Irish

English

Etymology

From Middle English Irish (12th c.), from Old English *Īrisċ, from Old English Īras (“Irishmen”), from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu (modern Irish Éire (“Ireland”)), further origin heavily debated but probably from Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū (“fat land, fertile”), from Proto-Indo-European *péyh₂wr̥ (“fat, swelling”), from *peyh₂- (“to swell; to be fat”), akin to Ancient Greek πίειρα (píeira, “fertile land”), Sanskrit पीवरी (pīvarī, “fat”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• enPR: ī'rĭsh, IPA^(key): /ˈaɪɹɪʃ/
• enPR: īə'rĭsh, IPA^(key): /ˈaɪəɹɪʃ/
• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /ˈaɪɹəʃ/
• Hyphenation: Ir‧ish

Proper noun

Irish

1. (uncountable) The Gaelic language indigenous to Ireland, also known as Irish Gaelic.

   Irish is the first official and national language of Ireland.

2. (as plural) The Irish people.
   • 2015 March 1, “Infrastructure”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 2, episode 4, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:

     America used to love dams... Yes, and we built those dams with ingenuity and brawn and, of course, piles and piles of dead Irish.

3. A surname.
4. A female given name of chiefly Philippine usage.

Usage notes

• Use Irishman, Irishwoman, Irish person, etc for one singular person.

Derived terms

• black Irish
• Connacht Irish
• Irish English
• Munster Irish
• Scotch-Irish
• Scotch Irish
• smoked Irish
• Ulster Irish

 

Translations

the language

• Afrikaans: Iers (af)
• Arabic: أَيِرْلَنْدِيّ (ʔayirlandiyy)

  Hijazi Arabic: ايرلندي m (ērlandi)

• Armenian: իռլանդերեն (hy) (iṙlanderen)
• Asturian: irlandés (ast) m
• Basque: gaelera (eu), irlandera (eu)
• Belarusian: ірла́ндская мо́ва (irlándskaja móva), ірла́ндская f (irlándskaja), ірля́ндзкая мо́ва (irljándzkaja móva), ірля́ндзкая f (irljándzkaja)
• Breton: iwerzhoneg (br) m
• Catalan: irlandès (ca) m, gaèlic irlandès m

  Valencian: irlandés (ca) m, gaèlic irlandés m

• Cherokee: ᎢᎤᎳᏂ (iulani)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 愛爾蘭語／爱尔兰语 (zh) (ài'ěrlányǔ)

• Cornish: Godhalek m
• Czech: irština (cs) f
• Danish: irsk (da)
• Dutch: Iers (nl) n
• Esperanto: irlanda lingvo
• Estonian: iiri keel (et)
• Faroese: írskt (fo) n
• Finnish: iiri (fi)
• French: irlandais (fr) m, gaélique irlandais (fr) m
• Galician: irlandés (gl) m
• Georgian: ირლანდიური (ka) (irlandiuri), ირლანდიური ენა (irlandiuri ena)
• German: Irisch (de) n, Irisch-Gälisch (de) n, Gälisch (de) n
• Greek: ιρλανδικά (el) n pl (irlandiká)
• Hebrew: אִירִית (he) (irit)
• Hungarian: ír (hu)
• Icelandic: írska (is) f
• Indonesian: Irlandia (id)
• Irish: Gaeilge (ga) f, Gaelainn f, Gaedhilg f, Gaeilge na hÉireann f

  Classical Gaelic: Gaoidhealg f

• Italian: irlandese (it) m, gaelico m
• Japanese: アイルランド語 (ja) (アイルランドご, Airurandogo)
• Khmer: អៀរ (km) (ʼiə)
• Korean: 아일랜드어 (aillaendeueo)
• Latvian: īru valoda f, īru
• Lithuanian: airių (lt), airių kalba (lt)
• Macedonian: ирски m (irski)
• Maltese: l-Irlandiż m
• Manx: Yernish f
• Marathi: आयरिश f (āyriś)
• Navajo: Aárish bizaad
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: irsk (no) m

  Nynorsk: irsk (nn) m

• Persian: ایرلندی (fa) (irlandi)
• Polish: język irlandzki (pl) m inan, iryjski (pl) m
• Portuguese: irlandês (pt) m, gaélico (pt) m
• Romanian: irlandeză (ro) f
• Russian: и́рландский (ru) m (írlandskij)
• Scots: Erse
• Scottish Gaelic: Gaeilge f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: и̑рскӣ m

