Irish Blog

Barely back from Azkatraz 2009, and with the capsúlbheathaisnéis of the late Michael Jackson still looming, there is more sad news, bás Phroinsias Mhic Cuarta, or as most people would more likely say, bás Frank McCourt. 

My Michael Jackson blog spent some time discussing the gaelicization of names, including non-Irish celebrities and international figures.  In the case of Frank McCourt, the transition is seamless, and a good opportunity to learn yet another set of names in their normal and possessive forms, the latter being the dreaded tuiseal ginideach. 

Is there much precedent for using “Proinsias” for “Frank” and “Mac Cuarta” for “McCourt” in his case?  Fíorbheagáinín (a very very little bit)!  Here are some Google results as of 7/23:

“Frank McCourt”: 1,610,000 (milliún, sé chéad is a deich míle) – of course, that’s unmodified, so includes all Frank McCourts ever mentioned on the Web.

“Francis McCourt”: 4,390 (ceithre mhíle, trí chéad is a naoi).  I bhfad níos lú (much less) – looks like he’s mostly referred to by his leasainm (nickname), Frank.  Again, this is all Francis McCourts on the Web, but it seems that the vast majority of reported uses of the name refer to the Brooklyn-Limerick author.

“Francis ‘Frank’ McCourt”: 22,690 (dhá mhíle is fiche, sé chéad is nócha, or as some people have started saying “fiche is a dó míle, sé chéad is nócha). 

“Proinsias Mac Cuarta”: 2 (dhá amas, two hits, sin é).  Bhuel, at least I wasn’t the only one to use Frank’s name in Irish!

In the remainder of this blog, I’ll only have time to discuss the name itself.  So please stay tuned for a further tribute to “an fear seo agus a shaothar” (this man and his work).  As you’ve no doubt gathered, “Proinsias” is “Francis.”  In the possessive form, you lenite the first letter (P changing to Ph).  For the surname McCourt, the basic Irish form is “Mac Cuarta” and the possessive form of that is “Mhic Cuarta,” with “mhic” pronounced like “vik.”  For any women out there wondering about “Frances,” the feminine form, the Irish version is “Proinséas” and the surname changes also to “Nic Cuarta” (unmarried) or “Mhic Cuarta” (married). 

The leasainm “Frank” also has an Irish version, “Frainc.”  It isn’t spelled with the letter “k,” since “k” is virtually non-existent in Irish. 

The title of this blog also used the phrase “ar shlí na fírinne,” which is roughly equivalent to R.I.P.  It literally means that the deceased is “on the path of truth.”  And that’s about all the spás I have, so, a lucht léite mo bhlag (readers of my blog), please “coinnigh do ghreim” (sit tight) and the promised capsúlbheathaisnéisí themselves will be forthcoming.  I am still champing at the bit to write the donkey sanctuary blog, but sadly, Frank McCourt’s death has occurred and will take priority for the time being. 

Leideanna Fuaimnithe: Proinsias [PRIN-shuss], ar shlí na fírinne [err hlee nuh FEER^zh-in-yeh, note the “s” is silent], Phroinsias [FRIN-shuss], bhuel [wel], leasainm [L^yASS-AN-yim], ghreim [r^zhim, no real equivalent to English, but the slender “r” here has a buzzing quality, like the “j” sound in French “Jacques;” the “gh” is virtually silent, with a very slight “yuh” sound before the “r” if you really articulate it.]