What's the Irish-Gaelic word for 'emerald'?
I know that Ireland is sometimes called the Emerald Isle....Is it possible that Carrigglas, which I've heard is one of the old names for Ireland, doesn't necessarily have anything to do with emeralds? When you translate the word literally, all you see is 'rock' and 'green'...so I'm wondering if maybe that's not so such a comparison with emeralds as it is a way of pointing out the rocky, green environment of Ireland, and the name 'Emerald Isle' just sort of got suggested directly from that...?
What do they call an emerald out in the gaeltachts, anyway...? ;)
2006-09-24 12:41:57 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The word for emerald (the gem) is smaragaid.
The translation for Emerald Isle is: Oileán iathghlas Eireann.
Iathghlas in this means green-meadowed so it's from the green fields that the name comes from.
I've never heard of Carrigglas being a old name for Ireland. The only Carrigglas I heard of is a manor house in Co. Longford.
2006-09-24 13:30:41 · answer #1 · answered by alpha 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gaelic Word For Green
2016-11-04 04:29:59 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What Alpha said.
and yes, "Carrigglas" would come from <= "carrick glass" <== "carraig glas" meaning "green rock". Then again the Irish can be very poetic when they want to.
2006-09-25 13:52:48 · answer #3 · answered by Svartalf 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dùghlas?
2006-09-24 13:05:01 · answer #4 · answered by Mondschein! 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