  Roman: ȋrskī (sh) m

• Slovene: írščina (sl) f
• Spanish: irlandés (es) m
• Swedish: iriska (sv) c
• Tagalog: Irlandes (tl)
• Tigrinya: አይሪሽ (ʾäyriš)
• Ukrainian: ірла́ндська мо́ва f (irlándsʹka móva), ірла́ндська f (irlándsʹka)
• Urdu: آئرستانی (āiristānī), آئرش (āiriś)
• Vietnamese: tiếng Ai-len
• Volapük: Lireyänapük
• Welsh: Gwyddeleg (cy) m or f
• West Frisian: Iersk (fy) n

the people

• Afrikaans: Iere pl
• Arabic: إِيرْلَنْدِيّ m (ʔirlandiyy), إِيرْلَنْدِيَّة f (ʔīrlandiyya)
• Belarusian: ірла́ндзец m (irlándzjec), ірла́ндка f (irlándka), ірля́ндзец f (irljándzjec), ірля́ндка f (irljándka) (Taraškievica)
• Bulgarian: ирла́ндец m (irlándec), ирла́ндка f (irlándka)
• Catalan: irlandesos (ca) m pl
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 愛爾蘭人／爱尔兰人 (zh) (Ài'ěrlánrén)

• Czech: Ir (cs) m, Irka (cs) f
• Faroese: íri m
• Finnish: irlantilaiset (fi) pl
• French: Irlandais (fr) m, Irlandaise (fr) f
• Galician: irlandeses m pl
• Georgian: ირლანდიელები (irlandielebi), ირლანდიელი (irlandieli)
• German: Ire (de) m, Irin (de) f
• Hawaiian: ʻIlelani
• Hebrew: אירים m pl (Írim)
• Icelandic: Írlendingar pl
• Irish: Éireannach (ga) m, Gael m
• Italian: irlandese (it)
• Japanese: アイルランド人 (ja) (アイルランドじん, Airurandojin)
• Latvian: īrs m, īriete f
• Macedonian: Ирци pl (Irci) (collectively), Ирец m (Irec), Ирка f (Irka)
• Marathi: आयरिश (āyriś)
• Navajo: Dághaałchííʼ dineʼé
• Old Norse: írar m pl
• Persian: ایرلندی (fa) (irlandi)
• Polish: Irlandczyk (pl) m pers, Irlandka (pl) f
• Portuguese: irlandeses (pt) pl
• Romanian: irlandez (ro)
• Russian: ирла́ндцы (ru) m pl (irlándcy) (collectively), ирла́ндец (ru) m (irlándec), ирла́ндка (ru) f (irlándka)
• Scots: Erse
• Scottish Gaelic: na h-Èireannaich m pl
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: И́рац m, И̏ркиња f

  Roman: Írac (sh) m, Ȉrkinja f

• Slovak: Ír m, Írka f
• Slovene: Irec (sl) m
• Spanish: irlandeses (es) m pl
• Tagalog: Irlandes (tl)
• Ukrainian: ірла́ндець m (irlándecʹ), ірла́ндка f (irlándka)
• Urdu: آئرستانی (āiristānī), آئرش (āiriś)
• Vietnamese: người Ai-len
• Welsh: Gwyddelod (cy) pl, (literary) Gwyddyl pl

Noun

Irish (countable and uncountable, plural Irish or Irishes)

1. (uncountable, obsolete) A board game of the tables family.
2. (uncountable, US) Temper; anger, passion.
   • 1834, David Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, Nebraska, published 1987, page 65:

     But her Irish was up too high to do any thing with her, and so I quit trying.

   • 1947, Hy Heath, John Lange, Clancy Lowered the Boom:

     Whenever he got his Irish up, Clancy lowered the boom.

   • 1997, Andrew M. Greeley, Irish Lace, page 296:

     The Priest is as fierce a fighter as I am when he gets his Irish up.

3. (countable, uncountable) Whiskey, or whisky, elaborated in Ireland.
   • 1889, Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat […] ‎^[1]:

     Harris said he'd had enough oratory for one night, and proposed that we should go out and have a smile, saying that he had found a place, round by the square, where you could really get a drop of Irish worth drinking.

