Get rid of bogus "craic"

Boulevardier · 25-05-2012 4:31pm #1

This has probably been discussed before, but here goes anyway.

Whan I was a younger man, the crack was mighty. The crack was 90 in the Isle of Man. There was no "craic" to be had anywhere, but there certainly was lots of good humored crack.

Suddenly, about 1995 or so, this all changed, and now everybody seemingly has to spell the word according to what I suspect is some very questionable etymology.

I don't like changing established usages or spellings to suit fashionable theories or dogmas. I think this is an example.

Who else is prepared to join me in campaigning on this?

conor.hogan.2 · 25-05-2012 8:53pm

Well you're no craic.

Also look into the History of the word it ultimately is not Irish but all words do not have fixed origins.

Crack has negative connotations and craic goes back to the 60's not 90's.

im invisible · 25-05-2012 9:00pm

the crack was 90, but the craic was '95?

conor.hogan.2 · 25-05-2012 9:10pm

The crak was 1290 too. This is what happens in languages.

Boulevardier · 28-05-2012 5:47pm

If the word craic is "ultimately not Irish", why is it spelt in that way?

In any case, does anyone know who thought up this daft spelling and why?

I cannot see why the word crack has only negative connotations. There are all sorts of usages of the word that have never had their spellings changed.

Sham Courtney · 28-05-2012 5:50pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craic

the_syco · 28-05-2012 5:53pm

Boulevardier wrote: »

Whan I was a younger man, the crack was mighty.

How expensive was it back then? :pac:

conor.hogan.2 · 29-05-2012 5:54pm

Boulevardier wrote: »

If the word craic is "ultimately not Irish", why is it spelt in that way?

In any case, does anyone know who thought up this daft spelling and why?

I cannot see why the word crack has only negative connotations. There are all sorts of usages of the word that have never had their spellings changed.

Why is "beef" spelled beef and not bōs or buef? http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=beef

Both are borrowed words.

Crack is a drug, a part of someones body or a damaged part of something. Very few people associate "crack" with the modern "craic" anymore so you can use it but expect to get weird looks.

slowburner · 31-05-2012 7:47am

im invisible wrote: »

the crack was 90, but the craic was '95?

I think that when the word became popular in Britain, the spelling was changed to declare Irish 'ownership' of the word, and to differentiate it from the drug.
Is craic used in the States?

Janey_Mac · 31-05-2012 2:11pm

slowburner wrote: »

I think that when the word became popular in Britain, the spelling was changed to declare Irish 'ownership' of the word, and to differentiate it from the drug.
Is craic used in the States?

From what I can tell, it's used on "Saint Patty's Day" if you know what I mean: it's known as an Irish word (whether most Americans would think it's "Gaelic" or not I couldn't say) and you might see it on a sign at a cheesy Irish bar but people don't use it in everyday speech unless they're talking about Ireland.

nuac · 11-08-2014 2:23pm

I have seen a reference to "craic" derived from "creach", the booty from a cattle raid back in time of Queen Maedhbh

Boulevardier · 11-08-2014 4:34pm

That seems a long shot, but if you have the reference can you put it up?

Eeden · 13-08-2014 6:09pm

Language changes, and this battle has been lost. I try really hard not to get annoyed about this sort of thing, but it is a bit annoying that this spelling seems to have been deliberately changed in an attempt to make the whole concept of "craic" uniquely Irish - it smacks of paddywhackery a bit, all right.

Boulevardier · 14-08-2014 1:52pm

Eeden, I completely agree. I will continue to use crack (the word that is!) regardless.

nuac · 16-08-2014 12:15pm

nuac wrote: »

I have seen a reference to "craic" derived from "creach", the booty from a cattle raid back in time of Queen Maedhbh

To Boulevardier

Sorry can't. It was a recent press item, commenting on the late Diarmuid Ó'Muirthile's view on that word. As far as I remember DÓM criticised the use of "craic"

ezra_pound · 17-01-2015 7:02pm

Well it makes sense that when you're writing in English you use the crack spelling but when you write in Irish, you'd use the gaelicised version of the English word crack, which would be craic.

Therefore, when speaking English it would make sense to write:

"It was great crack last night- there was great craic Agus ceol, be dad. Yahoo!"

katydid · 18-01-2015 5:55pm

Boulevardier wrote: »

This has probably been discussed before, but here goes anyway.

Whan I was a younger man, the crack was mighty. The crack was 90 in the Isle of Man. There was no "craic" to be had anywhere, but there certainly was lots of good humored crack.

Suddenly, about 1995 or so, this all changed, and now everybody seemingly has to spell the word according to what I suspect is some very questionable etymology.

I don't like changing established usages or spellings to suit fashionable theories or dogmas. I think this is an example.

Who else is prepared to join me in campaigning on this?

Sorry, not me. It might be an invention, but then that's what language is about, constantly inventing and reinventing to tie in with changes in society. "Crack" has become synonymous with drug taking, so making the Irish term meaning fun difference by spelling it in an Irish looking way is an inventive and sensible way of dealing with the problem.

I do agree that it's not a genuine Irish word, etymologically speaking: it just looks that way. But you know what, it has become an Irish word. Not quite a neologism - I'm not sure what the term is for adapting and specifying the meaning of a word by changing the spelling - but a word that describes something uniquely Irish.

Get rid of bogus "craic"

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