Irish Translation Forum

Hi, I'm getting my second Irish Red & White setter next week and I am looking for help translating 'Courtesan To The King' into Gaelic. My first dog's name is Fluid Beautiful Heart (Croi Aluinn Liofa).

Thx.

Ruff_Hi wrote:Hi, I'm getting my second Irish Red & White setter next week and I am looking for help translating 'Courtesan To The King' into Gaelic. My first dog's name is Fluid Beautiful Heart (Croi Aluinn Liofa).

Thx.

Do you want Irish or Scottish Gaelic? The "Aluinn" in your other dog's name looks like Scottish (the Irish would be "Álainn").

What, exactly, do you mean by "courtesan"?

Redwolf

Meirdreach an Rí
courtesan/harlot to the king

also the word "striapach" is listed under courtesan, but I'm afraid modern speakers of Irish would read "Strapach an Rí" as "the King's b***h"

Méabh wrote:Meirdreach an Rí
courtesan/harlot to the king

also the word "striapach" is listed under courtesan, but I'm afraid modern speakers of Irish would read "Strapach an Rí" as "the King's b***h"

I'm wondering if the poster really wants "courtesan." I don't think a lot of people realize that a courtesan was, essentially, a prostitute.

Redwolf

Well, at least it would hold to the fact that a female breeding dog is, in fact, a b***h

Wow - I go and have a shower and I get multiple responses ... thx

Irish Gaelic for sure - these are Irish Red & White setters!

I am looking for 'Courtesan To The King'. This dog is a female and my other dog is a male (and looks very regal) so consort / courtesan / etc to the king is just right!

And here is a photo of our current dog ... the king looking for a courtesan

Ruff_Hi wrote:Wow - I go and have a shower and I get multiple responses ... thx

Irish Gaelic for sure - these are Irish Red & White setters!

I am looking for 'Courtesan To The King'. This dog is a female and my other dog is a male (and looks very regal) so consort / courtesan / etc to the king is just right!

And here is a photo of our current dog ... the king looking for a courtesan

I guess our question is, do you know that a courtesan was a prostitute...the Irish words we're giving you here essentially mean that ("prostitue" or "hussy"). In fact, Webster defines it as "a prostitute with a high-class clientele"...surely that's not what you want to name your dog!

"Consort" is different...a king's consort is his wife! If you actually want "consort," we would go with something more like "spouse." Perhaps "Sonuachar an Rí"

Lovely dog, by the way. Nice to see the red and whites making a comeback.

Redwolf

Summary

Meirdreach an Rí - courtesan / harlot to the king
Sonuachar an Rí - consort / wife to the king
Strapach an Rí - King's bitch

I'm more than ok with courtesan or prostitute. I think that courtesan has the overtone of having a some (limited) power in the relationship (if you can call it that). Thanks for your help.

Ruff_Hi wrote:Summary

Meirdreach an Rí - courtesan / harlot to the king
Sonuachar an Rí - consort / wife to the king
Strapach an Rí - King's bitch

I'm more than ok with courtesan or prostitute. I think that courtesan has the overtone of having a some (limited) power in the relationship (if you can call it that). Thanks for your help.

Actually, what "Meirdreach an Rí" and "Striapach an Rí" mean is a little closer to "king's whore" or "king's slut" 'Course, all a courtesan was was a high-class hooker (it's not synonymous with "mistress"...it's just a fancy word for a lady of the evening who took on aristocratic clients), so if that's what you're aiming at...well, OK.

"Bitch" as in what an actual female dog is called is "Soith." "Bitch" as in a woman you don't particularly like is "Bitseach."

Redwolf

Well, we travelled to Canada, picked up our new dog and discussed Gaelic names with the husband of the breeder (a native Gaelic speaker, PhDs, etc, etc). He agreed with your translations but did comment that the three suggested are very seldom used in actual conversation. We talked around a few more and then discussed some others.

The dogs call name was decided months ago ... Poppy ... as in the flower, and so we started to look into the Gaelic based on poppy or flower. We settled on this as her Gaelic Name ...

Blathin an Ri (with some dashes about some 'a's and 'i's

The translation I have is 'little flower of the king'.