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PIC: This Irish Name Has Three Different Meanings In English Depending On Where You Put The Fada

13th March 2019

10:32am GMT

Darragh Berry

Ah yes, the never-ending struggle that is trying to understand the Irish language.

We wish we were fluent and maybe some of you are.

For a good chunk of the country, however, it is sadly a second language if even and we struggle with the basics such as where a fada should go.

Because something as small as a tiny stroke on top of a letter is so important when it comes to the Irish language.

Take the name Sean for example:

This Irish name can have three different meanings in English depending on where you put the fada or rather where you don't put it.

The importance of the fada... take 999.
Sean = old
Seán = name for a boy
Séan = deny#inthenameofthefada #Gaeilge

— MáireT (@MaireTNC) February 4, 2019

Sean = old. (This could very much offend someone if you were to sign their Birthday card without the fada).

Seán = name for a boy (Plain and simple, birthday card signed correctly)

Séan = deny (You don't want Seán to be denied of anything on his birthday, do you?)

This is not the first time we've realised the importance of the fada on an Irish name.

This beautiful and popular Irish name also has a second disgusting meaning when you remove the fada from it.

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Darragh Berry
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