I'm getting a tattoo of the celtic tree of life in the near future, and I wanted the phrase "New Beginnings" to accompany it. I've been told this translates into "Na Tuánna Nua". Is this correct? Are there any other acceptable ways to phrase it? And if this is the right translation already, where do the accents go? Please help!

Tuánna is incorrect. The nearest word to that is tuanna "axes".

Hmm, can't find any indication of the existence of a plural túsanna* for tús either. Better use tosach instead.

Not sure if we need the article here or not:

Tosaigh Nua

Tosaigh Úra

Without the article it would mean "New Beginnings" (some specific ones); with the article na "New Beginnings" (generically).

nua is the more common word for "new". úr has a feeling of "freshness" about it.

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thanks for your help!

Does anyone else have any other suggestions??

How would I pronounce "Na Tosaigh Nua" ?

Na Tosaigh Nua
nuh TOSS-ee NOO-(uh)
/Nə tosi: Nu:(ə)/

But wait to get confirmation before using that.

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

I've never seen "tosach/toiseach" in the plural so far...
Wouldn't it be simpler to use it in the singular?



not in Donegal...

_________________
Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

That reminds me of a rock band in the 80s here called "An Tua Nua".

_________________
___________________________________________________________

It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
___________________________________________________________

There's a bar in Boston named that. I'm pretty sure that also translates into "New Beginnings"...?

Tua= axe, hatchet

_________________


Nuair a shuíonn an coileach péacoige ar a thóin, níl ann ach turcaí
Chief Buffalo Breath
===========================


Wisdom is never on the menu, you have to own the restaurant.

I think it translates to "The New Axe". (Crossed with Tiarnan, while I wrote the next bit.)


While it is true that it is sometimes better to translate singular in one language as plural in another, and vice versa, I am not convinced that the plural of tosach "doesn't exist".

For tús, FGB gives "tús m. (gs. túis). 1. ..." indicating that there is no (attested) plural for tús.

For tosach, on the other hand, FGB gives "tosach m. (gs. & npl. -aigh, gpl. ~). 1. ..." indicating that there is a plural for tosach.

Dinneen has no plural listed for tosach. I assume that a dictionary like FGB is based on a wide corpus of materials and a committee of people who discussed the entries, especially where they relate to changes to, or deviations from, earlier works such as Dinneen.

You say, Lughaidh, "I've never seen "tosach/toiseach" in the plural so far..." Can you please give us an indication of how far (i.e., in what sources) you have investigated the matter to show us that your sample is a little larger than just your own personal experience?

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).