Middle Irish language
- noun
:
lengua irlandesa media
- Scholars study texts in the Middle Irish language to learn about medieval Ireland.
Examples
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The poem was originally composed in Middle Irish language during the twelfth century.
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Her research focuses on how the Middle Irish language evolved into modern Irish.
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The Middle Irish language evolved significantly over the centuries.
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Did you know that the Middle Irish language was used for poetry?
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Scholars study texts in the Middle Irish language to learn about medieval Ireland.
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The poem was originally composed in Middle Irish language during the twelfth century.
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Her research focuses on how the Middle Irish language evolved into modern Irish.
Synonyms
A form of the Irish language used from about 1100 to 1500
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is transparently compositional: 'middle' (an intermediate historical stage) modifies 'Irish' (the Irish language), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to an intermediate historical stage of the Irish language. This naming pattern (e.g. Middle English, Middle French) is cross-linguistically common and follows standard language-period labeling, making the meaning accessible to a B1 learner who knows the words.
Etymology
The name Middle Irish language simply means the form of Irish used in the 'middle' period between older and modern forms. It was the language of old poems and books, so today the phrase refers to the Irish spoken and written about 1100 to 1500.
