Please help with translation

Latest post Mon, May 6 2019 4:30 by Dale D. 1 replies.
  • Fri, May 3 2019 18:03

    • KevinL
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    • Joined on Fri, May 3 2019
    • Killarney, Co. Kerry, ROI
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    Please help with translation

    Greetings all! I have a translation favor to ask, please. My mom and dad's house has a faded, old address wall plate that I'd like to replace with a new one for them. My mom's from Co Kerry; dad from Galway. But I grew up in the US (and don't speak Irish). The parents once lived in a neighborhood of NYC years ago called, 'Bay Ridge', which is in NYC's borough of Brooklyn. On their house address wall plate, they dubbed the home, 'Bay Ridge House'. It was written in English. For the new address wall plate I want to surprise them with, I'd like to have that written in Irish. I did some of my own, clumsy, uneducated research; and, came up with the following Irish translation: 'Teach Dromainn Os Cionn Na Ba'. Could someone knowledgeable please tell me if that is the correct or best translation, please?? I would greatly appreciate help. Thank you so much!!! ---Kevin
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  • Mon, May 6 2019 4:30 In reply to

    • Dale D
    • Top 10 Contributor
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    • Joined on Fri, Feb 18 2011
    • Woodland, California USA
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    Re: Please help with translation

    Hi, Kevin,

    Allow me first to say that this is not a site that sp3cializes in translation, but is rather for those who are learning Irish.  By definition, that probably makes it a more risky option for pursuing a translation, and in many cases some will probably decline any attempt at all.


    The translation of what you haveoffered is (roughly) "House of the Ridge above the Bay"; however, I have some misgivings about the grammar of what you have provided.

    To be a correct Irish construct, "Ridge" (Dromainn" should be rendered in the genetive case as a possessive.  To place it into the genetive format, an "e" should be added at the end:  "Dromainne" giving "Teach Dromainne Os Cionn Na Bá".  (Please note that the "a" in Bá has a fada (accent mark) above it.  I know you used an apostrophe, but not everyone knows how to apply the accent/fada onto vowels on the computer or other electronic devices.)

    I am thinking, though, that a more correct phrasology would be:  "House on the ridge above the bay", which would be  "Teach Ar An Dromainn Os Cionn an Bhá".  The genetive "Na Bá" at the conclusion of your version does not seem, to me at least, to go with "Os Cionn" "above".  Also the term "Bá" in this instance seems not to need the genetive case, because of the "above" term that precedes it.  As a feminine noun, it would be lenited "an bhá".

    My next concern is with the use of the word "Dromainn" for "ridge"; it does have that meaning, but also means "mound" and seems related to the word "Droim" which is another word used for ridge, but also means "back" as in a person's back.  I am wondering if the term "mullach" might be better, which means "highest point" or "summit" but also includes geography-specific meanings of "elevated ground, height or emminence".  I am not saying that "Dromainn' is wrong, but wonder if "Mullach" might be a more appropriate choice.  That would result in "Teach Ar An Mullach Os Cionn An Bhá"

    Finally, I have to tell you that I am no where near fluent in Irish, and consider myself still a learner.  There may be others on this site, or on sites more dedicated to translation services, who may disagree with me on some, several, or all points which I have included in this missive.  Please remember that I am not native, or fluent, so anything I offer must be viewed in that light.

    Good luck!

    Dale D

     

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