Why do the Irish always give poetic names to things?

hatrickpatrick

I'm not complaining btw, I think it's part of our culture and one of the things I love about the country. But why though? Is it a leftover from the fact that Gaeilge is a much more descriptive language in general than English is? More adjectives, less simplicity?

Two examples( although there are many, many more which I just can't think of right now):
In any other english speaking country what happened in the North would probably be known as a war, a battle, unrest, violence, in Ireland we refer to it as "The Troubles".

In most countries a storm is a storm, or a hurricane, or a cyclone, or perhaps is given a proper noun name (Tropical Storm Peter, Hurricane Isabel etc).
In Ireland when we had a particularly bad storm it became known as "The Night of the Big Wind".

There are tons of other examples of this, I find it incredibly amusing but also very interesting; As someone who writes music and lyrics I've always wondered where the long winded, Irish way of looking at things came from? Is it a leftover from the Irish language or is it because Irish people are more romantic than others perhaps?

Xivilai

Big Wind, Great Hunger, we need to be more original. Flooding = Night of the Big water. If we ever have a zombie outbreak what do ya suppose it'll be called?

KeithAFC

Xivilai wrote: »

Big Wind, Great Hunger, we need to be more original. Flooding = Night of the Big water. If we ever have a zombie outbreak what do ya suppose it'll be called?

The Zombie Troubles.

mikemac

You might throw Germany in with this for Night of the Long Knives and Night of the Broken Glass

Where To

I always love the way someone who has a different religion/politics/sexuality etc is referred to as "the other way inclined"

We're a great wee country really

No, really, I mean it:)

Lapin

The bloodiest conflict in the history of mankind was simply known in Ireland as The Emergency.

Dionysus

Not forgetting that it's only the "Long Mile Road". Easier to live with than having to walk a Two Mile Road.

Will I Amnt

Xivilai wrote: »

Big Wind, Great Hunger, we need to be more original. Flooding = Night of the Big water. If we ever have a zombie outbreak what do ya suppose it'll be called?

Night of the living dead of course

Mickeroo

I think you're romanticising something thats not really that unique at all.

Rubik.

The Land of Poets and Scholars.

mikemac

Salt of the earth Dubliners = tracksuit and pajama wearers from the inner city flats

Chuck Stone

We do tend to extend things a bit.

In the name of all that is holy on this earth what are you talking about at all - at all? (Excuse me?)

I will, yeah. (no)

God bless us and save us and keep us safe and warm. (Bless you).

General General

mikemac wrote: »

You might throw Germany in with this for Night of the Long Knives and Night of the Broken Glass

Du meinst dem Röhm-Putsch und Kristallnacht?

hatrickpatrick

Lapin wrote: »

The bloodiest conflict in the history of mankind was simply known in Ireland as The Emergency.

I knew there was another obvious one I meant to stick in, cheers

Elmidena

I don't really think that Ireland is really any more guilty of it than anywhere else, though I did chuckle at "the cold snap" and "the big freeze" over winter.

Incidentally, is your username a romanticised abbreviation of Paddy Englishman, Paddy Irishman and Paddy Scotsman

hatrickpatrick

Sunshine! wrote: »

I don't really think that Ireland is really any more guilty of it than anywhere else, though I did chuckle at "the cold snap" and "the big freeze" over winter.

Incidentally, is your username a romanticised abbreviation of Paddy Englishman, Paddy Irishman and Paddy Scotsman

My username stems from a time way back when I used to be good at football.
These days it's pretty much a sarcastic parody if itself, I'm afraid

Elmidena

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Yes, yes it is

FYP!

El Horseboxo

Not just Ireland. Most of the Spanish speaking world do the same. Loads I can think of in Mexico alone.

jimbobaloobob

Sunshine whats FYP???

Elmidena

For your pleasure

jimbobaloobob

Im sure the Americans have something for the Battle of Little Big Horn???



Thanks Sunshine!

Da Shins Kelly

We certainly do speak English slightly differently to other nationalities. We use a lot of similes (ie. 'I'm off like a hoor's knickers' or 'As red as the divil's d*ck' ), much more than English people and Americans I find, and use a lot of analogies, and our story telling techniques are quite unique. We also have a habit of not answering 'yes' or 'no' questions with a simple yes or no, we go more for something like 'I did, ya' or 'I will not!', etc. This is something that's not really common elsewhere in the English speaking world, and is probably to do with the reminants of the Irish language. If you speak to a first-language Irish speaker, you might notice the slightly 'off' way they speak English, with sentences like 'I do be', or 'I did be'. These sentence structures are still present in some everyday speech, even among first language English speakers. Our everyday language is also infused with religious references, such as 'God bless', 'with the help of God', 'for the love of God', 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph', 'Mother of God', etc.

Indeed, my own grandmother had a great way of speaking, a wonderful turn of phrase and often quoted Yeats in her everyday speech, such as whenever she was leaving to go somewhere, she'd get up and say 'I shall arise and go now, and go to Inisfree'. It was just a way of announcing her departure, but it's something that always stuck with me even after she died and I find myself saying it sometimes too.

It's a very interesting way of speaking we have here, and it is very unique to the rest of the English-speaking world. It's also interesting to note how the Irish language has influenced the English language among other ethnic groups. For example, whenever Irish immigrants arrived in the US, obviously they couldn't speak English. However, as they picked up English, some of their Irish fused with the new English, and even spilled over into African American vernacular. For example, the phrase 'you dig?', as in to 'get' something or understand it, comes from the Irish 'dtuigeann tú?'.

delaad

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

We certainly do speak English slightly differently to other nationalities. We use a lot of similes (ie. 'I'm off like a hoor's knickers' or 'As red as the divil's d*ck' ), much more than English people and Americans I find, and use a lot of analogies, and our story telling techniques are quite unique. We also have a habit of not answering 'yes' or 'no' questions with a simple yes or no, we go more for something like 'I did, ya' or 'I will not!', etc. This is something that's not really common elsewhere in the English speaking world, and is probably to do with the reminants of the Irish language. If you speak to a first-language Irish speaker, you might notice the slightly 'off' way they speak English, with sentences like 'I do be', or 'I did be'. These sentence structures are still present in some everyday speech, even among first language English speakers. Our everyday language is also infused with religious references, such as 'God bless', 'with the help of God', 'for the love of God', 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph', 'Mother of God', etc.

Indeed, my own grandmother had a great way of speaking, a wonderful turn of phrase and often quoted Yeats in her everyday speech, such as whenever she was leaving to go somewhere, she'd get up and say 'I shall arise and go now, and go to Inisfree'. It was just a way of announcing her departure, but it's something that always stuck with me even after she died and I find myself saying it sometimes too.

It's a very interesting way of speaking we have here, and it is very unique to the rest of the English-speaking world.

And long may it last, ye biy ye!, i say

orourkeda

mikemac wrote: »

Salt of the earth Dubliners = tracksuit and pajama wearers from the inner city flats

Salt of the earth culchies: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XcLJqZsrnJA/TMf5uShCHpI/AAAAAAAAC5g/nX_xenxgWl8/s1600/271010_culchie+craic.jpg

Hank_Jones

Why must people name their feckin houses?.....

I fail to see what is wrong with having a number as opposed to a house name,
at least people will be able to find the fúckin thing!

Bloody pretentious etc etc...

Don't mind it in the country, but the naming of houses in the city is just ridiculous....44, 45, 46, Woodville, 48, 49.....