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IRISH IS AN endlessly interesting language, with plenty of words that have no equivalent in English.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, we have a LOT of words for ‘potato’. Here are most of them – we’ve decided to leave out the ones with the root word ‘práta’, such as ‘práta úra’ (new potato) and focus on the more unusual terms.
Tuesday 5 November, 2024
Tuesday 5 November, 2024
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23 ways to say 'potato' as Gaeilge
Originally published 13 February 2016
IRISH IS AN endlessly interesting language, with plenty of words that have no equivalent in English.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, we have a LOT of words for ‘potato’. Here are most of them – we’ve decided to leave out the ones with the root word ‘práta’, such as ‘práta úra’ (new potato) and focus on the more unusual terms.
Terms found using teanglann.ie and tearma.ie.
1. Práta – potato
2. Dradairnín - Small useless potato
3. Ceaile - Mashed new potatoes
4. Sliomach - Soft, worthless potato
5. Steodaire – Small, worthless potato
6. Creachán - Small potato
7. Screamhachóir - Small useless potato (our ancestors really hated useless potatoes)
8. Sceidín - Small potato
9. Langán - Discarded portion of a seed potato
10. Stágun - Damaged potato
11. Sliomach - Very wet potato
12. Paidrín - Very tiny potato
13. Falcaire - Old seed potato
14. Luathóg - Batch of potatoes cooked in embers
15. Praistéal - Potatoes cooked in embers
16. Bruithneog - Batch of potatoes roasted in ashes
17. Prochán - Potato roasted in ashes
18. Gátaire - Potato roasted in embers (the dictionary specifies ‘as a treat’)
19. Meallamán - Large potato
20. Brúitín - Mashed potatoes
21. Peandí - Mashed potatoes with milk and butter
22. Peil - Very big potato (also the Irish word for ‘football’).
23. Póirín - Small potato
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As Gaeilge Gaeilge Ireland Irish language Potato prátaí