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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 79
journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 79 |
what do you know about it hibernicus?
Less than jheem, as it turns out! Cailín is the Irish word for "girl", and as such is not in use as a personal name in Ireland. I did not know, however, the original uninflected form "caile" that jheem mentions.
As it happens, both "caile" and "cailín" are masculine nouns, showing (even better than German "Mädchen", which is neuter) the lack of correspondence between grammatical gender and sex.
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475 |
According to Vendryes, Old Irish caile has a pejorative connotation: 'serving girl, wench'. Ultimate etymology unknown. Darn!
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
Cailín is the Irish word for "girl", and as such is not in use as a personal name in Ireland.
No of course not, to find girls with irish names, you have to come to america! the irish tend to name their daughters after saints, and many 'continental names' were popular(when my cousins, just a few years younger than me, were being born. so i have no irish born cousins named Coleen, Shannon, or Erin, or Caitlin, (only american born ones) -my irish cousins (one Patricia) are Antonia, and Maria, and Grace, 'ethnicly neutral' names like Geraldine, Ann,
there are some brian's and michaels among the boys, but also Bernard, and Damian.
my sister is Deirdre, but that name has not reached national popularity here in US-but Soibhain has!(and its often spelt Shavawn)
one cousin goes by the name Doreen, but its a nickname, not her given name-- and besides, she lives here.
(my son considered Una (with a varient spelling) as name, but instead, my granddaughter is Beatrice)
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