Hello!

My name is Barbara. I'm a writer in Colorado, in the US. I am just finishing a novel and very much need six short phrases/words translated correctly, in addition to phonetic pronunciations for my glossary.

I have a great respect for the language and don't want to make a mistake. I very much appreciate any help those here can provide. Thank you in advance!

Here's my short list:

1. The Dream Touch

2. Lost Soul

3. The Knowing Soul

4. The Speaking Soul

5. The Blood Touch

6. Shame! (as in "shame on you!" but preferably as a single word)

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to help me! Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,
Barbara

Some of those might need a bit more explanation of their intended meaning before we can give you a better translation.

To get you started:

1. An Tadhall Brionglóideach "The Dream Touch"

2. Anam Damanta "Lost Soul"

3. An tAnam Glic "The Knowing Soul"

4. An tAnam Lán de Bhrí "The Speaking Soul"

5. An Tadhall Fola"The Blood Touch"

6. Náire ! "Shame!"

There seem to be a few different intepretations for each of the English words, e.g., I've taken the interpretation of "dream-like touch" for the first one.

Anam Damanta is the standard translation for "a lost soul" but means "a damned soul". If you just mean wandering then there are other words better suited.

As I mentioned, a little more explanation might help narrow down the choices. We can provide pronunciations once we have settled on some specific translations.

Await further input ...

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thank you for your suggestions! I should have given better context. (It does make sense the only one I had right was "shame!")

The novel is a fantasy work. The characters are sometimes able to communicate with other souls. So thus "Dream Touch" is considered a literal translation for someone who is able to communicate with another soul via dreams.

The Lost Soul implies insanity.

The Knowing and Speaking Souls are both methods of communication with the soul of another.

The Blood Touch is one who can communicate to another soul through blood contact (but not a vampire!).

I hope that helps refine translation... and if anyone is able to also provide phonetic pronunciation for my glossary, that would be great too!

I know I ask a lot here, and I really do appreciate the help... if nothing else, I hope the challenge is amusing.

Thank you again,
Barbara

An tAnam gan Chéill might be a translation worth considering for The Lost Soul where the implication is insanity.

See what the others think but Mothú Brionglóide might work for Dream Touch in your sense.

There can be more than one "correct" way to translate something. Don't be surprised if the translations end up closer to what you had as we learn more about the background.

By "knowing" do you mean "knowing a person" or "knowledge in general".

Also it would appear that your use of "touch" here is more like "contact" as in "getting in touch" or even "someone who gets in touch than "a sense of touch" in which case teagmháil might be more appropriate after all.

MacBoo has some good suggestions there too.

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

I do indeed mean "knowing" as in "knowing a person" or even "I know your heart" rather than knowledge in general.

Also, touch is more like a mental touch, but also a kind of knowing -- as if I can reach out in a non-physical sense and still touch you, get to know you, learn about and understand you. (I hope that makes sense). It's a touch on a soul-level, a joining and understanding.

I want to thank both of you (and anyone else who cares to jump in!) for the time and effort you're taking to help me.

I think it's worth mentioning again that this is a fantasy novel -- I am creating words and phrases that literally do not exist. So what I'm trying for here is the closest I can get to the paltry American English concepts that I've created. As such, it may not be possible to generate literal translations, but merely to come close. I could have taken the easy way out and done a mish-mash of made-up words, but I wanted to do something not only more authentic, but that honors Irish. Your thoughts are, as always, deeply appreciated.

Sincerely,
Barbara

Another question, sorry:

Is the phrase "Dream Touch" referring to the type of person who has this ability? or to the ability itself?

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

All phrases but one -- the Lost Soul" refer to an ability, not to a person who carries it.

And don't apologize! Ask as many questions as you like... so grateful to you for taking the time to help. Hopefully it's almost fun.

Barbara

Hi Barbara, welcome to the forum, the translation request seemed a bit weird for me so I was reluctant about replying and there is a lot of ambiguity and difficulty with the translations as one word in one language can imply a whole different context, meaning and interpretation in an other. But hopefully we can get it right . I'll explain what I mean so you can understand where we are coming from and see we are not just being knit-picky .

