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The native language of Ireland is Gaelic. You do not need to know Gaelic to do Irish research, however, because most records used in Irish research were begun in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries and were written in English. The foreign language you may have to deal with is Latin. Government records were written in Latin until 1733, some Catholic Church records used Latin until the mid-nineteenth century, and older records written in English often latinized names and relationships. Some knowledge of Latin will help you read these records.
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For help in reading Latin, see:
==Description==
In the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland '''Republic of Ireland'''], under the Constitution of Ireland, both '''English''' and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_language '''Irish or Gaelic'''] have official status, with Irish being the national and first official language.<br>


Ainsworth, Robert. ''Thesaurus Linguae Latinae Compendiarius: Ainsworth's Latin Dictionary. 1752''. Reprint. London, England: Frederick Westly and A. H. Davis, 1836. (FHL book Ref 473 Ai65a 1836; film 599,788.) This is a Latin dictionary. Most libraries have a similar work.
In [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland '''Northern Ireland'''], '''English''' is the primary language for 95% of the population, and de facto official language, while '''Irish or Gaelic''' is recognized as an official language under the Identity and Language Act of 2022 and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Scots_dialect '''Ulster Scots'''] is recognized as a minority language. <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Languages of Ireland," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Ireland, accessed 24 May 2023.</ref><br>


''Latin Genealogical Word List''. Salt Lake City, Utah : The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1990. This publication provides translations of Latin words often used in genealogical records and is available from the Family History Library.
Most records used in Irish research were begun in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries and were written in English. The other language you may have to deal with is Latin. Government records were written in Latin until 1733, some Catholic Church records used Latin until the mid-nineteenth century, and older records written in English often latinized names and relationships. Some knowledge of Latin will help you read these records.<br>


Martin, Charles T., comp. ''The Record Interpreter''. 2d ed. Dorking, England: Kohler and Coombes, 1976. (FHL book Ref 422.471 M363re.) This book is a collection of abbreviations, Latin words, and names used in British historical manuscripts and records.
'''[https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Ireland_Languages#:~:text=Language%20Information%3A More Detailed Information]'''<br>


McLaughlin, Eve. ''Simple Latin for Family Historians''. 3rd ed. Birmingham, England: Federation of Family History Societies, 1988. (FHL book Ref 478 M222s.) This book lists Latin words that frequently appear in parish registers.
==Word List(s)==
Helpful Genealogical Word List:
*[[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin Genealogical Word List]]
*[[French Genealogical Word List|French Genealogical Word List]]
*[[German Genealogical Word List|German Genealogical Word List]]
*[[Spanish Genealogical Word List|Spanish Genealogical Word List]]
*[[Polish Genealogical Word List|Polish Genealogical Word List]]
*[[Portuguese Genealogical Word List|Portuguese Genealogical Word List]]
*[[Russian Genealogical Word List|Russian Genealogical Word List]]


Spelling may make some records difficult to read. Prior to 1900, spelling was often phonetic. Family and place-names were often spelled as they sounded to the writer. And given names were often abbreviated.
'''Irish or Gaelic'''
*[https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/irish.php Useful Irish phrases (Omniglot)]
*[https://wikitravel.org/en/Irish_phrasebook Irish phrasebook (Wikitravel)]


Handwriting may also make records difficult to read. Writing styles have changed over time. With practice you should be able to decipher most of the difficult words and letters you will encounter in Irish records.
'''Ulster Scots or Scots'''
*[https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/scots.php Useful Scots phrases (Omniglot)]


The meanings of words may also have changed over time, making some records difficult to understand. The following book can help you understand strange usages as it provides examples of British word usages in different time periods:
==Alphabet and Pronunciation==
'''Irish or Gaelic'''
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_phonology Irish phonology (Wikipedia)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_orthography Irish orthography (Wikipedia)]
*[https://www.omniglot.com/writing/irish.htm Irish Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)]
*[https://forvo.com/languages/ga/ Irish pronunciation dictionary (Forvo)]


Murray, Sir James A. H., ed. ''Oxford English Dictionary''. 13 vols. plus supps. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1933. (FHL book Ref 423 M964o.)
'''Ulster Scots or Scots'''
*[https://www.omniglot.com/writing/scots.htm Scots Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)]


Other language helps available at the Family History Library are listed in the Place Search of the catalog under:
==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
'''Irish or Gaelic'''
*[https://glosbe.com/en/ga English to Irish Dictionary (Glosbe)]
*[https://www.lexilogos.com/english/irish_english_dictionary.htm Irish English dictionary (Lexilogos)]
*[https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/irish-gaelic/ Irish Gaelic (MustGo)]
*[https://www.duolingo.com/course/ga/en/Learn-Irish Learn Irish (Duolingo)]
*[https://www.liofa.eu/learning-irish/useful-links Learning Irish Courses (Liofa)]
* Joyce, James. ''Step-by-step Irish : an Irish language workbook for beginners.'' Columbia, SC: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/1090138739 WorldCat].


