mo mhadra alla
The Irish phrase for "my wolf" is mo mhadra alla.
This phrase is used to refer to a wolf that belongs to the speaker.
Did you know?
- The word alla may be linked to the Old Irish allguth, which refers to a 'great noise' or a 'shout'. This suggests the name might describe the wolf's vocalizations rather than its appearance.
- The structure of the phrase follows a 'mutation' rule where the possessive 'my' acts as a catalyst for changing the sound of the following noun.
- The term mhadra in your phrase is a mutation of madra, a word that is also the standard Irish word for 'dog'.
Example conversation
Conor and Aoife are walking in the woods.
- ConorAiligh, an bhfuil mo mhadra alla in aice láthair?Aoife, is my wolf nearby right now?
- AoifeTá, tá sé taobh thiar dom.Yes, he is behind me.
- ConorGo raibh maith agat, a Aoife.Thank you, Aoife.
- AoifeTá mo mhadra alla anseo freisin.My wolf is here too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alla, mo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
