Top focail in English from Irish

FROM smithereens to Tory, there are many common English language words that you probably didn’t realise came from Irish.

According to the most recent census, 39.8% of respondents in the Republic and 10.65% in the North claim they can speak the language.

The language’s influence on modern English is evident and is responsible for many everyday words.

Here are some common English words that you didn’t realise came from the Irish language.

HOOLIGAN

SAID to have come from the Irish family name O huallachain, which was anglicised as O’houlihan. A popular music hall song of the 1890s referenced the fictional Irish fighting family of O huallachain, who were known for their bad social behaviour.

TORY

COMMONLY used to refer to a member of the UK Conservative Party, it comes from the Irish Gaelic word “toraidhe” meaning outlaw or robber. The phrase was popular in the 17th century when it was meant as an insult.

WHISKEY

INTERPRETATION of an old Irish name for the drink — uisce beatha which means “water of life”. The uisce part was anglicised to become whiskey, and in some parts of Ireland it is still pronounced whish-key.

CLOCK

THE word clock can be traced back to old Irish words clagan and clocca, both meaning “bell”, which references hand-bells used by early Irish missionaries.

GALORE

TRACED back to the word go leor which means “there was a lot of something”. The only difference between the pair is the spelling.

SMITHEREENS

MADE up of the word “smithers”, with the Irish diminutive ending “eens”. Likely from smidirini, which means little bits.

GOB

THE English adopted “gob” – slang for “mouth” – from the Irish word for beak.