For instance in Irish there are 3 different kinds of knowledge or knowing:

Aithne: used only for knowing people, e.g. T(h)á aithne agam a(i)r Sheán I know Seán as a person...personality etc... This directly means I have recognising knowledge on Seán.

Eolas: knowledge in General, except knowing people or super natural knowledge, e.g. if you said Tá eolas agam air Sheán it would mean you know something about him or have news about him e.g you know how he is getting on...nothing personality wise.

Fios: Knowledge of the Supernatural, probably the English equivalent would be the "Sixth Sense" Tá an fios agam I have the supernatural knowledge or Bean Feasa the woman of the supernatural knowledge, feasa being the genitive of fios


Touch

Tadhall is only used to describe the Sense of Touch not the actual act, You cannot say you touched something or came in contact with something using this word.

Teangbháil/Teangmháil/Teagmháil/Teagbháil is to touch something or communicate with something or somebody.

If you are speaking about a person with the ability or someone who can communicate using say the Blood Touch you would have to say An Teangbhálaí Fola One who communicates or touches with Blood. Whereas, Tadhall Fola means The Sense of Touch by means of/ through Blood

I presume that's why Breandán asked you the question referring to the type of person or the ability? I hope you can see what we mean now by the complexity of the translation!




, I think we need to clarify what "Touch" is here though. I understand Babara you said:




How can there be an ability to "touch" a dream?




I think we agree "Anam gan Chéill" makes more sense here for the context?




How about Anam an Ollfheasa or Anam an Ard-fheasa, Soul of the Great Supernatural Knowlede...this knowledge includes the knowledge of prophesy i.e telling the future.




Am I missing some kind of allegorical/ hidden meaning in "The Speaking Soul"? Because an tAnam Lán de Bhrí means either the Soul (that is) Full of Meaning or the Soul (that is) Full of Energy.

An tAnam Labhartha is a literal translation for The Speaking Soul

Anam an fhios-labhartha or Anam Labhartha Feasa or (Anam an Labhartha Feasa or just that be Anam an labhairt Feasa?)

The Soul of the Supernatural Speaking Knowledge

Is that more appropriate or what's the story?




, I think, if the context fits?





Cian,

Wait for some more input and 3 people to agree

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

I think we agree "Anam gan Chéill" makes more sense here for the context?

3. An tAnam Glic "The Knowing Soul"[/quote]

How about Anam an Ollfheasa or Anam an Ard-fheasa, Soul of the Great Supernatural Knowlede...this knowledge includes the knowledge of prophesy i.e telling the future.



I don't know about this... it's not telling the future, necessarily. It's simply *knowing* someone, when you know someone really, really well. Imagine being able to look into someone's soul, someone you've just met, and suddenly know them for who they are, the kind of person they are, the way they love, laugh, cry.... whether they're a good person or a bad person, kind and loving or cruel -- the essence of what makes the man the man.

4. An tAnam Lán de Bhrí "The Speaking Soul"[/quote]

Am I missing some kind of allegorical/ hidden meaning in "The Speaking Soul"? Because an tAnam Lán de Bhrí means either the Soul (that is) Full of Meaning or the Soul (that is) Full of Energy.

An tAnam Labhartha is a literal translation for The Speaking Soul

Anam an fhios-labhartha or Anam Labhartha Feasa or (Anam an Labhartha Feasa or just that be Anam an labhairt Feasa?)

The Soul of the Supernatural Speaking Knowledge

Is that more appropriate or what's the story?



This one is much like the Knowing Soul, same principle, except that instead of simply "knowing" someone's soul, you have the ability to silently ask their soul to speak to yours -- imparting the same information as above, but in this case one has to ask.


5. An Tadhall Fola"The Blood Touch"[/quote]

, I think, if the context fits?

6. Náire ! "Shame!"



The Blood Touch is the same as the others, except that one must have access to even just a drop of the other's blood, in order to gain the same information as in the Knowing or Speaking examples above. Rather gory, this one.


Once again, thank you to all who are helping, and anyone else who might wish to join in... I can only hope you will all view this as an entertaining challenge. I am learning a lot, which is delightful.

Sincerely
Barbara