Irish Translation Forum

I've heard several pronunciations of <i>currach</i>, the word for the lath/sealskin/tar Irish boat. Does it rhyme with <i>hurrah</i> or <i>track</i> or <i>truck</i>?

To me it has a softer OCH sound

As in the OCH Loch Ness

You almost have the three dialects there hearaoi.

In the north currach- would be curr- uh
in the west currach would be curr- uch
in the southwest it would be c'-roch but they use naomhóg instead.

Pól,
Thanks. After alternating between <i>hurrah</i> and pronouncing a sort of a <i>k</i> sound, I had begun to settle on the latter. <i>loch</i> strikes me as the proper sort of <i>k</i>.

Riadach,

Thanks.

Gee, I don't know that I can adapt to the complications. I'll just have to take a stand - but I'm far too wishy-washy.

I see naomhóg used to describe a particular design of the boat, in fact a design used also for racing.

well i've never heard naomhóg being used in conamara. I thought it was area specific, and would not think there was any morphological difference with the naomhóga of the Blascaoid, and the curraigh in Conamara. The naomhóga in the blascaoid were used (and still) to ship animals seaweed and turf, as are the curraigh in conamara.

I should also add that the emphasis is on the first syllable. I mention it only because most Americans would pronounce "hurrah" as "hur-AH," and "currach" has the opposite emphasis.

Redwolf

Redwolf,
Thanks. necessary information. I've always been conscious of how different <i>post office</i> sounds, completely ignoring the brogue, when said by my mother (Irish born) and Myself (American born).

Riadach,

Thanks again.

I can't, and don't, speak with any authority. I have collected some currach information just now thru Google. It's long, and I don't want to abuse the thread, but I'll send it on to you privately if you wish. What I found does not claim to be definitive, but it is interesting, at least to me as I try to form a currach racing club in Chicago. I'm 80, so I won't be pulling oars myself.

With my less than meagre Irish, I translate naomhóg to mean <i>young saint</i>. Correct?

I'm really not sure where it comes from. It looks like it should be young saint doesn't it? I would maybe think it has something to do with nae- a rare word for boat.