cuir ar buile
To madden in Irish is expressed as cuir ar buile.
Meaning: to make angry (verb)
Did you know?
- The preposition ar is a distant relative of the English word 'fore' through their shared Proto-Indo-European origin.
- The phrase cuir ar buile literally translates to 'put on madness', which is a much more visceral way of describing anger than the English equivalent.
- The word buile is related to the Old Irish word for 'frenzy', implying that to madden someone is to drive them into a state of total loss of control.
Example conversation
Siobhán and Oisín are talking about a difficult coworker.
- SiobhánCuir ar buile an fear sin mé!That man maddens me!
- OisínCén fáth go bhfuil tú ar buile, a Siobhán?Why are you angry, Siobhán?
- SiobhánNíl sé ag éisteacht liom go deo.He is never listening to me.
- OisínNá cuir ar buile an t-aoibhneas agat.Don't let it ruin your happiness.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ar, buile, cuir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
