GLOSSARY
IRISH WORDS
Abhartach – a cruel fifth-century chieftain from the north of Ireland who was supposedly a dwarf. In some versions of the tale, he was killed by Fionn mac Cumhaill but came back to life demanding bowls of blood. He was finally buried facedown with a yew stake through his heart, which put an end to his nightly wanderings.
Aengus Og / Óengus Og - One of the Túatha dé Danann, Irish god of love, youth and poetic inspiration. He was the foster father of Diarmuid Ua Duihne.
Áer – cutting satire, thought to have the ability to or even kill
Ailm – an ancient Celtic symbol representing strength and endurance
Aisling - dream as in pleasant thoughts
Aiteann - gorse bush also known as a furze bush
Amárach – tomorrow
An bhfanfaidh tú leis na páisti, le do thoil, na dheartháair? - Will you stay with the children, please, brother?
An gcloiseann tú mé, a dheartháir – Can you hear me, brother
Anseo anois–here now
Aos sidhe – people of the mounds, fairy folk
A Athair– Father (the a is used when addressing the person directly)
Bean sidhe – woman of the mound, a harbinger of death
Bhí mó bródúil asat I gcónai, a mhic – I have always been proud of you, son
Brat - a cloak
Briseadh geis naofa – breaker of geas or prohibition
Brog / broga -- shoe / shoes
Buachaill - a boy
Cá bhfuilimid? – Where are we?
Caer Ibormeith – Irish mythological woman who was magically turned into a swan. Swan princess and lover of Aengus Óg, one of the Túatha dé Danann and god of youth and love.
Cailín - lass, girl
Caomhnóir naofa - sacred guardian
Cave of Rúin Ársa - Cave of Ancient Secrets
Ceann beag - little one
Chancer – someone with a dubious manner who seems to be dishonest or opportunistic
A chara / a chairde – friend / friends
A chéadsearc – my dearest love (literally my first love)
A chuisle — darling, dear (technically pulse - an endearment)
A chuisle mo chroí – pulse of my heart/beat of my heart (an endearment)
Cialleach – in folklore, the divine hag or queen of winter. If the
day is cloudy on February 1, she oversleeps and can’t collect
enough firewood, so winter will end soon. If the sun is shining,
she collects plenty and it will be a longer winter. Sort of like the
groundhog.
Claíomh Ailbe – Sword of Ailbe
Codail go sámh — Sleep tight
Codladh na tromluí síoraí - sleep o eternal nightmares
Conmaicne Mara - Connemara, a region in the west of Ireland
Connachta - Connacht, the region in County Mayo where Ciarán is from
Cormac mac Airt - legendary and likely historical High King of Ireland, living sometime between between the second and fourth century
Cryonics – practice of freezing bodies with the hopes of being able to revive them at a later date
Culchie - a person from the country
Cuirm - ancient Celtic name for ale
Cup of Cheartais — Cup of Justice
Dadaí – Daddy (what the twins call their father)
Daideo – Granddad (While the twins call Father Mike and Daniel this at first, they later change to calling them Granddad
Dark Shadows – a TV show that ran in the US from 1966 to 1971. It featured Barnabus Collins, a nearly 200-year-old vampire who was racked by guilt.
Daub – clay mixed with reeds or straw
Dearg Due – a beautiful young woman who, according to folklore, was forced to marry a wicked rich man instead of her love. After her death, she returned each year on the anniversary of her death to lure young men into her embrace and suck them dry, blood wise. To keep her from returning, stones were placed upon her grave, which supposedly is somewhere in Waterford.
A dheirfiúr – sister (the a is used when addressing the person directly)
Dercad – deep form of meditation
A dheartháir–brother (as in a sibling—the a is used when addressing the person directly)
Mo dheartháireacha beag – my little brothers
Dia duit – hello (technically, God to you)
Dia is Muire duit – Hello to you too (technically, God and Mary to you)
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne–foster son of Aengus Óg and loyal warrior of the Fianna, who ran off with Gráinne, the intended of Fionn mac Comhaill, leader of the Fianna.
Dun do bheal – shut your mouth
Elixir of Suain Cráite – Elixir of Tormented Sleep
Ériu – ancient name for Ireland
Fáinne na Eagna – The Ring of Wisdom
An farraige – the sea
Fealtóir – betrayer
Féth Fíada – magical mist of the Túatha dé Danann
Fianna – an elite warrior class in ancient and mideival Ireland
Filidh (sing. Fili) - professional class of poets who practiced divination. In
Ciarán's priesthood, it is a seven year period immediately before full priesthood.
Fionn mac Cumhaill – Irish hero and leader of the Fianna
Gaeltacht - the term for those areas in Ireland that still speak predominantly Irish or a person who is an Irish speaker
Garda - the Guard, the Irish police force
Geis – a taboo or vow, either a prohibition or an obligation
A ghrá – my love (as a term of endearment)
Go dtí go mbuailfimid arís, a dheartháir - Until we are together again, brother.
