barr na maidine
The English phrase "top of the morning" is translated into Irish as barr na maidine.
barr na maidine is intended as a cheerful greeting to wish someone a good morning. However, it is important to note that unlike the English idiom, this is not a standard or common idiomatic greeting used by native Irish speakers in daily life.
When do people say it?
While the English phrase "top of the morning" is often associated with Irish stereotypes, the Irish equivalent barr na maidine is not a standard or common idiomatic greeting used by native Irish speakers in daily life.
Did you know?
- While barr na maidine translates as 'top of the morning', native Irish speakers typically greet each other with dia duit, which literally means 'God be with you'.
- The word barr shares a prehistoric root with the Middle Welsh word barr, both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰers-.
- While barr means 'top' in this phrase, it can also refer specifically to the crown of a human head.
Example conversation
Oisín and Aoife meet for coffee in the morning.
- OisínBarr na maidine duit, a Aoife!Top of the morning to you, Aoife!
- AoifeGo raibh agat, a Oisín!Thank you, Oisín!
- OisínAn bhfuil tú réidh don caifé?Are you ready for coffee?
- AoifeTá mé, tógann muid í anois.I am, let's get it now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries barr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
