Irish Translation Forum

Am I the first to ask how to say this? (phoentics also please

gratefully, fritha

ps my son is called Seamus, if anyone has any interesting information on this transliteration I'd love to hear it! What is the accent over the 'e' called?

Dear Frithastalker,

"Happy New Year" in Irish Gaelic is Athbhiain faoi mhaise duit (ah-vlee-un f(w)ee woss-a witch). Irish spelling is often out of sync with the actual pronunciation. The same is true for English and would be true for French and German also had government intervention not forced spelling reforms.
The name Seamus is the Scottish Gaelic form of James which in turn comes from the Latin Jacomus or Jacobus. The Irish form of the name is Seamas but pronounced the same way.

I am grateful for, but confused by, these comments from Brian:

Brian Costello wrote:
...The name Seamus is the Scottish Gaelic form of James which in turn comes from the Latin Jacomus or Jacobus. The Irish form of the name is Seamas but pronounced the same way.

If Séamus is Scottish;
Seamas (Séamas?) is Irish;
then where does Hamish come in?
And why do most people (including several Irish Gaelic speakers I know) think Séamus is Irish Gaelic?
Also do we think it is Séamus or Seamus?
Is the accent a fother (SP?)

Dear Frithastalker,

Hamis (Sheaimas) is the vocative form of the name. If you
were calling James (Seamas) or trying to get his attention you would say
A Sheaimas! (A hay-mish!). The vocative case has been lost in
Modern English but all of the older Indo European languages including Greek, Latin and Russian have it. Any further questions please call back!

Well do I have further questions!

Maybe it's best if I ask some more precise ones, like

if Seamus is my chosen spelling for my son, what are all the
cases of that name that would have once been used?

And, strictly speaking, if I spell it thus is it Scottish rather than
Irish?

My brother in law is called Hamish - is this simply a semi-Anglicised
version of either Seamus or Seamas? (for ease of pronounciation?)

When writing my son's name, are we incorrect in writing it Séamus,
rather than just plain old Seamus?

Lastly may I say that I wish you were around the corner so I could come around and bend your ear on all of this and much more!

many thanks,

Fritha
ps while we're at it - do you have anything to say about my first name
Fritha? I have been lead to believe it is Welsh, written Frydd (Frith) and is another form of Freya, Frida etc...

Brian Costello wrote:Dear Frithastalker,

Hamis (Sheaimas) is the vocative form of the name. If you
were calling James (Seamas) or trying to get his attention you would say
A Sheaimas! (A hay-mish!). The vocative case has been lost in
Modern English but all of the older Indo European languages including Greek, Latin and Russian have it. Any further questions please call back!

Bandia Dhuit

My female cat is named Freyja, after the Norse Goddess. Along with Odin, Thor, etc (Odin is my male cat).

Fritha could be an adaptation of Freyja. Or not. Just guessing.

Slán

Duine Aonair.

Dear Frithstalker,

Seamas (Irish) and Seamus (Scotts Gaelic) are both fine. Your
brother-in-law has the vocative form for his name which would
normally be used only when you are calling someone with that
name but this doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with him
having Hamish as a name since New Zeeland is one of the few countries
in the world along with the United States where parents are free to give their kids any name they want (In most countries of the world
that's not the case. You must choose from a government approved list).

A Shéamuis (hay-m(w)ish) is the correct spelling of the vocative.
Old Irish had an accusitive case just like Greek and Latin, and like Russian
and Albanian still do today. But the accusative case was lost in both Irish and English about 1,000 years ago. I don't know what the accusitve form was. I'd have to look it up. If the name James had been in Ireland and
Scotland at that time it would have tacked an accusitive ending on to it. But James is a late-commer to the British Isles arriving there only
after the Norman conquest of England.
Slán Leat!(Good bye!). Bíodh lá deas agat (Have a nice day!) and
always feel free to contact this site. A lot of us love to chat.

Just thought I'd add my little bit....

The accent over the e in Séamus is called a Fada. = D

Have a great day!

happy new year

Locking this topic that was resurrected for no apparent good reason.