damháin alla
The English word "spiders" is translated into Irish as damháin alla.
damháin alla refers to the eight-legged arachnids that spin webs to catch insects.
Did you know?
- The term damháin is derived from a word that can also refer to a 'small deer' or 'fawn' in other contexts.
- There is a strange linguistic connection where the second part of the phrase, alla, may be rooted in a word meaning a 'great shout' or 'loud noise'.
- Traditional Irish folklore sometimes treats certain spiders as omens, changing how a person might react when seeing one in their home.
Example conversation
Siobhán and Conor are cleaning the attic.
- SiobhánConor, féach ar na damháin alla seo!Conor, look at these spiders!
- ConorÓ, tá eagla orm acu.Oh, I am afraid of them.
- SiobhánNíl siad go dona.They are not that bad.
- ConorGlan an líon sin, le do thoil.Clean that web, please.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alla, CC BY-SA 4.0.
