English Language as spoken in Ireland

One of the rare examples of a word that has travelled from Ireland and invaded the English language is the Craic which can have a number of uses… such as What’s the Craic, meaning what is the news with you, or how are you, or whats happening with you, or where is the ‘action’ of fun. Also, a person can be described as being Good Craic or an evening or event can be described have having been Great Craic. The word Craic has now become so ubiquitous that it is in danger of being commodified as Irish Theme Pubs the world over, just have to plaster it on their walls. 

 

Bold, or in some areas of the country can be pronounced Bould, as in Don’t be Bold. This is in fact capable of being understood as being more serious than it sounds, and can mean insubordinate and although it is usually directed towards children and can simply mean being cheeky, or being too smart. It can also be used towards an adult in a playful way as don’t speak ‘out of turn’ or inappropriately. 

Haen, if this is the correct spelling, it is pronounced ‘hane’ and would be used in a sentence such as ‘haen the butter’ or Spare the Butter. And was in common use in Co. Tyrone and environs. 

 

Wash the Veschels or possibly spelt vaissels which simply meant wash the dishes. 

 

Going on your Ceili or also known in Scots Gaelic as Ceilidh… either one is pron. Kay lee… meant going on an impromptu visit to a neighbouring house which could involve Music, or just catching up with gossip. 

 

A house situated along a Lonnen, was a house that was accessed by a lane, which interestingly can be seen on street names in the Newcastle upon Tyne area, and thought to have derived from the Geordie, and originated as a word to describe a sheltered place to milk the cows. 

 

Latchico … pron. Lacthego …. meant a ner’ do well or a ‘good for nothing’ as in ‘yer a right latchico’ and often used light-heartedly 

 

Scundered… in Mid-Ulster it was used to say that you were ‘sickened’ or disgusted ..such as ‘that rain would scunder you’ but in urban areas such as Belfast it can also be used to say that your were embarrassed, such as ‘when I tripped and fell I was scundered, knowing that my friends were watching. 

 

Vexed, as in don’t make me Vexed, can mean angry, or perhaps regretful, as also can mean sad, as in being very vexed, which can mean grieving 

 

Blaggard, is used to mean ‘taking a hand’ or in more modern terms ‘sending me up’ …such as ‘are you blaggarding me’. Although the word may have originally, and outside of Ireland, perhaps still does suggest Low Criminal as to Blagg was to steal, but has come to mean boasting of something you are totally incapable of in England, whereas in Ireland it usually means being Mischievous, and indulging in light hearted villainy, or devilment. 

 

Thole, as in ‘I cannot thole the pain’ so to Thole is to endure, or suffer. 

 

Lethal, as in ‘that fridge in my truck cab in lethal’… meaning excellent, super, great, wonderful, really good or efficient. 

 

Seanachaí pronounced ‘shan-a-kee’ is Irish for Storyteller. I have also heard it translated to Literally ‘old talker’ but was a position for a selected person from the ‘poets’ of Ireland to pass on the history of their clan, orally. 

 

‘So’ … this word seems to be used only in the South of Ireland, in the following context: for example ‘You are living in the town now so’ …or ‘you have a new car so’ … which I think can only be equated to saying the word ‘therefore’.. and similar use seems to be made of the words ‘isn’t it’.. sometimes including the word ‘Boyo’ in Wales… and in ‘urban british street language’ not so long ago the word/s ‘init’ 

 

‘Im Obliged’ … whilst this has the conventional meaning in Ireland as in he rest the English Speaking world, as meaning indebted, it can also be used, and often is to mean, almost the opposite, especially, when its ”Im Obliged, Im Sure” …which could equate to ‘Im Really Made Up’ or Im Really Impressed by some gesture or favour. 

 

Deadly …. as meaning something like Brilliant, Great, Perfect, …could be in a sentence such as ‘this item is deadly’ …meaning really useful 

 

Oxter Pronounced Auxtirr … meaning the hollow underneath the arm and the only possible equivalent word would be Armpit and although possibly used more in Ireland that in Britain over the last century it seems that it may in fact have origins in archaic English and Scots too.