IRELAND - LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES
'''Ulster Scots or Scots'''
*[https://glosbe.com/en/sco English to Scots Dictionary (Glosbe)]
* Kingsmore, Rona K and Michael Montgomery. ''Ulster Scots speech : a sociolinguistic study.'' Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1995. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/30779230 WorldCat].


=== Web Sites ===
==Additional Resources==
*[https://www.britannica.com/place/Ireland Ireland (Britannica)]
*[https://wikitravel.org/en/Ireland Ireland (Wikitravel)]
* ''Oxford English Dictionary Online.'' Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2002. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/586002392 WorldCat].
* ''The Irish genealogist.'' London: Irish Genealogical Research Society, 1937. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/1798086 WorldCat].
* McLaughlin, Eve. ''Simple Latin for family historians.'' Aylesbury, Bucks: Varneys Press, 1999. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/43358619 WorldCat].
* Martin, Charles Trice. ''The record interpreter.'' London: Stevens and Sons, 1910. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/932846326 WorldCat].<br>


http://emeraldtiger.com/general/lang.htm
'''Language Information''':


http://islandireland.com/Pages/irish.html
''Irish language''<br>
Irish (Gaeilge, formerly written as Gaedhilge) is a member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages. It is closely related to [[Isle of Man Languages|Manx]] and [[Scotland Languages|Scottish Gaelic]], and more distantly to [[Wales Language and Languages|Welsh]], [[Cornwall Language and Languages|Cornish]] and [[Brittany Language and Languages|Breton]].<br>
*Irish was spoken natively in Northern Ireland into the twentieth century, in areas such as Rathlin Island, and the Sperrin Mountains. The 1901 & 1911 Censuses reveal that it was spoken by both the Roman Catholic and the Protestant communities.
*In the Republic of Ireland, formerly the Irish Freestate, Irish has been an official language since independence in the 1920s. One can see both Irish and English used on official documents from the ROI. The republic has also set up Gaeltachts, which are areas in which Irish is supposedly used by much of the community (the definition and the reality are often at odds) - these are generally scattered along the west coast.
*Irish gives rise to many Irish surnames, including any beginning with:
** Mac, Mc, M' or Mag- e.g. Maguire, McDonnell, MacGuinness. "Mac" means "son of".
** O' e.g. O' Dwyer, O' Higgins. "O" means "grandson of".
*It was quite common for many families to drop the Mac or O' from their surnames, so some of the surnames above might also reappear as Dwyer, Higgins, Guinness etc, in the same family. In certain names, "Mac" also became "Fitz" e.g. Fitzgerald.
*Many other Irish names also derive from Irish Gaelic, e.g. Branagh (Breathnach)
*The old Gaelic naming system is extremely complex, and exists mainly in oral tradition.
*Many personal names such as Shaun (John), Kevin, Conor, Neil, Maeve and Kathleen all ultimately derive from the language too. There are other, traditional, Gaelic names which have no direct equivalents in English: Domhnall, which is normally rendered as the unrelated Daniel or Donald; Grainne, for which there is nothing similar in English, and it is rendered as 'Grace'; Cathal, which is "matched" with Charles.
*In the last hundred years, many people have given their children Irish names in the original spelling, e.g. the actors Saoirse Ronan and Ciarán Hinds. This is more common in the Republic, and when it occurs in Northern Ireland is usually connected with people who come from a Roman Catholic or Nationalist/Republican background.
 
''Ulster Scots''<br>
*Ulster Scots (also known as Ullans or Ulster-Scotch), is a vernacular used by a few people in County Donegal in the Republic and parts of Northern Ireland, especially County Antrim. *Although commonly portrayed as a "Protestant" language, it is in fact used by members of both the Roman Catholic and the Protestant communities.
*It has very limited official recognition.
*Genealogists may encounter an occasional word of Ulster Scots when looking at old documents, but the language is not distinct enough to cause major problems.
 
''Latin''<br>
*Latin was used for written records in Ireland over a thousand years ago, prior to the Anglo-Norman, and even the Norse invasions.
*It continued to be used long after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.
 
''Shelta''<br>
This is the traditional language of Irish travellers. One is unlikely to ever come across this in records, much less so than Irish.<br>
 
Spelling may make some records difficult to read. Prior to 1900, spelling was often phonetic. Family and place-names were often spelled as they sounded to the writer. And given names were often abbreviated.<br>
Handwriting may also make records difficult to read. Writing styles have changed over time. With practice you should be able to decipher most of the difficult words and letters you will encounter in Irish records.<br>
 
==References==
 
[[Category:Ireland Language and Handwriting]] [[Category:Language and Handwriting]]

Latest revision as of 12:18, 20 March 2024


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Description

In the Republic of Ireland, under the Constitution of Ireland, both English and Irish or Gaelic have official status, with Irish being the national and first official language.

