The 50 Most Beautiful Words in the Irish Language

“Words are so much more than a mere compilation of letters or characters. Each word is a

reflection of the people who created it, the community or culture from which it came, and

in its purest form, a message that someone wanted to share with another person.

Words , the I r i sh Language , Trans la t ion

—and Why We Shou ld Care

That’s why translating words from one language into another is so challenging.

Transferring the essence of word from one culture to another is very difficult. Translators

use various techniques to get the meaning across by focusing on the message, not the

words.

Words , the I r i sh Language , Trans la t ion

—and Why We Shou ld Care

To celebrate the beauty and complexity of words, and to highlight the importance of

translation, Smartling is proud to present 50 of the most beautiful words in the Irish

language.

Words , the I r i sh Language , Trans la t ion

—and Why We Shou ld Care

Irish (also known to people outside of Ireland as Gaelic or Irish Gaelic) is spoken by about

1.6 million people with varying degrees of fluency. Usage of the language has been in

decline, but Irish was spoken quite widely in fairly recent memory. For example, there

were nearly half a million people speaking Irish in the United States in the 1890s. About

36 million Americans have Irish ancestry, and many of their grandparents and great-

grandparents spoke Irish.

Words , the I r i sh Language , Trans la t ion

—and Why We Shou ld Care

Today, you can use Facebook in Irish and can even watch a soap opera in

Irish (with English subtitles if you don’t speak it).

Technology is breathing new life into languages that might have otherwise

had less chance of survival.

Words , the I r i sh Language , Trans la t ion

—and Why We Shou ld Care

Ireland has always been an important country for language,

and today, it’s one of the most important hubs in the world

for translation and localization.

All of us here at Smartling hope you’ll enjoy this collection

of Irish language terms, selected for you with care by

Eoghan Ó Raghallaigh, an Irish translator who lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Words , the I r i sh Language , Trans la t ion

—and Why We Shou ld Care

A b o u t S m a r t l i n g

Smartling’s mission is to make the world’s content multilingual. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, Smartling is privately held and backed by leading venture capital firms First Round Capital, IDG Ventures, Tenaya Capital, U.S. Venture Partners, and Venrock.

To learn more about how technology can make translation easier, better, and faster, no matter what the language, contact us.

www.smartling.com

+1 866 70 SMART +1 866 707 6278 hi@smartling.com

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