Irish Translation Forum

How do you write Darling in Irish?

mls

Do you mean the term of affection or a surname?

Muirnín = darling
If you were talking to the person and calling them darling you'd say "A mhuirnín".

I would have said "A stór" darling (talking to them)

That would be a stór Gumbi

Of course it would be

Gumbi wrote:I would have said "A stór" darling (talking to them)

That's fine too, though I'd translate it more along the lines of "My treasure". Pretty much the same idea though.

Really, any of the many Irish endearments could be rendered as "darling" or "sweetheart" in English. When such phrases as "a stór," "a rún," "a thaisce," "a leanbh," " a chroí," "a chuid den tsaol" and "a ghrá" are translated, they tend to be rendered variously as "darling," "dear/dear one," "love," "beloved," "sweetheart" etc., rather than literally as "treasure/secret/child/heart/etc."

"Muirnín" ("a mhuirnín" in direct address) is a direct translation, though, which is usually (though not always) the best way to go. If "darling" is going to be repeated multiple times, however (such as in a song or a poem), I'd throw some of the other endearments in there as well.

Redwolf

Redwolf wrote:Really, any of the many Irish endearments could be rendered as "darling" or "sweetheart" in English. When such phrases as "a stór," "a rún," "a thaisce," "a leanbh," " a chroí," "a chuid den tsaol" and "a ghrá" are translated, they tend to be rendered variously as "darling," "dear/dear one," "love," "beloved," "sweetheart" etc., rather than literally as "treasure/secret/child/heart/etc."

That's true. But in the case of "treasure", it's actually used in Ireland like that. Like you'd actually say "You're my treasure" with that sense. Probably more with the older people... things like that seem to be disappearing now I suppose, though it's still used in my family, anyway! Then again... I have a great aunt who calls me her "little fur coat"

Raic wrote:I have a great aunt who calls me her "little fur coat"

Haha that's cute! Does she do it in English or as Gaeilge?

seanín duillean wrote:

Raic wrote:I have a great aunt who calls me her "little fur coat"

Haha that's cute! Does she do it in English or as Gaeilge?

Yes indeed I too have been called that many times, I just wasn't sure what people were saying: "little fu####"