Hey all! I have a happy problem. My post on the fellow who was spotted wearing a T-shirt reading "Gorm Chónaí Ábhar" has gone viral. Because of that, I'd like to work out the best way to say "Black/blue lives matter" in Irish. It's such a very English idiom (American English at that) that my brain keeps running in circles trying to work out the best way to express it. Any help appreciated.

Redwolf

Hmm... Let's stick with "black" first, because of course, Irish uses "gorm" for that, which makes for a strange situation here :P

Saolta fiúntacha iad saolta gorma would retain the full meaning. Not as clunky as I thought it'd be, if perhaps a bit long.

As for "blue". Do Americans use this to refers to people in the police force only? If so, perhaps "Garda" might be appropriate, as it's the term everyone in Ireland uses for the police (even in English, people say either "guards" or perhaps just as often "the gardaí"). More discussion, I think, is warranted on this point from other users.

My concern is that I'm not sure if Irish uses "lives" in this way. Might "daoine" be a better fit?

Yes, "blue" would be understood to mean "police" in this context pretty much everywhere in the U.S. It's "police" as a general reference, though. Most municipal forces in the U.S. wear some shade of blue. State police often don't and, of course, detectives usually wear street clothes, but they all pretty much fall under the "blue" heading.

Redwolf

In isolation it's fine, but you're right I think. I'm not sure one could say "saol gorm" and have it readily be understood as "black person's life" or "life of a black person". Perhaps "an mhuintir ghorm" or "an t-aos gorm" for "black people"?

Anyone else have anymore input?

Edit: "Saolta fiúntacha iad saolta daoine gorma" is a bit long, but retains the original meaning I think.

I wonder if "lucht gorm" would work?

Redwolf

A more literal version than Gumbi's: Tá tábhacht le beatha (na n)daoine gorma or Tá beatha (na n)daoine gorma tábachtach.
As for '(an) lucht gorm', googling around I see a few examples of that as well as 'an cine gorm'. 'An Foclóir Nua' gives 'dubh' as well as 'gorm' - 'béarlachas' no doubt, and not in FGB.

I am notorious in real life for avoiding Béarlachas so fiercely that my translations are always different from everyone else's.
I relish that reputation! :P

How about this??!

Tá tábhacht leo siúd a bhfuil dath gorm ar a gcraiceann
&
Tá tábhacht leo siúd a bhfuil dath gorm ar a n-éidí

Crazy right? But a bit long...

What about:
Ní cuma lucht an chraicinn ghoirm
Ní cuma lucht caite an ghoirm

Open your mind and be creative :P

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