Derived terms

• bicycle Irish

 

Translations

board game

• Polish: tryktrak irlandzki m anim

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Breton: Iwerzhoniz (br) pl
• Danish: irer (da) c, irlænder (da) c
• Dutch: Ieren (nl) pl
• Esperanto: irlandanoj
• Estonian: iirlased
• Faroese: íri m
• Italian: irlandese (it) m or f
• Lithuanian: airis (lt) m, airė (lt) f
• Romanian: irlandez (ro) m, irlandeză (ro) f
• Scottish Gaelic: Éireannach m
• Swedish: irländare (sv) m or f, irländska (sv) f

Adjective

Irish (comparative more Irish, superlative most Irish)

1. Pertaining to or originating from Ireland or the Irish people.

   Sheep are typical in the Irish landscape.

   • 1992 April 26, “Hot Off the Press”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 3, Episode 5:

     A. Fink-Nottle: But it's absolute balderdash, Bertie. I mean, listen to this: "Sure and begorrah, I don't know what's after being the matter with you, Michael." I mean, what on earth is this "what's after being" stuff mean?
     B.W. Wooster: My dear old Gussie, that is how people think Irish people talk.

2. Pertaining to the Irish language.
3. (derogatory) nonsensical, daft or complex.
   • 1995, Irving Lewis Allen, The City in Slang: New York Life and Popular Speech:

     The slur continued with Irish confetti, a popular term for paving stones or Belgian bricks that were laid in New York streets beginning about 1832.

Derived terms

Terms derived from Irish (adjective)

• Irish blight
• Irish Blue
• Irish Blue Terrier
• Irish bouzouki
• Irish coffee
• Irish cream
• Irish diamond
• Irish goodbye
• Irish hospitality
• Irish joke
• Irish linen
• Irishly
• Irish mile
• Irish question
• Irish soda bread
• Irishtown
• Irish twin
• Irish up
• Irish water spaniel
• Irish wolfhound
• Northern Irish
• weep Irish

 

Translations

pertaining to or originating from Ireland or the Irish people

• Afrikaans: Iers (af)
• Albanian: irlandez (sq)
• Arabic: إِيرْلَنْدِيّ (ʔīrlandiyy)
• Armenian: իռլանդական (hy) (iṙlandakan)
• Asturian: irlandés (ast)
• Azerbaijani: irland
• Basque: irlandar
• Belarusian: ірла́ндскі (irlándski), ірля́ндзкі (irljándzki) (Taraškievica)
• Bengali: আইরিশ (bn) (airiś)
• Bulgarian: ирла́ндски (irlándski)
• Burmese: အိုင်ယာလန် (uing-yalan)
• Catalan: irlandès (ca)

  Valencian: irlandés (ca)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 愛爾蘭的／爱尔兰的 (zh) (Ài'ěrlán de)

• Czech: irský (cs) m
• Danish: irsk (da)
• Dutch: Iers (nl)
• Esperanto: irlanda
• Estonian: iiri (et)
• Faroese: írskur
• Finnish: irlantilainen (fi), irkku- (fi)
• French: irlandais (fr)
• Galician: irlandés (gl)
• Georgian: ირლანდიური (ka) (irlandiuri)
• German: irisch (de), irländisch (de) (rare)
• Hawaiian: ʻIlelani
• Hebrew: אִירִי (iri)
• Hindi: आयरिश (hi) (āyriś)
• Hungarian: ír (hu)
• Icelandic: írskur
• Indonesian: Irlandia (id)
• Irish: Éireannach (ga), Gaelach
• Italian: irlandese (it)
• Japanese: アイルランドの (ja) (アイルランドの, Airurando no)
• Kazakh: ирланд (irland)
• Khmer: អៀរឡង់ (ʼiəlɑng)
• Korean: 아일랜드의 (ko) (aillaendeuui)
• Kyrgyz: ирланд (irland)
• Lao: ອຽກລັງ (ʼīak lang)
• Latvian: īru, īrisks
• Lithuanian: airiškas (lt), airių (lt)
• Macedonian: ирски m (irski)
• Malay: Ireland (ms)
• Maltese: Irlandiż
• Marathi: आयरिश (āyriś)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: ирланд (irland)

  Mongolian: ᠢᠷᠯᠠᠨᠳ᠋ (irland)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: irsk (no)

  Nynorsk: irsk (nn)

