Friday, January 2, 2009

Slainte Mhath

If you have read this blog, you know that I have visited the UK a few times, and Edinburgh Scotland (my real home....in my mind) is my favorite.

So on this Homany (which someday I hope to spend in that amazing country) I toast to you all:

Slainte Mhath

In case you don't know....

It is an expression used in some areas of Ireland and Scotland -- it's from the Gaelic language. The words are like a "toast" when you are saluting someone or something with a drink of alcohol -- like "cheers" or "skoal" or "prosit" or "salud."

Slainte Mhath means literally "Good Health" - slainte translates vaguely as health, "mhath" is the feminine form of "math" (pron. "maa"). In Scots Gaelic, we aspirate to make an adjective feminine. Thus the name "Mairi" (Marie) is given extra feminine emphasis by aspiration - "Mhairi" (pron. "Varry").

It is a Gaelic word. Irish, Gaelic
(Scottish), and Welsh are all related languages.

Pronounce "slainte mhath" as "Slanzh'va", and utter it
when someone buys you a drink!

A drink....some one is buying ME a drink :) That will be a Captian & diet by the way :)

3 comments:

  1. Slainte Mhath

    In my part of the world a few years back there was a celtic folk group with that name. Great name for a band I always thought.

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  2. I love it when a woman speaks Gaelic.

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  3. I agree, great name for a celtic band, I am going to have to check them out.

    One of my favorite bands from the 80's is Marillion, did a song called Slainte Mhath, not my favorite of their songs, but this is where I first heard about the toast :)

    Note: no, I am not a pro-rock fan, just this one band. This is the Fish (lead singer) version of it...much easier on the ears than the original :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzZeeTmgkYU&feature=related

    ReplyDelete

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