for different parts of the country but maybe I need a word with the teacher.

As said above though, it can mean against, whether against the wall or Cork played against Waterford, so versus makes sense, but it's a bit of a limited meaning to give a child. However, when teaching, the context would have been given I'd presume.

As for different words used about the country, I think i gcoinne would be the most common. In my dialect, it'd be "in éadan".

What comes up in Google is "i gcomparáid le", which is "compared to". Again this would make sense depending on the context, i.e. the use of versus when comparing things.

I cannot emphasise this enough, the Google Translate for Irish (being the language I most have experience with translating) should be AVOIDED at all costs. Context is everything.

Qualitymark · 10-10-2012 12:28pm

And "ag cur" can be used in various ways; it doesn't just mean "putting" - for instance, I asked a friend how he got such a fantastic onion crop, what way he planted the sets, and he laughed and said "Cur iad!" gesturing flinging them on the ground.

It's a common mistake by Gaelgóirí to assume that a word has a single, set meaning; Irish is more supple than that.

I don't want to start a row here - but one of the reasons that people are hesitant about using Irish is that one Irish person no sooner opens his/her mouth to say a sentence in Irish than another jumps in with a correction (often incorrect!)

It's part of that post-colonial joylessness.

manwithaplan · 10-10-2012 1:03pm

Qualitymark wrote: »

It's a common mistake by Gaelgóirí to assume that a word has a single, set meaning; Irish is more supple than that.

No it's not! Everyone knows that words have lots of meanings. Irish is in no way unique in that regard.

one of the reasons that people are hesitant about using Irish is that one Irish person no sooner opens his/her mouth to say a sentence in Irish than another jumps in with a correction

Agreed 100%

Darkglasses · 10-10-2012 1:10pm

I surely win something for that..

Vélo · 10-10-2012 1:14pm

Darkglasses wrote: »

I surely win something for that..

Yes!

Gavin · 10-10-2012 1:39pm

My over 12 year dublin cycling safety streak has come to an end. I got taken out by an overtaking car yesterday morning. The wingmirror hit my handlebar and I went flying.

Bearing in mine the re-iterated advice from the cycling forum, I went to the doctors for a checkup. No problems, minor cut and rather battered right buttock! The driver was in shock, crying and upset. No problems though dealing with 'em though. I was fairly shocked myself. I'd always figured that if I came off the bike at some point, I would be fine, I'm always falling off the MTB. Bit different when hit by a car though. Wasn't thinking very clearly at all. Got back on the bike after it all to head into work before realizing I should just go to the doctor straight away.

Despite injuring my arse and elbow, I was still asked if I'd worn a helmet by the nurse bandaging my cut. *sigh*

seamus · 10-10-2012 1:46pm

Gavin wrote: »

I'd always figured that if I came off the bike at some point, I would be fine, I'm always falling off the MTB. Bit different when hit by a car though.

Yeah, on the MTB you will practically always see it coming, there are those brief few, "Oh bollox" seconds when you've lost control but haven't come to a stop yet.
When involving a car it can happen much more quickly and when you're not on your guard; yours being a textbook example of an incident you'd never see coming.
The only remotely similar type of "surprise" crash is an icy corner on a road bike. You hit the deck before you've even had to time to realise that you're not in control anymore.

Good to hear you're not too hurt. Damage to the bike is irritating. Don't feel guilty asking for compensation to replace new or nearly new parts that have been scuffed by the crash.

Dr Ferrari's Camper Van (off-topic discussion)

Comments