It is currently Fri 29 Mar 2024 5:19 am

All times are UTC


Forum rules


Please click here to view the forum rules



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Translate a toast?
PostPosted: Fri 06 Oct 2017 4:02 am 
Offline

Joined: Fri 06 Oct 2017 3:53 am
Posts: 1
I’d like some help on a translation, but a little backstory first. My adult son and I (he’s 33, I’m 58) are both going thru divorces at the same time. It’s been a very trying year for both of us, but we’ve learned to lean on each other, and are in fact sharing housing now.
We both became very interested in and gained a greater appreciation of our mixed Scottish and Irish heritage about ten years ago. We’re Conn and Clan Donald on the Scottish side, and O’Shields and Sullivan on the Irish.
For some time we’ve shared a love of the languages, and both have an interest in gaining at least some level of proficiency before we visit in a few years time. In the meantime, we’re limited to “Slainte” when we’re sharing a glass of uisge or wine.
That’s where the request comes in. A few months ago, at a particularly rough time in our relational lives, we were camping and sharing a bottle over a campfire. We raised our glasses to toast the moment, and couldn’t think of anything to toast to. One of us – still can’t remember clearly which – finally came up with something (and I’ll apologize for the language here, but it was appropriate for the moment) – “To what the f#*@ ever!”
For some reason it resonated with us, and it’s become our standard toast.

So, the question is this…Can someone translate that into the Irish for us?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Translate a toast?
PostPosted: Fri 06 Oct 2017 9:37 pm 
Offline

Joined: Thu 22 Dec 2011 6:28 am
Posts: 369
Location: Corcaigh
ChefJeff59 wrote:
I’d like some help on a translation, but a little backstory first. My adult son and I (he’s 33, I’m 58) are both going thru divorces at the same time. It’s been a very trying year for both of us, but we’ve learned to lean on each other, and are in fact sharing housing now.
We both became very interested in and gained a greater appreciation of our mixed Scottish and Irish heritage about ten years ago. We’re Conn and Clan Donald on the Scottish side, and O’Shields and Sullivan on the Irish.
For some time we’ve shared a love of the languages, and both have an interest in gaining at least some level of proficiency before we visit in a few years time. In the meantime, we’re limited to “Slainte” when we’re sharing a glass of uisge or wine.
That’s where the request comes in. A few months ago, at a particularly rough time in our relational lives, we were camping and sharing a bottle over a campfire. We raised our glasses to toast the moment, and couldn’t think of anything to toast to. One of us – still can’t remember clearly which – finally came up with something (and I’ll apologize for the language here, but it was appropriate for the moment) – “To what the f#*@ ever!”
For some reason it resonated with us, and it’s become our standard toast.

So, the question is this…Can someone translate that into the Irish for us?


The issue with your request is your choice of profanity. The concept of "curse words" doesn't quite exist, at least, in the same way in Irish as it does in English. Also, you've chosen the one word with the most varied use in English. While Irish equivalents exist for translations relating to excrement, or genitalia, there is no translation for "fuck".

Generally, for example's sake, if you want to offend someone in Irish you might wish grievous bodily harm on them, or say something unpleasant about their appearance. In English, by contrast, we have a vocabulary of conventionally insulting words which, when invoked, are simply understood to be insulting. Your use of "the fuck" in this context, however, isn't apparently to be offensive at all. It's intended to express exasperation, as far as I can tell.

With that being the case, I'd suggest a looser Irish translation, as a direct translation is impossible at any rate. Perhaps something like:

Aon rud ar chor ar bith!
lit. [to] Anything at all!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Translate a toast?
PostPosted: Fri 06 Oct 2017 10:41 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat 07 Feb 2015 11:24 am
Posts: 606
Location: Baile Mhic Ghoilla Eoin, VA
ChefJeff59 wrote:
“To what the f#*@ ever!”

Ade has mentioned a very valid challenge with translating this phrase.

To help us, could you elaborate explicitly on your understanding of this toast?

Consider these interpretations, each potentially unique when translated to Irish:
"to what the f ever AKA to I don't actually care about anything"
"to what the f ever AKA to as if there were anything left to toast to"
"to what the f ever AKA i might as well toast everything out there"
"to what the f ever AKA i am constantly surprised by this BS"
"to what the f ever AKA what is even going on"
"to what the f ever AKA I am too drunk to think"
and much much more...

unfortunately this English can convey a lot of options but you may need to be more specific in Irish

_________________
ЯГОН ТОҶИК НЕСТ ИНҶО???


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 

All times are UTC


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot], Google [Bot] and 20 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group