In Northern Ireland, English is the primary language for 95% of the population, and de facto official language, while Irish or Gaelic is recognized as an official language under the Identity and Language Act of 2022 and Ulster Scots is recognized as a minority language. [1]

Most records used in Irish research were begun in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries and were written in English. The other language you may have to deal with is Latin. Government records were written in Latin until 1733, some Catholic Church records used Latin until the mid-nineteenth century, and older records written in English often latinized names and relationships. Some knowledge of Latin will help you read these records.

More Detailed Information

Word List(s)

Helpful Genealogical Word List:

Irish or Gaelic

Ulster Scots or Scots

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Irish or Gaelic

Ulster Scots or Scots

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Irish or Gaelic

Ulster Scots or Scots

Additional Resources

  • Ireland (Britannica)
  • Ireland (Wikitravel)
  • Oxford English Dictionary Online. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2002. Available at: WorldCat.
  • The Irish genealogist. London: Irish Genealogical Research Society, 1937. Available at: WorldCat.
  • McLaughlin, Eve. Simple Latin for family historians. Aylesbury, Bucks: Varneys Press, 1999. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Martin, Charles Trice. The record interpreter. London: Stevens and Sons, 1910. Available at: WorldCat.

Language Information:

Irish language
Irish (Gaeilge, formerly written as Gaedhilge) is a member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages. It is closely related to Manx and Scottish Gaelic, and more distantly to Welsh, Cornish and Breton.

  • Irish was spoken natively in Northern Ireland into the twentieth century, in areas such as Rathlin Island, and the Sperrin Mountains. The 1901 & 1911 Censuses reveal that it was spoken by both the Roman Catholic and the Protestant communities.
  • In the Republic of Ireland, formerly the Irish Freestate, Irish has been an official language since independence in the 1920s. One can see both Irish and English used on official documents from the ROI. The republic has also set up Gaeltachts, which are areas in which Irish is supposedly used by much of the community (the definition and the reality are often at odds) - these are generally scattered along the west coast.
  • Irish gives rise to many Irish surnames, including any beginning with:
    • Mac, Mc, M' or Mag- e.g. Maguire, McDonnell, MacGuinness. "Mac" means "son of".
    • O' e.g. O' Dwyer, O' Higgins. "O" means "grandson of".
  • It was quite common for many families to drop the Mac or O' from their surnames, so some of the surnames above might also reappear as Dwyer, Higgins, Guinness etc, in the same family. In certain names, "Mac" also became "Fitz" e.g. Fitzgerald.
  • Many other Irish names also derive from Irish Gaelic, e.g. Branagh (Breathnach)
  • The old Gaelic naming system is extremely complex, and exists mainly in oral tradition.
  • Many personal names such as Shaun (John), Kevin, Conor, Neil, Maeve and Kathleen all ultimately derive from the language too. There are other, traditional, Gaelic names which have no direct equivalents in English: Domhnall, which is normally rendered as the unrelated Daniel or Donald; Grainne, for which there is nothing similar in English, and it is rendered as 'Grace'; Cathal, which is "matched" with Charles.
  • In the last hundred years, many people have given their children Irish names in the original spelling, e.g. the actors Saoirse Ronan and Ciarán Hinds. This is more common in the Republic, and when it occurs in Northern Ireland is usually connected with people who come from a Roman Catholic or Nationalist/Republican background.

Ulster Scots

  • Ulster Scots (also known as Ullans or Ulster-Scotch), is a vernacular used by a few people in County Donegal in the Republic and parts of Northern Ireland, especially County Antrim. *Although commonly portrayed as a "Protestant" language, it is in fact used by members of both the Roman Catholic and the Protestant communities.
  • It has very limited official recognition.
  • Genealogists may encounter an occasional word of Ulster Scots when looking at old documents, but the language is not distinct enough to cause major problems.

Latin

  • Latin was used for written records in Ireland over a thousand years ago, prior to the Anglo-Norman, and even the Norse invasions.
  • It continued to be used long after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.

Shelta
This is the traditional language of Irish travellers. One is unlikely to ever come across this in records, much less so than Irish.

Spelling may make some records difficult to read. Prior to 1900, spelling was often phonetic. Family and place-names were often spelled as they sounded to the writer. And given names were often abbreviated.
Handwriting may also make records difficult to read. Writing styles have changed over time. With practice you should be able to decipher most of the difficult words and letters you will encounter in Irish records.

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Languages of Ireland," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Ireland, accessed 24 May 2023.
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