Hello,

I'm looking for the translation into Irish for the plural noun "fingers" -- after some searching elsewhere, I came up with some options, but I'm not certain which (if either) is what I'm after.
I found méara.
I also found mhéara.

When I translate back to English with either of them though, I don't always get "fingers" as the result. Sometimes I get "mayor" and the like.

I'm looking to use it as a nickname for someone, capitalized, along the lines of "Hello there, Fingers! Good to see you!"
Or, "We've been calling him Fingers since he was a wee lad."

Also, would this be the same word as would be used in "I have ten fingers and I use them to play my instrument?"

Thanks for any help.

"Méara" does, indeed, mean "fingers." And it can also mean "mayor." It's all in the context.

You're seeing it occasionally as "mhéara" because Irish words inflect in certain grammatical situations (for example, you'd say "mo mhéara": my fingers). But as a standalone word, it's "méara."

And yes, it's the same word as in your example.

Perhaps for your purposes, "luibhne" (which means "digits," so can mean either fingers or toes) would be less ambiguous.

Do wait for more input.

BTW, steer clear of automatic "translators." Most of them are just plain awful, and, at best, they're confusing.

Redwolf

Great, thank you! I shall wait for additional replies, but this has been very helpful.


So I'm guessing that's what I could use, capitalized, as the nickname? "Méara"


There is no question that I want the specific "fingers" as opposed to the general "digits." In the context in which it will be used, there will be no question that we're referring to the person as "Fingers," not "Mayor," I'm certain.


I agree. I used various as a starting point to get some preliminary information, with the plan to then come to a more reliable source. I wanted to at least put some groundwork in and not appear too lazy about it!
It helps me to better form my questions, or to ask more of them.

As a nickname, it might be Méara, though I am not sure how usual that would be as a nickname in Irish. ("Fingers" was kind of a clichéd nickname for a character who is a thief in old movies in English, wasn't it?)

The tricky bit is that when you addressed someone called Méara, as in "Hello there, fingers!", you would have to use the vocative case, which would change Méara to a Mhéara.


Another tricky one, because Irish uses the singular noun after numbers (except for some old measuring words which usually have a special form), so "ten fingers" would be deich méar.

In other words, one word "fingers" in English maps to three words in Irish. Such are the perils of translation.

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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).

Breandán is correct in that "Fingers" was often used as a nickname for thieves (particularly pickpockets) in older American detective films and dime-store novels. I'm guessing you already know that, but he was right to bring it up, just in case!

One thing to be careful of is to make sure the accent mark is always included (if this is for a character in a book or something like that, make sure your editor knows it's important). "Meara" (without the accent) is the plural form of an adjective that means "fast" or "lively." Not one of the more horrible results of leaving an accent off, but a mistake nonetheless.

Redwolf

And just to add - I didn't really intend it as a warning against the meaning or anything. I just meant to say that I don't think the Irish word will necessarily work in the same way. Irish stories certainly do make use of nicknames for their characters. They might just invoke slightly different images from the "standard" English ones, that's all.

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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).

And to add to the confusion, Meara is also a surname so if used as a stand alone word readers may not realize it is the nickname

Well, all this is not only fascinating, but greatly appreciated! Thank you all.

A couple of notes that might help further clarify (or further muddle!):

* This isn't something where it's crucial it's easily understood by all. It will be fine for anyone who's curious to ask. It's not going to be anything as permanent or significant as a character in a book.

* It would be used with English speakers -- a few of whom speak or at least know some Irish, many of whom do not -- but the group certainly has a culturally Irish connection. A close example might be if I wanted to use it as my nickname / user name here on this message board.

* I was aware of the connection to a thief or pickpocket (but I appreciate that someone took the care to point it out), & while that is not the connection that applies here, it's humorous anyway, & while some people might think of that upon seeing the name, no one is likely to misunderstand that it's the reason for the name. Anyone who knows what the word means will fully understand the context/intent. It has to do with playing an instrument.
This brings up an interesting point. While I certainly intend "fingers" and not "fast/lively," it certainly wouldn't be out of line to indicate "fast and lively fingers!" -- I don't suppose I could be lucky enough that the two words together would mean that? Meara Méara or Méara Meara? That would be over-the-top... but somehow I doubt that will work.

Anyway, thanks again everyone, this is fantastic.

Actually, I think "Méara Meara" would work (the adjective follows the noun in Irish, so you want the accent on the first one).

Redwolf

And to add even more confusion
in Conamara we usually say "méarachaí" for "fingers".

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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.
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