• Persian: ایرلندی (fa) (irlandi)
• Polish: irlandzki (pl)
• Portuguese: irlandês (pt)
• Romanian: irlandez (ro)
• Russian: ирла́ндский (ru) (irlándskij)
• Scots: Erse
• Scottish Gaelic: Èireannach
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: и̑рскӣ

  Roman: ȋrskī (sh)

• Slovak: irský (sk)
• Slovene: írski (sl)
• Spanish: irlandés (es)
• Swedish: irländsk (sv)
• Tagalog: Irlandes (tl)
• Tajik: ирландӣ (tg) (irlandi), ирландиягӣ (irlandiyagi)
• Tatar: ирланд (irland)
• Thai: ไอริช (th), ไอร์แลนด์ (th) (ai-lɛɛn)
• Turkish: İrlanda (tr)
• Turkmen: irland
• Ukrainian: ірла́ндський (irlándsʹkyj)
• Urdu: آئرستانی (āiristānī), آئرش (āiriś)
• Uyghur: ئرېلاندىيە (rëlandiye)
• Uzbek: irland (uz), irlandiyalik
• Vietnamese: Ái Nhĩ Lan (vi)
• Welsh: Gwyddelig

pertaining to the language

• Afrikaans: Iers (af)
• Asturian: irlandés (ast)
• Breton: iwerzhonek (br)
• Catalan: irlandès (ca)

  Valencian: irlandés (ca)

• Danish: irsk (da)
• Dutch: Iers (nl)
• Esperanto: irlandlingva
• Faroese: írskur
• Finnish: iirinkielinen, iirin (+ genitive), irlanninkielinen, irlannin (+ genitive)
• French: irlandais (fr), gaélique (fr)
• Galician: irlandés (gl)
• Georgian: ირლანდიური (ka) (irlandiuri)
• German: Irisch (de) n
• Hawaiian: ʻIlelani
• Irish: Gaelach
• Italian: irlandese (it)
• Japanese: アイルランド語の (Airurandogo no)
• Latvian: īru, īrisks
• Macedonian: ирски m (irski)
• Marathi: आयरिश (āyriś)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: irsk (no)

  Nynorsk: irsk (nn)

• Persian: ایرلندی (fa) (irlandi)
• Polish: irlandzki (pl)
• Portuguese: irlandês (pt)
• Romanian: irlandez (ro)
• Russian: ирла́ндский (ru) (irlándskij)
• Scots: Erse
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: и̑рскӣ

  Roman: ȋrskī (sh)

• Slovene: írski (sl)
• Spanish: irlandés (es)
• Swedish: irisk (sv)
• Tagalog: Irlandes (tl)
• Thai: ไอริช (th)
• Urdu: آئرستانی (āiristānī), آئرش (āiriś)
• Welsh: Gwyddeleg (cy)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Breton: ^{(please verify)} iwerzhonat
• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} írskur
• Persian: ^{(please verify)} ایرلندی (fa) (irlandi)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} irlandez (ro)

See also

• Erse
• Gaelic
• Wiktionary's coverage of Irish terms
• Appendix:Irish Swadesh list for a Swadesh list of basic vocabulary words in Irish

Further reading

• Irish–English Dictionary: from Webster’s Dictionary — the Rosetta Edition.
• ISO 639-1 code ga, ISO 639-3 code gle (SIL)
• Ethnologue entry for Irish, gle ⁠

Anagrams

• Rishi, rishi, sirih

Cebuano

Etymology 1

From English Irish, from Middle English Irisce, from Old English Īras (“Irishmen”), from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu (modern Éire (“Ireland”)), from Proto-Celtic *Īwerjū (“fat land, fertile”), from Proto-Indo-European *pi-wer- (“fertile”), from *peyH- (literally “fat”).

Proper noun

Irish

1. the Goidelic language indigenous to Ireland, also known as Irish Gaelic

Noun

Irish

1. an Irishman or Irishwoman

Adjective

Irish

1. pertaining to or originating from Ireland or the Irish people
2. pertaining to the Irish language

Etymology 2

From English Irish. Also a corruption of Iris.

Proper noun

Irish

1. a female given name from English

Middle English

Alternative forms

• Irishe, Irisse, Ireshe

Etymology

From Old English Īras (“Irishmen”), from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu (modern Irish Éire (“Ireland”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈiːriʃ/

Noun

Irish (uncountable)

1. Irish

Descendants

• English: Irish
• Yola: Eeerish, Eerish

References

• “Īrish, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.