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Irish language

Irish language

1 6.0
A Celtic language that people speak in Ireland, also called Gaeilge
  • noun
translation icon : irlandés
  • At the festival, attendees can join Irish language workshops to improve their speaking skills.

Examples

  • Many children in rural areas of Ireland are learning the Irish language as part of their school curriculum.

  • Granted, there are plenty of CDs out there featuring songs in the Irish language, but many don't have lyrics in the liner notes.

    Blog text (15)
  • For example, there was the immediate tradition, the Irish tradition talked a little bit about the Irish language earlier on.

  • In addition, the scholars and scribes who wrote the manuscripts often used an even earlier form of the Irish language, so translations can differ.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Festival highlights include lectures, slow air workshops, an Irish language course, recitals, sessions, and an evening cruise on Boston Harbor.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • In 1995, at a special folklore workshop devoted to the Great Irish Famine, an instructor of an adult Irish language revitalization program in Ireland began the discussion of relief by relating the following anecdote:

    Academic text (2001)
  • The famous columnist Fintan O'Toole echoed their sentiments by writing in The Irish Times that "the Irish language is a crucial part of our self-contempt" (1990: 10).

    Academic text (2001)
  • The Irish language is an essential aspect of cultural identity for many Irish families.

Synonyms

Irish Gaelic
vsIrish language
1 8.6

A traditional language of Ireland, often called Irish

means the same but prefers the single modern name and notes regional use
Irish
vsIrish language
7.5

A traditional language spoken in Ireland

highlights use as a first or second language in parts of the country

How Widely Spoken

Irish language
1 6.0
minority
754 3.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

Irish + language

The meaning 'the Celtic language of Ireland' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'Irish' (denoting origin/ethnicity) with 'language' (a system of speech), so a learner who knows both words can infer the MWE meaning. This national/ethnic + language pattern is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish 'idioma irlandés'), making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Irish language comes from the people called the Gaels, who long spoke a language called Gaeilge in Ireland. So, Irish language simply means 'the language of Ireland' and is the name for the native speech people in Ireland speak today.