Comments on: How the Irish Invented Slang http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/ Kieran Murphy's blog - all about making, eating, pondering about and enjoying sweet things by a chocoholic Irish ice cream man (Murphys Ice Cream) living in Dingle, Ireland. (Please ask if you wish to use text or images. Copyright (c) Kieran Murphy 2007) Fri, 17 May 2013 11:45:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Henry Barth http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/comment-page-1/#comment-27526 Henry Barth Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:55:35 +0000 http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/#comment-27526 Words such as "lucre" were introduced into Ireland by the Norman French. The very familiar Irish "bally" prefix is, etymologically "villa." African slaves would obviously have learned their English from whites. Need I point out that many Irish were transported to the colonies for crimes or indentured and worked alongside Africans? Unlike Africans, the Irish had no value as indentured or criminal. Blacks would have learned a quaint 17th century Hiberno-English and the reverse I'm sure. Words such as “lucre” were introduced into Ireland by the Norman French. The very familiar Irish “bally” prefix is, etymologically “villa.”

African slaves would obviously have learned their English from whites. Need I point out that many Irish were transported to the colonies for crimes or indentured and worked alongside Africans? Unlike Africans, the Irish had no value as indentured or criminal. Blacks would have learned a quaint 17th century Hiberno-English and the reverse I’m sure.

]]> By: Scanlon http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/comment-page-1/#comment-23802 Scanlon Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:56:58 +0000 http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/#comment-23802 You know for years I was taught that many of these terms started out in African American communities. Sometimes word origins are difficult to determine. For example, I speak a fair amount of Russian and figured that some American slang terms almost had to be brought in by Russian immigrants. For example the Russian word "Dorok" means fools. But then I saw several other plausible origins for the work "Dork". On the other hand, it would be pretty remarkable if the famine immigrants left absolutely no influence on the English language. You know for years I was taught that many of these terms started out in African American communities. Sometimes word origins are difficult to determine. For example, I speak a fair amount of Russian and figured that some American slang terms almost had to be brought in by Russian immigrants. For example the Russian word “Dorok” means fools. But then I saw several other plausible origins for the work “Dork”.

On the other hand, it would be pretty remarkable if the famine immigrants left absolutely no influence on the English language.

]]> By: Kieran http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/comment-page-1/#comment-23656 Kieran Sun, 02 Sep 2007 20:28:10 +0000 http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/#comment-23656 Thanks for that, Tina! There are some even more far-fetched examples, but still the evidence that some of the words come from Irish is compelling... Thanks for that, Tina! There are some even more far-fetched examples, but still the evidence that some of the words come from Irish is compelling…

]]> By: Tina http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/comment-page-1/#comment-23644 Tina Sat, 01 Sep 2007 19:26:25 +0000 http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/#comment-23644 Some of these seem pretty far fetched to me... Lucre particularly seems wrong. The word, as well as its cousin lucrative, comes from Latin: "Lucrum" meaning avarice, material gain, or profit. I'm sure some of those words have an Irish origin, but while Cassidy is a professor of Irish Studies, he is not a linguist, and I doubt a linguist has checked out his guesses -- and since he has absolutely no evidence besides some phonetic similarity for many of these guesses, he is generally regarded as a bit of Left Coast loopiness by lexicographers and etymologists. Some of these seem pretty far fetched to me… Lucre particularly seems wrong. The word, as well as its cousin lucrative, comes from Latin: “Lucrum” meaning avarice, material gain, or profit. I’m sure some of those words have an Irish origin, but while Cassidy is a professor of Irish Studies, he is not a linguist, and I doubt a linguist has checked out his guesses — and since he has absolutely no evidence besides some phonetic similarity for many of these guesses, he is generally regarded as a bit of Left Coast loopiness by lexicographers and etymologists.

]]> By: Kieran http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/comment-page-1/#comment-23416 Kieran Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:48:41 +0000 http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/#comment-23416 Thanks, Darlene! A lot of the music down your way also has Irish influence. There was a great TV program on that subject by a couple who live here called "Bringing it all back home." It won an Emmy, I believe... Thanks, Darlene! A lot of the music down your way also has Irish influence. There was a great TV program on that subject by a couple who live here called “Bringing it all back home.” It won an Emmy, I believe…

]]> By: Darlene http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/comment-page-1/#comment-23411 Darlene Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:09:06 +0000 http://icecreamireland.com/2007/08/19/how-the-irish-invented-slang/#comment-23411 I'm a southern american with a deep accent, and I am amazed at how much our speech is derived from Irish slang. Of course, when I look at some of the pictures you take, I feel like I could be looking at places around here (here being East Tennessee). I’m a southern american with a deep accent, and I am amazed at how much our speech is derived from Irish slang.

Of course, when I look at some of the pictures you take, I feel like I could be looking at places around here (here being East Tennessee).

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