Quick, simple question(s)

Beer Werewolf

Yep, the beer wolf's back at it again. I've been so busy I've neglected trying to learn bloody anything lately except how to quit my masters degree in style.

Here's a scenario: You've got a guy talking to his girlfriend, and he decides to cleverly slip a bit of Irish heritage into his wording. 'Let's go do whatever you wanna do today, mo ghrá'

Or should that be 'a grá/ghrá'? Do I need to add the 'h'? What is the difference between 'a' and 'mo'? I remember reading it, and do you think I can for the life of me find the reference anywhere? Hell no!

Also, I've been trying to learn a bit of pronunciation and thought, hey what better way than to learn some songs? (Any good ones you can recommend?) I can sing (badly, since my voice is a bit weak though I can hit the notes) 'Siúil a Rúin'/Walk/go my love. A few versions have slightly different pronunciation but my main question (and probably what re-raised the grammar question above) is firstly again why is it 'a' and not 'mo'? Also, can you say 'mo rúin' or should it be 'mo rhún' without that vocative thing, or is it with it...ugh.

If I wanted to say to someone 'Run, my love' can I say 'Rith a/mo rúin/grá/ghrá' ...

Cheers!!!!! (Oh, does anyone ever use 'sláinte (mhaith)' as a 'thank you' the same way most of us use 'cheers' as a thank you? Can you thank someone with '(good) health'? I like to think you could, it'd be pretty a modernised use though, and dunno if that'd be considered ignorant or something. Rather than 'go raibh maith (míle) agat' or whatever. Those words in brackets being 'optional')

Ceilteach

I wouldn’t get too stressed whether you say mo ghrá or a ghrá. But Mo ghrá would probably be more correctly used when referring to your girlfriend in conversation with somebody else. If you’re addressing your girlfriend a ghrá would be more correct. It’s the tuiseal gairmeach

It’s siúil a rúin because because again you’re addressing your rún and this puts it into the tuiseal gairmeach. Again nobody (with any cop on) will shoot you for saying mo rún but technically a rúin is better. Likewise Rith a ghrá is the way to go.

As a quick side note the letter “r” never takes a “h”. nor does “L” or “n”. Consider this, all language was spoken before it was written and so, rules are derived from speech. Putting a “h” on an “r”, “n” or “l” will make no difference to the pronunciation, rendering the “h” redundant” so don’t bother.
Mo rothar
Mo liathróid
Mo nia


Sláinte wouldn’t be used as a thank you, you could say “míle buíochas” if you’re really anti-go raibh aith agat!

Beer Werewolf

Cheers!

That indeed makes a lot of sense. Actually, I'm the girlfriend in question was just making a poor example of a social situation. Thank you very much for your help!

I think 'go raibh maith agat' is just long and I'm lazy? What is the difference between that and 'míle buíochas'? That is a thousand ... what? I suppose I could go to a dictionary, though. What is more polite? Or more casual? I think I need to converse in it or listen to people conversing in order to answer a LOT of questions I have about the language.

Again, thanks very much ... míle buíochas! I'll keep the grammatical and vocal rules in mind certainly. This time I'll copy these rules to my notebook.

Ceilteach

Míle buíochas is probably the more informal.
Fáilte an Cheiltigh romhat!

Beer Werewolf

I'm not the most formal person in the world, so probably a good one!

What does "Fáilte an Cheiltigh romhat!" mean? I got the 'you're welcome' 'my pleasure' and ... Celtic? Welcome to Celtic ...? Out of it? -Feels stupid- meeh you only learn by asking I guess...

Ceilteach

Fáilte an Cheiltigh is a play on an old phrase Fáilte Uí Cheallaigh. Ó Ceallaigh was famed for his hospitality so the phrase Fáilte Uí Cheallaigh meant a very hearty welcome. That's all

Beer Werewolf

Cheers!

Well you learn something every day thanks very much for the 'hearty welcome' then! I'm something of a serious lurker; I've learned quite a bit from this forum.