Go raibh maith agat - Thank you
Gobshite - a braggart, a mean or stupid and incompetent person (derogatory term)
Golden Year– Every nineteen years. The guardianship ceremonies were held during this year
Gombeen - shady character, someone always out to make a pount (derogatory term)
Grannagh – an archaeological site in Galway
Hills of ár Sinsear — Hills of our Ancestors
In ainm an Athar, agus an Mhic, agus an Spiorad Naoimh – In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Is chuisle mo chroí thú — You are the beat of my heart
Is é mo chroí mise, anois agus i gcónaí, a ghrá— my heart is yours, now and always, my love
Lann na Leorghnimh — The Blade of Atonement
A leanbh - child, baby, small child
Léine / Léinte – a tunic worn in ancient Ireland, though today the word refers to a shirt.
Mamaí – Mommy (what the twins call their mother)
Mamó - Grandma (what the twins call Mary and Eibhlín this at first, they call them Nana later)
Manandán mac Lir – son of the sea god
Más é do thoil é – please
Máthair bandia – goddess mother
A Mháthair - Mother (the a is used when addressing the person directly)
A mhic – Son (the a is used when addressing the person directly)
A mhuirnín – darling, my beloved (term of endearment)
Mo mhic dilis – my loyal son
Múinteoir – teacher
Mumhan - ancient name for the province of Munster
Ná téigh, a Mháthair – Don’t go, Mother
Oíche mhaith, a dheartháir. Codladh go maith – Good night, brother. Sleep well
Ogham–ancient Irish form of writing
Ollamh - the highest rank of the Filidh or any group. In Ciarán's priesthood, it is the highest rank of cleric or major cleric
Ollamh Filidh – in Ciarán's priesthood, this is the highest rank of priest, the high priest
Mo paiste / paisti - my child / children
Praties – potatoes
Prentice - ancient word for apprentice, one in training
Sá ruithe geis – violator of a taboo or vow
Sabhaircín – primrose
Satire - a poetic curse that could vary in effect from mild insult to death
Saol gan bás – life without death
Scian na Lúin – Dagger of Lúin
A shagart - priest (the a is used when addressing the person directly)
A sheanathair - grandfather (the a is used when addressing the person directly)
A sheanchara - old friend (the a is used when addressing the person directly)
A seanmháthair - grandmother (the a is used when addressing the person directly)
Seantuismitheoirí – grandparents
A shíorghrá – my eternal love (a term of endearment)
Slan - goodbye
Slan abhaile – safe home
Sláinte - health ( a traditional toast)
Stop é sin anois – Stop that now
A stór - darling (A term of endearment used for adults, many times between grown children and their parents.
A stóirín – little treasure, little darling (A term of endearment)
Straif - fourteenth letter of the Ogham alphabet, associated with the blackthorn, a tree known for its dark secrets
Suain Craite - tormented or tortured sleep
Ta bron orm, mo mhic - I am sorry, my son
Ta mo chroí istigh ionat – my heart is within you / I love you
Taoiseach – Irish prime minister
Teach – a house
Teamhair na Rí – Tara of the Kings
A tiarnán – my lord
Tir na Haislinge – The Land of Dreams
Tir na nÓg – Land of Youth, the otherworld
Tlachtga - ritualistic site where the Samhain fires were relit and
dispersed throughout the countryside
Tráthnóna maith – good afternoon, good evening
Trifold Death - in Irish mythology, the concept by which a person is killed by three different means, usually as a punishment for some great transgression. Aisling, Ciarán's fifth-century wife, was stabbed, garroted, and drowned
Triubhas – trews or trousers
Troithe - feet (measurement)
Tuaisceart, Conacht – the area of Connaught Ciarán comes
from
Tuamaí Dearmadta – Forgotten Tombs, or Tombs of the Forgotten
Túath - clan or tribe
Túatha dé Danann - a supernatural race of beings said to live in Ireland before the coming of the human race. They are said to possess magical powers and were forever young
Túatha de Uí Briuin – another túath or clan near Ciarán’s
Túatha de Uí Fiachrach – Ciarán’s túath or clan
Uí Briuin – another túath or clan near Ciarán’s
Ulaidh - ancient Irish name for the province of Ulster
Veil of Aisling – Veil of Dreams, as in pleasant thoughts
Veil of Cinniúna – Veil of Fate or Destiny
LATIN WORDS
Christe Eleison – Christ have mercy
Dominus vobiscum – The Lord be with you
Et cum spiritu tuo – And with your spirit
Kyrie Eleison – Lord have mercy
Paenitet me, dominus. Ego non intellego – I’m sorry, master. I
do not understand.
Per istam sanctam Unctiónem - Through this holy anointing
Salvete frater . . . sit habitas in Christo – Hail brother . . . may
you live in Christ
MISC. TWENTIETH-CENTURY TERMS
Biscuits – cookies
Black and whites = NYC police cars
Chancer - a scheming opportunist, someone who is dishonest or tries to deceive others
Cuppa - a cup of tea
D C I - Detective Chief Inspector
Grave wax – or adipocere, a crumbly white, waxy substance that accumulates on those parts of the body that contain fat—the cheeks, breasts, etc.
The Jacks - the toilet
Legged it out of here–to leave a place quickly
LIE – Long Island Expressway
The messages - the groceries
Midge - a small, annoying, gnat-like insect
Rashers - Irish bacon
Runners - sneakers
Schrödinger's cat - a thought experiment where a cat is put in a box with something that may or may not kill it. The point being made is one of supposition. Until you open the box, the cat could still be alive or dead.
Torch - flashlight